How Simplicity Is Reshaping the Beauty Industry and Driving Sales

Chemist Ron Robinson launched BeautyStat with two products, eschewing the beauty launch trend of unveiling multiple-step skin care regimens. — BeautyStat

Small business takeaway

Simplicity is reshaping the beauty industry, offering lessons for small businesses from both startups and established companies on how focusing on fewer, high-quality, and purpose-driven products can drive customer loyalty, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth. Startups BeautyStat and Gntl highlight the power of minimalism and multifunctionality while Walmart demonstrates how AI can analyze retail sales data to optimize assortments and improve efficiency.

The beauty industry has long thrived on excess — endless launches, crowded vanities, and a constant push for what’s new. But a growing movement fueled by social media and retailers is forcing brands to rethink whether more is necessarily better.

Project Pan, for example, is a social media challenge where content providers share the beauty products they own before buying anything else. The message is to end overconsumption and excessive packaging in an industry long fueled by the pursuit of the next big thing.

CVS has been on a mission to curate its beauty assortment, paring SKUs where necessary, to simplify product discovery and not overwhelm customers. Even K-beauty brands, which once espoused 10-step skin care rituals, are paring back to streamlined regimens.

Bucking conventional wisdom, many brands aren’t alarmed by the push to fewer products, a move they think can actually build loyalty.

BeautyStat Founder: ‘The world didn’t need another beauty product’

Ron Robinson tapped into his more than 30 years of experience as a renowned beauty chemist to launch his own line in 2019 with just two items: the BeautyStat Universal C Skin Refiner, a vitamin C serum, and a companion Pro-Bio Moisture Boost Cream. BeautyStat bucked the traditional launch pattern of introducing multiple-step regimens.

For years Robinson held off creating his own products versus working for others in a crowded beauty market. “The world didn’t need another beauty product,” Robinson explained. “I’ve seen firsthand how the current market is saturated with products that are basically just smoke and mirrors. We want to cut through the clutter.”

Robinson was researching how to stabilize vitamin C — a notoriously hard ingredient to work with in beauty because it oxidizes easily, meaning it reduces its effectiveness and shelf life when exposed to air or light. “I thought if I could stabilize vitamin C, I would be serving a need rather than just adding to the crowd of products.”

The Universal C Skin Refiner is a multifunctional item that Robinson said exfoliates, helps fade dark spots, and provides antioxidants to prevent free radical damage linked to premature aging. Since the launch, Robinson has slowly added new items that he feels bring innovation rather than just another item.

[What’s] most useful for us in merchandising is the ability to analyze data and trends quickly. AI can quickly analyze a [store’s] shelf set and provide all the brands and sales information in seconds. Vinima K. Shekhar, Vice President of Merchandising at Walmart

Today, BeautyStat is included in CB Insights’ analyst‑curated Beauty & Personal Care Expert Collection, a list from the business intelligence firm highlighting companies shaping innovation in the category.

Gntl Founder: Boosting repurchase rates from fewer beauty products

The confluence of consumers looking to pare back spending and a desire to eliminate waste is one reason why Sydney Dake created Gntl, a minimalist brand of multifunctional items.

“Beauty is built on constant launches, constant novelty, and a cycle that encourages consumers to buy more than they need. I saw firsthand how many products end up half-used or forgotten, and I realized I was contributing to that clutter instead of solving it,” she told CO— of her past experience in beauty before creating Gntl in 2023.

Her line focuses on multifunctional products sold in eco-friendly packages. The brand’s signature item, Skin Wash, is a workhorse that cleans the face and body, removes makeup, is a shaving gel and a hand soap. An edited assortment hasn’t dented sales.

Consumers desire fewer decisions, less clutter, and less half-used products taking up shower and countertop space, said Sydney Dake, Founder and CEO, on Gntl's appeal and success. — Gntl

“Skin Wash has one of the highest repeat purchase rates we have seen in the category and is constantly selling out,” she said. The brand has a 30% repurchase rate and has achieved 100% organic growth to date. “Customers come back because the products truly replace multiple items in their routine. That organic loyalty is more powerful and valuable to us than launching a new SKU every quarter,” she said.

Gntl also benefits from its direct-to-consumer strategy, she added, which allows access to understanding its consumer base and when it is time to expand its assortment.

That streamlined philosophy caught the attention of Credo Beauty, where Gntl made its first retail expansion.

“What stood out to me most about Gntl is their philosophy of fewer products, better care. Their multifunctional skin and body products mirror the shift we’re seeing in consumer behavior toward less overconsumption and more mindful living. That sense of minimalism and intentionality aligns seamlessly with Credo Beauty’s values,” said Gabriella Ramirez, Merchant, at Credo Beauty.

Putting AI to work to streamline beauty SKUs for consumers, brands, and retailers

Even AI is being put to work in beauty to streamline the flood of products. AI can help verify if a new product will be successful without extensive testing, thus reducing the potential for flooding the market with products that fail.

AI cuts excess products in three ways — for consumers, brands, and retailers. For consumers, AI try-on apps eliminate the pesky problem of buying the wrong shade time and time again, according to Alice Chang, CEO and Founder of AI beauty tech provider Perfect Corp.

For brands, AI helps find the right ingredients for a formula, which can reduce the high failure rate in product assortments. “AI can be used to create and understand ingredients without extensive testing and trial,” according to Josh Britton, CEO of AI-powered beauty ingredient business Debut and skincare brand Deinde. "You're going to save time, money, and you're going to get a better result," he said.

AI also gives retailers the power to make brands take a hard look at the pace and number of new products that launch, with an eye toward boosting productivity from an on-shelf mix while minimizing the number of items that collect dust.

“[What’s] most useful for us in merchandising is the ability to analyze data and trends quickly,” Vinima K. Shekhar, Walmart’s Vice President of Merchandising, told CO— in an interview. “AI can quickly analyze a [store’s] shelf set and provide all the brands and sales information in seconds.”

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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