Cosmetics Industry

• The manufacture of cosmetics is dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century. The worlds largest cosmetic companies are L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Shiseido, and Estée Lauder.
• In Germany, the cosmetic industry generated €12.6 billion of retail sales in 2008, which makes the German cosmetic industry the third largest in the world, after Japan and the United States. German exports of cosmetics reached €5.8 billion in 2008, whereas imports of cosmetics totaled €3 billion.

The worldwide cosmetics and perfume industry currently generates an estimated annual turnover of US$170 billion . Europe is the leading market, representing approximately €63 billion, while sales in France reached €6.5 billion in 2006, according to FIPAR (French federation for the perfume industry). France is another country in which the cosmetic industry plays an important role, both nationally and internationally.  Famous cosmetic brands produced in France include Vichy, Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Rocher, and many others.

The Italian cosmetic industry is also an important player in the European cosmetic market.  The Italian cosmetic industry is dominated by hair and body products and not makeup as in many other European countries. In Italy, hair and body products make up approximately 30% of the cosmetic market. Makeup and facial care, however, are the most common cosmetic products exported to the United States.

According to Euromonitor International, the market for cosmetics in China is expected to be $7.4 billion in 2021 up from $4.3 billion in 2016. The increase is due to social media and the changing attitudes of people in the 18-to-30-year age bracket.

Due to the popularity of cosmetics, especially fragrances and perfumes, many designers who are not necessarily involved in the cosmetic industry came up with perfumes carrying their names. Moreover, some actors and singers (such as Celine Dion) have their own perfume line. Designer perfumes are, like any other designer products, the most expensive in the industry as the consumer pays for the product and the brand. Famous Italian fragrances are produced by Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and others.