The Rise of Gen X Beauty: Why 45+ Are Beauty’s Power Buyers

The focus on beauty brand conversation is often around Millennials and Gen Z, but what about Generation X?  

This generation born between 1965 and 1980 represents a significant, high value segment and opportunity which is often forgotten or overlooked although this generation sits with financial stability, established careers and a strong purchasing power and brand loyalty. 

They are confident, established, and embrace their choices.   

They balance life/career in a different way than previous generations, juggling young families and supporting aging parents.

They are looking for authenticity and trustworthy brands and experiences. They avoid hype, trends, and gimmicks. They also favor quality over quantity, are willing to pay way more and represent a powerful generation that brands should definitely consider. 

They like digital to be simple, accessible, and intuitive. They are comfortable online but are also keen to have in-person experiences.  

GEN X is the overlooked generation of beauty with undeniably huge potential.  

This generation is very informed, and incredibly super savvy consumers who know exactly what they are looking for in brands and products. They are expecting brands to be super transparent and honest.

They want to feel empowered and not influenced by a new trend that comes and goes or other viral moments. They value consistency, trust, and long-term solutions and engagement in which they are ready to invest. 

From a beauty product development view, it’s all about the following the right priorities:

Rooted and grounded with evidence and efficacious results. GEN X are looking for products that talk to them with a clear, relatable, authentic message.

It is all about long-term promises and clear educational content. They have been well educated and have experience of what works and what doesn’t. They will also do their research and will drill down to get the right information and facts.

It is fundamental and has become obviously a priority to make sure it meets individual lifestyles and needs.

GEN X especially is looking for routine that feels tailored and truly bespoke. They want brands that will provide them with clear protocol and drive results.

AI is a powerful driver here with a growing range of tools and agents that can support programing your personalized beauty routine with precision such as LaRochePosay personal skin analysis MyRoutine AI. Guidance is essential, and brands need to be able to offer tailored routines with relevance and impact to empower this generation.  

GEN X wants digital and offline integration and experience; technology needs to bring an added value to the experience. The sense of connectivity is very much required during the experience stage – not disconnecting from the human side. It is embracing both worlds to enable the best experience.

This pattern and relationship with technology are related to GEN X’s unique historic position: they grew up before and after the internet; experiencing these major technological shifts.

They are keen to have full transparency and do not want another greenwashing statement. From packaging to sourcing, they want to buy into brand responsibly. 

Successful brands will focus on clearly understanding their product life cycle for ideation stage to shelves to post-use. They will offer formats which are considerate and measured; with materials used for packaging with clear instructions and longevity in use i.e. refillable, up cycling, supporting local communities etc.  

This is still a very challenging field for brands. Navigating the complexity of sustainable choices when developing a product is not an easy task. It has been considered for a long time as the un-sexy part of the process but now sustainability is becoming the new cool.

However, achieving the right commercial balance, ensuring access to the right alternative materials, and managing the supply chain limitations are the real challenge for brands.

Unfortunately, too many brands have over-promised and under-delivered results, and GEN X are conscious of this. They are educated and savvy and will dive into claims and results, looking for evidence and transparency from beauty brands.

This is an area where brands are more challenged, also with the fact that the various regulatory and compliance bodies across regions are becoming stricter; scrutinizing claims call out to ensure that the consumers if not fooled by marketing creative copywriting. It is not easy for brands that are trying to stand out from the crowd but necessary to help set up the tone with transparency. 

Brands need to be very specific and careful when it comes to product claims. Marketing language is often over-promising, and callouts on ingredients and formulations are not necessarily/entirely true or accurate. Authorities have therefore raised scrutiny over these claims, especially to ensure consumers have a truthful picture of what the product does rather than being misled by gimmick/marketing terms. Product claims go under strict rules and regulated standards.  

One of the challenges is that these regulatory requirements are not harmonised and differ from region to region, which makes the process for brands a lot more complicated.  

Regulatory considerations must be embedded at the very early stage of product development. Claims used must be substantiated with solid evidence.

Functional, efficacious products; combined with wellness/wellbeing sensorial approach; powered with healthy living/lifestyle with nutrition (supplements) and exercise; supported by brain wellness (mental health) – areas of super focus for GEN X.

Longevity and well-aging are more than products and formulation’s performance. It is a holistic approach embedding the beauty inside-out philosophy and rooted with our lifestyle choices.

This is a dedicated category with strong traction among Gen X, who are seeking scientifically proven solutions in these specific areas. Brands are offering advanced designed formulations to support overall hair wellness with a key focus on hair growth benefits. 

Often targeting younger generations, there is a need for products designed for skin maturity (longer-lasting foundation, flattering shades, nourishing formulas, uneven tone) could capture this segment.  

Mature skin has different needs, and GEN X are looking for modern solutions suited for their skin imperfection or skin elasticity or fine lines. They are looking for technical formulation that goes beyond coverage; that will almost have hybrid smoothing actives, colour results at the same time, creamier texture, flexible pigments, skin barrier support kind of approach within your routine.   

They want ingredients that actively support hydration and elasticity. As skin evolves with age, becoming less firm, less uniform, makeup should evolve too. This means creating products that enhance rather than masks that understand the new texture of the skin and work with it. Make up formulations are also bringing in the “skinification” approach; with barrier-supporting, anti-aging benefits so the makeup does more than just sit pretty.

The goal is intuitive, adaptable makeup that feels like an extension of your skincare with enhancing features, offering comfort and care as skin matures. 

To sum up, GENERATION X is seeking non-nonsense beauty solutions with simple, straightforward and SMART beauty products. Brands that are trustworthy and transparent and offer a clear, concise messaging, with educational content and personalized offer via all omni channels experience (hybrid reach offline and online).  

Collateral Projects, founded by Florence Jean Roghe, is a project management collective offering fractional, senior-level support to brands, founders, and entrepreneurs. With deep expertise in the global beauty and personal care market, collateral projects guide the full product development lifecycle from concept and strategy to launch-ready products. Using proven methodologies and clear processes, we build scalable product ranges, strong foundations, and effective portfolios that drive sustainable long-term growth. Collateral Projects works hands-on across strategy, manufacturing, packaging, regulatory, and commercial alignment, ensuring every product is built right from the start and brands are fully prepared for fundraising, growth, and scale.