Sensorial beauty has long existed, with texture, scent and visuals playing a central part to beauty and personal care space. But sensoriality is gaining ground today as the consumer market shifts and expectations widen.
“We’ve always had textures and transformative textures and multi-sensory beauty factors in beauty,” said Andrew McDougall, Director of Insights for Beauty and Personal Care at Mintel. “But I think we’ve reached a point now where people are seeking wellness and wellbeing a lot more, so how products make you feel becomes important. We’re also in a world of information overload, where people are just fatigued by so much going on and sometimes those sensory aspects can tell a story so much more than words,” McDougall told Premium Beauty News.
Sensory as the ’differentiator’
McDougall outlined the power of the five human senses – scent, sight, sound, taste and touch – in his presentation at in-cosmetics global in Paris back in March, detailing how senses are key to engaging beauty consumers. “I think beauty is one of the only industries where that first 1.5 seconds matters as much as the next four weeks,” he told attendees. “The results are obviously important but it’s those first few seconds when you interact with a beauty product that are really important, before the product begins to work, before the claims sway you. It’s a really powerful thing, particularly if we look at it in behavioral terms.”
And today, in an increasingly crowded beauty market, the executive explained that being able to tell a story quickly is hugely important. And working on the sensorial aspect of a beauty product, whatever sense that might tap into, can “provide that differentiator” for brands looking to stand out, engage consumers and keep them, he said.
“We forget sometimes that beauty makes us feel so many different things. Beauty is fun, beauty makes us smile, it relieves stress, it does a job, it makes us feel more confident. So, I think there are a number of things that are important right now that will converge to mean that now is the time that sensorial can help tell stories, help enhance experiences and help brands connect much better with consumers.”
Importantly, McDougall said Mintel data shows that many consumers are also willing to pay more for beauty products that make them feel something, which provides a business incentive too.
Subtle cues with sound
Asked which aspect of sensorial beauty holds particular promise in 2026, he said sound is an interesting angle to take. “Sound is interesting because it’s one you don’t automatically connect with beauty but it can create these really subtle cues that are interesting,” he said.
How a product sounds when it closes – the click of a lipstick or bottle, for example – can denote quality and provide assurances around safety and storage, he said. Sounds or music can help consumers understand what a product might smell like or make them feel like, which is particularly helpful in online or virtual advertising, he said. And musical playlists can even guide consumers around routine timings or how long to spend using a certain product. Yet, some niche fragrance brands are leveraging music to create more immersive retail experiences.
Sound, in general, holds a lot of promise in enhancing or heightening the overall experience of a beauty product or routine and certainly warrants a closer look, he said. “Are there certain sounds there that are particularly satisfying, for example? Particularly for Gen Z and Millennials, we’ve seen this whole craze towards ASMR [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response] content online in videos (…) If you can make the whole experience much more memorable, then that is going to improve or enhance that loyalty,” McDougall said.
Beyond this, industry can start to brainstorm what an individual brand might sound like and whether there could be a sound that people hear that instantly makes them think of a brand. If this connection can be achieved, the Mintel expert said there is significant promise and opportunity in terms of consumer engagement and loyalty.
A lot of big brands in other industries have their “own signature sounds”, he said, with McDonald’s one strong example with its five musical notes that are immediately associated with the fast-food company. In beauty, there is no reason this can’t also be achieved, he said – and industry is working on it. Brazilian major Natura, for example, has developed a “sonic identity” or sound logo that uses a mix of Amazon rainforest sounds, captured by sensors. “This is a really powerful tool,” he said. “Now, whenever I hear rainforest sounds, I automatically think of Natura.”
Sensorial design and interplay
Today, however, McDougall said, sensorial has to be “the driving engine, not just something on the side” for it to work.
“...Beauty is moving beyond isolated sensorial cues. It’s not just about the texture or the scent, it’s about this full stack of sensorial design and interplay that delivers this emotional experience. And we should never underestimate that, because how beauty makes us feel is ultimately how we got into this industry,” he told attendees.
