Hirsch’s proclamation of consolidation comes after a 2024 when market research firm Circana estimated skincare was the slowest-growing prestige beauty category, at 1% growth in dollars. It eked out 2% growth in the mass market. In additional signs of skincare category softness, in the last reported quarter, Drunk Elephant’s sales plummeted over 60%, Estée Lauder’s skincare sales dropped 12%, and La Prairie’s sales dipped 6.2%. La Prairie and Nivea parent company Beiersdorf anticipates its skincare sales decreasing this year.

Almost three years ago, we looked ahead at the possible end of the skincare boom and asked nine beauty experts what beauty brands should do with that end conceivably around the corner. Now that it appears to be here, for the latest edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty, we asked 13 beauty experts the following: What strategies should skincare brands be pursuing in a slow-growth environment for skincare? What skincare brands will be the winners and losers? What predictions do you have for the skincare category over the next year?