2024’s Most Successful Cosmetic Brands: Social Media and Revenue Insights
The global personal care and beauty market is predicted to reach $1.4367 trillion by 2027.
We have analysed data across several well-known cosmetic brands on factors such as social media following, age and annual revenue to reveal the most successful cosmetic brands of 2024.
Key study findings:
- L’Oreal is the most successful cosmetic brand in 2024 with a success score of 90 out of 100.
- The richest cosmetic brand of 2024 is Procter & Gamble with an annual revenue of just over $82 billion.
- The most popular cosmetics brand on Instagram is Dove with 48.9 million followers.
- The longest-standing cosmetic brand is Guerlain at 196 years old.
- Dove is the cosmetic brand with the highest consumer interest with just over 4.3 million searches a month.
The top 10 most successful cosmetic brands of 2024:
L'Oréal has emerged as the leading cosmetic brand in 2024, boasting a remarkable success score of 90. The brand has an impressive monthly average of over 3.6 million Google searches, demonstrating its strong online presence and consumer interest. On social media, L'Oréal maintains a robust following, with 14.90 million followers on its official Instagram accounts and an additional 905,400 followers on TikTok. The brand's engagement extends to over 2 million mentions in hashtags and 6.4 million likes on TikTok, reflecting its significant impact and popularity in digital spaces. Established 115 years ago, L'Oréal continues to show strong financial performance, with its latest annual revenue exceeding 44 billion dollars.
Procter & Gamble is the second most successful cosmetic brand of 2024, achieving a success score of 87. Despite a more modest social media presence with 250,000 followers on Instagram and 35,100 on TikTok, the brand's legacy and financial performance remain impressive. Established 187 years ago, Procter & Gamble continues to demonstrate robust market strength, with its latest annual revenue surpassing 82 billion dollars. This enduring success underscores the brand's ability to maintain relevance and leadership in the highly competitive cosmetic industry.
The top 10 richest cosmetic brands of 2024:
| Rank | Brand | Latest Annual Revenue (Billions)* |
| 1 | Procter & Gamble | 82.006 |
| 2 | Gillette | 82 |
| 3 | L'Oreal | 44.74 |
| 4 | M.A.C | 29.4 |
| 5 | Palmolive | 19.457 |
| 6 | Estée Lauder | 15.34 |
| 7 | Sunsilk | 14.2 |
| 8 | Nivea | 8.47 |
| 9 | Dove | 8.438 |
| 10 | Shiseido | 7.2 |
Procter & Gamble has the highest annual revenue at 82.006 Billion. The brand owns some of the biggest names in the cosmetic industry such as Olay, Herbal Essences and Old Spice. The majority of these brands and products they have to offer are affordable and fall under the high street category in the industry.
Just behind, Gillette comes in second place with an annual revenue of 82 Billion. The brand is one of the biggest shaving product retailers in the industry providing affordable high-street options for shaving care.
L’Oreal ranks third with an annual revenue of 44.74 Billion. The brand has a range of products from haircare to skincare at affordable prices that are popular around the globe which undoubtedly contributes to its financial success.
The most popular cosmetic brands on Instagram in 2024:
| Rank | Brand | Instagram Followers (Millions) |
| 1 | Dove | 48.90 |
| 2 | M.A.C | 24.83 |
| 3 | L'Oreal | 14.90 |
| 4 | Maybelline | 12.90 |
| 5 | Benefit | 11.80 |
| 6 | Yves Rocher | 7.28 |
| 7 | La Roche-Posay | 6.70 |
| 8 | Lancome | 6.50 |
| 9 | Estée Lauder | 5.60 |
| 10 | Natura | 5.40 |
Dove is the most-followed brand on Instagram with an impressive 48.9 million followers. The brand is well-loved by many across the globe with celebrities and social media influencers among their followers list. The brand also has an impressive hashtag count of 2.4 million with many sharing their favourite Dove beauty products online, making it one of the most Instagrammable cosmetic brands in the industry.
M.A.C is the second most followed cosmetics brand on Instagram in 2024 with 24.8 million followers. The Canadian makeup brand is favoured by many across the globe with makeup artists to influencers using their products. The brand’s hashtag count is just over 2 million with makeup enthusiasts keen to share their love for the brand’s products across the social media platform.
The most long-standing cosmetic brands in 2024:
| Rank | Brand | Year Founded | Age |
| 1 | Guerlain | 1828 | 196 |
| 2 | Procter & Gamble | 1837 | 187 |
| 3 | Kiehl's | 1851 | 173 |
| 4 | Johnson's | 1886 | 138 |
| 5 | Lifebuoy | 1894 | 130 |
| 6 | Schwarzkopf | 1898 | 126 |
| 7 | Palmolive | 1898 | 126 |
| 8 | Gillette | 1901 | 123 |
| 9 | Garnier | 1904 | 120 |
| 10 | Rexona | 1908 | 116 |
Guerlain stands as the oldest cosmetic brand in the industry, boasting an impressive 196 years of history. Founded in Paris in 1828 by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, the brand has evolved into a global icon in the beauty sector. Known primarily for its exquisite perfumes, Guerlain has also expanded its offerings to include a diverse range of cosmetics and skincare products. Additionally, the brand has established its own luxury spas around the world, further solidifying its status as a pioneer and leader in the world of beauty and elegance.
Procter & Gamble is the second oldest cosmetic brand on the list with 187 years of trading. Founded back in 1837 when candlemaker, William Procter and soapmaker James Gamble merged their businesses. The brand is now a multinational consumer goods giant with an extensive range of products on the shelves from personal care to cleaning supplies.
Cosmetic brands with the highest consumer interest in 2024:
| Rank | Brand | Annual Search Volume |
| 1 | Dove | 4,337,100 |
| 2 | L'Oreal | 3,630,100 |
| 3 | Maybelline | 3,539,000 |
| 4 | Natura | 3,390,290 |
| 5 | Garnier | 2,979,400 |
| 6 | Clinique | 2,411,100 |
| 7 | Lancome | 2,349,100 |
| 8 | Nivea | 2,291,300 |
| 9 | Estée Lauder | 2,144,250 |
| 10 | Neutrogena | 1,998,670 |
Dove has the highest consumer interest in 2024 with just over 4.3 million searches relating to the brand each month. Searches include a number of the brand’s products which would indicate the products they provide are well-loved with high levels of interest and demand.
L’Oreal has the second highest consumer interest with just over 3.6 million searches each month. The high-street brand has a selection of products that are in high demand with consumers due to their effective results with an affordable price tag.
Methodology
This study aimed to assess the success and performance of beauty brands by analyzing key metrics such as searches, social media engagement, and presence. Data on various brands, including their rankings and performance metrics, was collected and normalized to a scale of 40 to 100. Weights were assigned to each metric based on its perceived importance, and a composite score was calculated for each brand, providing an overall assessment of its performance. To ensure readability, composite scores were adjusted to range from 70 to 90, offering a realistic view of each brand's success. While composite scores were calculated, only the actual feature values are stored in the dataset, maintaining transparency and facilitating further analysis.
The features are as below.
- Monthly Search 2024: Reflects search volume for each brand, sourced from Google Ads Keyword Planner.
- Instagram Followers: Indicates the brand's Instagram audience reach, collected manually via all official Instagram accounts of the brand.
- Instagram Hashtag Count: Measures brand engagement on Instagram through hashtags, collected manually.
- TikTok Followers: Demonstrates the brand's popularity on TikTok, collected manually.
- TikTok Likes: Quantifies audience engagement with brand content on TikTok, collected manually.
- Revenue:Indicates the brand's latest available annual revenue, sourced from Google search.
- Age of the brand: Reflects the number of years the brand has been established, sourced from Google search.
Methodology: Further Details
- The actual scores are padded to 70-90 to get more realistic-looking scores.
- Weights for each feature are as below and are taken to be a bit more subjective:
| Feature | Weight | |
| 1 | Monthly Search 2024 | 0.1 |
| 2 | Instagram Followers | 0.1 |
| 3 | Instagram Hashtag Count | 0.1 |
| 4 | TikTok Followers | 0.1 |
| 5 | Tiktok Likes (Millions) | 0.1 |
| 6 | Latest Revenue | 0.3 |
| 7 | Age of the brand | 0.2 |
Sources:
Global Market Size: Global Wellness Institute’s Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023.
Brand Seed List: https://brandirectory.com/rankings/cosmetics/table
Brand History information: Official brand websites
