On a crisp October morning in lower Manhattan, The Business of Beauty and Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing gathered industry insiders and disruptors on the rooftop of Nine Orchard for an intimate breakfast panel. Together, the group discussed how the convergence of beauty and wellbeing is reshaping consumer expectations, demanding product innovation and a rethinking of marketing strategies.
BoF 500 member Gucci Westman of Westman Atelier sat alongside fellow entrepreneurs Giovanni Vaccaro, co-founder of Glamsquad, and A-list facialist Joanna Czech, founder of her eponymous skincare brand. Joining them was celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, founder of cosmetic brand Makeup by Mario, alongside legendary hairstylist Sally Hershberger, Jolie co-founder Arjan Singh, and editors and journalists including The Cut’s Carol Lee and ee72’s beauty director-at-large, Sarah Brown.
Co-hosted by The Business of Beauty executive editor Priya Rao, and Kathleen Dunlop, chief marketing officer of Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing, North America, the morning explored a key opportunity: while beauty consumers are more discerning than ever, they are also actively seeking out brands that can deliver efficacy and authenticity.
As the global beauty consumer base expands, shoppers with varying skin tones, hair types and perspectives on beauty norms are demanding more extensive product assortments — and broader definitions of what beauty even means. In the US, 44 percent of consumers now define beauty as taking care of the mind and body, while over half consider skincare products a key contributor to their wellness routines, on a par with physical exercise, according to The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Co.’s The State of Fashion: Beauty Report.
Research undertaken by Unilever, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, indicates an even closer convergence of these factors. Researchers found that the skin microbiome across four body sites (face, scalp, forearm, underarm) is linked to psychological wellbeing. Specifically, higher levels of the common skin bacterium Cutibacterium on the face and underarm were associated with lower stress and improved mood.
Through its Beauty & Wellbeing division, Unilever has built a strategic portfolio of brands that make-up a €13.2 billion business spanning skin, hair and prestige beauty, in addition to vitamins, minerals and supplements. Household names such as Dove, Tresemmé and the 150-year old brand Vaseline sit alongside high-performing supplement brands such as Nutrafol and Liquid I.V.
To delve into the convergence of beauty, efficacy and wellbeing, Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing’s Dunlop was joined by Dr. Shari Marchbein, a New York-based, board-certified dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, for a panel discussion.
Moderated by BoF’s director of content strategy Alice Gividen, the panellists unpacked how brands, beauty influencers and clinical experts can collaborate to serve consumers who increasingly see skin health, emotional wellbeing and beauty as interconnected.
Below, The Business of Beauty shares key insights.
Respond to the New Demands of Beauty and Wellness Consumers
Social media and post-pandemic work life have fundamentally altered how consumers interact with their own appearance, creating new challenges and opportunities for the beauty and wellness industry.
Dunlop shared proprietary research from Unilever, which surveyed 4,000 customers across the UK, US, India and Brazil, and found that “nine out of 10 said beauty and wellbeing are coming together for them, and 93 percent want to see more from industry leaders to respond to these needs.”
This shift isn’t just about changing preferences — it reflects a deeper understanding of how beauty and wellbeing are interconnected. This convergence is playing out in new and unfamiliar ways for brands and founders alike.
“When I reopened my clinic after the pandemic, my first patients weren’t those with urgent medical needs — they were cosmetic patients,” said Marchbein. “They said, ‘I’m staring at myself on Zoom all day, and I’m noticing things I never noticed before.’”
What began as aesthetic concerns quickly revealed deeper wellness issues – anxiety, self-esteem, and the psychological impact of constant self-observation. Combined with social media — where 64 percent of global Gen-Z consumers cite it as a top source of beauty inspiration — the impact on both self-perception and mental wellbeing is profound.
“My job has become more difficult because I often have to urge patients […] away from cosmetic procedures,” said Marchbein.
This illustrates how addressing beauty concerns now requires addressing wellbeing concerns simultaneously – brands cannot separate how people feel from how they look.
“Consumers are seeing beauty and wellbeing converge in new ways. That’s why vitamin and mineral supplements — like Liquid I.V, Olly and Nutrafol — are in the same business group as Unilever’s skincare and haircare brands,” Dunlop added.
Embrace Tried and True Formulations and Storytelling
In an oversaturated market where consumers encounter daily product launches and trend cycles, simplicity is becoming a brand edge.
“I haven’t changed my skincare routine in about 10 years,” said Marchbein.
This “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” philosophy resonates with consumers overwhelmed by choice, where rapid product advancement has made consumers highly discerning, according to The State of Fashion: Beauty Report.
When Gividen asked about balancing the messaging around value and efficacy with emotional storytelling, Dunlop emphasised the importance of consistency over novelty.
“The fundamentals of marketing haven’t changed — we attach emotional stories to brands. We keep it fresh generation after generation, but with consistent brand points of view and relevant stories,” she said.
The success of tried-and-true products also addresses the value equation. When 63 percent of consumers don’t believe premium products outperform mass alternatives, brands built on decades of proven efficacy have a distinct advantage, according to The State of Fashion: Beauty Report.
“When you find something that works, you don’t need to chase the next big thing,” Dunlop added.
Co-Create with Customers for Authentic Emotional Connection
Many successful marketing strategies in the beauty and wellness industry today do not come from controlling brand narratives — it comes from amplifying authentic consumer voices and understanding how products genuinely impact their lives. This approach recognises that beauty and wellness are deeply personal, lived experiences that brands should learn from rather than dictate.
During the panel, Dunlop shared the backstory of Unilever’s Vaseline Verified campaign, which exemplifies this co-creation approach. The strategy was simple: collect user-generated content on how Vaseline was used — from keeping Halloween pumpkins fresh to preventing hair dye stains — and have R&D scientists verify they actually worked, then promote them with a “Vaseline Verified” tick on social media.
“For each person who posted a hack we featured, we offered to make their posts shoppable with a percentage of sales. We turned millions of users into salespeople,” Dunlop explained.
Critically, what emerged wasn’t just quirky hacks — many revealed how consumers were already using Vaseline to address both beauty and wellness needs simultaneously, from soothing dry skin that affected their confidence to creating self-care rituals that provided emotional comfort.
The co-creation component extends beyond campaigns and into a deeper understanding of consumers: “Rather than conducting surveys of thousands of women, brands can now mine social media for real-time insights about what people actually care about,” Dunlop explained.
This mirrors broader marketing principles about relationship-building over retention. Research shows that during high-stakes shopping moments like Black Friday, consumers prioritise brands they have relationships with over those offering the biggest discounts.
Marchbein sees this loyalty manifest in her practice when patients find products that genuinely work: “The ultimate success for me is when my patient is comfortable in their own skin, whatever that looks like for them,” she said.
This depth of connection requires genuinely listening to how products impact consumers’ holistic wellbeing, not just their appearance.
Expand Beyond Individual Product Benefits to Address Holistic Well-Being
When asked about consumers’ top goals when using beauty products, 55 percent of consumers say maintaining healthy skin is their priority, while only 25 percent cite treating a specific concern, according to the State of Fashion: Beauty Report. This suggests consumers are gravitating toward foundational, preventative and all-encompassing beauty routines rather than constantly seeking corrective solutions.
Marchbein sees this interconnection daily in her practice: “In dermatology, we know conditions like acne, psoriasis and eczema naturally lower self-esteem and contribute to depression and anxiety. When patients come in with severe cystic breakouts affecting their confidence, clearing their skin so they can go out without makeup is caring for their wellbeing.”
The clinical reality validates what consumers intuitively understand — beauty concerns and wellness concerns are inseparable. And this holistic philosophy extends to how dermatologists now approach treatment.
“I discuss estrogen with nearly every patient in her 40s — it’s becoming an increasingly common concern. Women lose approximately 30 percent of their collagen during the first five years of menopause, which accelerates visible aging. More patients are seeking to understand how these hormonal changes affect their bodies and appearance,” said Marchbein.
What was once purely cosmetic dermatology now regularly “involves conversations about hormone replacement therapy and topical estrogen treatments”, she said, reflecting how addressing appearance requires addressing the whole body’s wellbeing.
The convergence of beauty and wellness is leading brands to take a truly integrated approach. “Treating the whole person — inside with supplements and diet, outside with topical products — is really going to take off,” Dunlop shared. “We’ll see more products for skin, hair and overall health that reverse or slow aging signs.”
This is a sponsored feature paid for by Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing as part of a BoF partnership.