Discovery-led shopping drives 60% surge in TikTok Shop beauty sales

TikTok Shop has reported a 60% increase in beauty sales year-on-year, highlighting the growing dominance of social commerce in one of the UK’s most competitive retail categories.

The growth reflects TikTok Shop’s “discovery-first” shopping model, where consumers often begin without a specific product or brand in mind.

Instead of searching by brand, users increasingly follow a “search-learn-buy” journey, exploring products based on skin concerns, routines and ingredients.

This shift is reflected in platform activity. In Q4 2025, posts tagged #matureskincare increased by 75%, while #dryskin rose by 20% quarter-on-quarter.

Emily Caine, Head of Beauty at TikTok Shop UK, said: “What’s different about TikTok Shop is that users don’t necessarily know what product they want to buy yet.

"They come to discover, learn and be inspired by brands and creators, who help them find the right routines and products for their specific skin concerns.”

The focus on education has supported the adoption of interactive formats. Beauty-related LIVE shopping sessions increased by 90% in 2025, with more than 6,000 sessions now hosted daily in the UK.

Ning Cheah, founder of The Beauty Crop, describes the format as comparable to an in-store beauty counter, allowing brands to engage directly with customers at scale.

The platform also illustrates how content, commerce and consumer insight are increasingly converging, enabling brands to test ideas, refine products and shorten the path between product education and purchase.

Activity on TikTok Shop is also increasingly translating into wider retail opportunities. Viral demand on the platform has played a role in securing physical retail listings for brands such as Glow For It.

Similarly, The Ordinary’s TikTok Shop-exclusive launch of its Volufiline serum reportedly drove increased traffic across other retail channels once the exclusivity period ended.

Meanwhile, TikTok Shop says it is increasingly being used by international brands as a lower-risk entry point into the UK market. Korean beauty brands including Colorgram and BIOHEAL BOH are leveraging the platform to introduce and test products with UK consumers.

Alongside brand expansion, the platform is also creating income opportunities for creators. The number of active TikTok Shop creators in the UK increased by 72% year-on-year, with hundreds reportedly earning more than the average UK salary (£39,000) through commission alone.