Beiersdorf downgrades guidance amid skincare slowdown

Nivea owner Beiersdorf delivered results in line with expectations for the first nine months of 2025 but downgraded its full-year guidance amid a "further deceleration" in the skincare market.

The company said it navigated a challenging market environment through innovation-driven performance, with group sales reaching €7.5 billion (£6.5 billion), representing organic growth of 2%.

Its Consumer Business segment recorded organic sales growth of 2% at €6.3 billion (£5.4 billion).

Nivea saw organic sales grow 0.6%, reflecting a slowdown in the mass market, particularly in Latin America and Eastern Europe. To drive long-term growth, the brand is refining its core portfolio, expanding across all skincare categories, strengthening high-potential segments like deodorant, and maintaining face care as a central focus.

Early signs show that in September, Nivea posted 7.8% organic growth, driven by the strong market response to its Derma Control antiperspirant range.

Elsewhere, the Derma, Eucerin, and Aquaphor brands continue to gain market share across regions. In the first nine months, the Derma business delivered organic sales growth of 12.3%, despite a tough comparison base from last year.

However, luxury brand La Prairie recorded a 7.2% decline in organic sales in the first nine months of 2025 but returned to growth in the third quarter, posting 1.6% organic sales growth.

Despite ongoing market volatility, La Prairie continued its sequential quarterly improvement as planned. China remained a key growth driver, achieving 3% organic sales growth in the third quarter, supported by e-commerce growth.

Looking ahead, Beiersdorf has adjusted its full-year guidance for 2025 to reflect the slower market environment in the third quarter.

Group organic sales growth is expected to be around 2.5%, with the Consumer Business segment also expected to achieve approximately 2.5% organic growth.

On the current market development, Vincent Warnery, CEO of Beiersdorf, said: "We saw a further deceleration of the skincare market in the third quarter of 2025 especially in emerging markets, which is why we now expect an organic sales growth for our Consumer business of around 2.5% for the full year."