March 2026 saw significant investment activity and the increasing influence of AI across the beauty and personal care sector. SEMCAP launched a dedicated beauty and wellness investment strategy, tapping Vasiliki Petrou. Oura is exploring a potential IPO as wearable health tech sees accelerated growth. Advent International is moving to acquire a majority stake in Salt & Stone, while Danone completed a €1 billion deal for Huel. JiYu secured US$6.5 million for its US expansion plans.
Retail saw Violet Grey enter the UK market via Harvey Nichols. Ulta Beauty introduced Clöud Café and its ingestible K-beauty line. Sally Beauty expanded its reach by launching on TikTok Shop, and Sephora debuted an AI shopping app on ChatGPT. These moves demonstrate a clear industry pivot towards diverse sales channels and technologically advanced customer engagement.
Leadership changes include Caroline Foo's appointment as Managing Director for Shiseido Malaysia. Anna Teal departed as CEO of Grown Alchemist to start a new wellness brand, and L’Oréal appointed Nora Wolfe as SVP and U.S. Head of Media. Such shifts often signal strategic realignments or a search for new growth engines.
Brand collaborations continued, with Jukebox by Dr. Squatch partnering with the Nader Sisters and Charlotte Tilbury launching a new Pillow Talk campaign featuring Sienna Miller. M·A·C Cosmetics introduced a UK staff commission scheme on TikTok. 818 Tequila collaborated with Salt & Stone on a beauty launch, blurring lines between beverage and cosmetics.
Corporate strategy also featured prominently. Estée Lauder is in discussions with Puig for a potential business combination. Deciem relaunched The Chemistry Brand as part of its incubation efforts. L’Oréal India is in talks to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, indicating continued consolidation and strategic portfolio adjustments in key markets.
Regulatory developments included the Value of Beauty Summit's call for EU action to protect industry competitiveness. Johnson & Johnson received FDA approval for its oral psoriasis drug Icotyde, though the company also faced a US judge dismissing US$950 million in punitive damages from a talc case, and a new lawsuit filed in Scotland regarding alleged cancer-linked talc products.
