Amid Beauty's Languishing Loyalty, Here's What Brands Are Doing To Keep Notoriously Fickle Customers

Data from NielsenIQ shows that beauty brand loyalty has plummeted 20% in the last two years. As evidence of the lack of loyalty, the market research firm notes 90% of purchases on Amazon, expected to be No. 1 beauty retailer in the United States this year, are unbranded. In an environment where consumers are constantly switching brands, brands that inspire loyalty are more valuable than ever.

Looking into how beauty brands are trying to keep fickle customers, for this edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty, we asked 29 brand founders, executives and consultants the following: What tactics have you tried to engender loyalty? What were the results? Are there other tactics you’re considering?

Abena Boamah-Acheampong Founder, Hanahana Beauty

For us, loyalty has looked like being intentional with how we engage our community—both online and in real life. That means leaning into our loyalty program and creating special moments that go beyond typical holiday sales.

We’ve taken inspiration from brands like Victoria’s Secret with their semi-annual sales, but we make it our own. For example, we did a “Pick Your Own Price” sale exclusively for loyalty members, and on our eight-year anniversary, we ran an eight-minute flash sale just for customers who had reached a certain purchase threshold.

We’re mindful about not over-discounting, so our focus with loyalty isn’t just transactional, it’s rooted in community building. That includes in-person activations and staying connected to the people who truly support us rather than focusing heavily on influencer-driven strategies.

Marianne Robinson Director of Community Marketing, Bubble

At Bubble, we believe loyalty should be both fun and meaningful. It’s not just about rewarding purchases, it’s about making people feel like they’re part of something bigger. Our loyalists aren’t just customers, they’re part of our brand.

We reward actions beyond buying like referrals, UGC, social engagement and participation in our ambassador programs. They get sneak peeks, exclusive access and opportunities to share feedback that genuinely shapes the brand.

We also lean into surprise-and-delight moments—early access, exclusive drops, unexpected gifts—which have helped deepen connection and drive strong engagement. For example, a recent PR mailing gift opportunity drove over 5,000 sign-ups in just the first 24 hours.

We also feature members of our community on our main social channels. One of our recent feature campaigns saw over 16,000 entries from people who wanted a chance to be highlighted.

As a result, we’ve seen high retention, re-engagement and real community advocacy. Next, we’re focused on expanding experience-based rewards and giving our most loyal members an even bigger role in shaping what’s next for Bubble. At the end of the day, it’s less about points, more about people feeling connected.

Sam Koch SVP of E-Commerce, OSEA

Listening to our customers both through direct feedback in surveys and interviews and by analyzing their behavior is central to how we build loyalty.

Based on customer insights, we revamped our subscription program to enhance retention. Updates included easier subscription management and additional perks for long-term subscribers. As a result, we saw a 40%-plus decrease in subscription churn in the following months.

We also refreshed key post-purchase email and SMS flows, incorporating A/B-tested content and refined segmentation to deliver more relevant product education and cross-sell opportunities. These updates boosted return customer revenue, order volume and AOV.

Looking ahead, we’re focused on further integrating product education to elevate the customer experience and enhancing our new loyalty program to provide even more meaningful benefits.

We want to build stronger, lasting relationships with our customers by connecting with them in meaningful ways beyond just purchases. By refining how we engage with our community beyond transactions, we aim to foster deeper, long-term connections with our customers.

Risa Barash Founder, Fairy Tales Hair Care and TBH

Fairy Tales and TBH Kids has the benefit of over 20 years of building an online community. We have a strong loyalty program that offers discounts, special bundles, early product releases and surprise giveaways. We also engage with our VIPs on new product development to foster customer buy in as well.

Most importantly, we are committed to community-driven engagement. We provide advice, styling tips and problem-solving solutions for parents from parents. The relatable founder blog, Risa’s Rants, engages our customer with real, sometimes funny, sometimes not so funny moments that all parents can relate to helping to cultivate our strong brand loyalty.

Amy Ford Founder, Hello Sunday

At Hello Sunday, we’ve implemented several tactics to build brand loyalty that go beyond just having great products. One key initiative has been our educational content strategy. We believe that an informed customer is a loyal one, so we regularly create content that highlights the importance of daily SPF use, dispels common myths about sun protection, and offers skincare tips tailored to different skin types and lifestyles.

Additionally, we share a lot of behind-the-scenes content. Our community loves getting a glimpse into the product development process and seeing the faces behind the brand. It helps them feel more connected and invested in our journey.

Last year, we also launched the Sunday Squad, a community for our brand fans and most loyal consumers. Members of the Sunday Squad play a key role in our product development process. They get early access to test new formulas, provide feedback and help shape future launches. It’s incredibly important to us that our products resonate with our community, so we ensure every product is rated at least 4.2 and above before launching.

We recently underwent a packaging redesign, and we shared a variety of design options with the Sunday Squad. It was great to see that 86% of members preferred the new design over the old one (and they picked our favorite new design too!). Statistics like this are incredibly helpful for ensuring we’re on the right track and guaranteeing strong customer satisfaction.

Ann Ragan Kearns Founder, Medalist

At Medalist Skin, we believe that true brand loyalty isn’t bought, it’s built. Brands must go beyond traditional discounts and rewards to create a genuine emotional connection with their customers. That’s why we launched a first-of-its-kind loyalty program, Medalist MVPs, one that isn’t just about spending more to save more or earn free products, but about rewarding an active, community-driven lifestyle.

Our customers don’t just earn points for purchases, they earn them for checking in to professional women’s sports games, signing up for a 5K or marathon, donating sports equipment and supporting the next generation of female athletes. Points can be redeemed for favorite workout classes, limited-edition merch and even tickets to professional women’s sporting events. By doing this, we are uplifting not only our brand community, but the women's sports community as a whole.

We are still continuing to build out our loyalty program out, but we have already seen higher engagement and retention as our customers feel like they’re part of something bigger than just skincare and feel like part of a team / community. We have seen a stronger emotional connection to our brand through creating experiences, not just transactions.

We’re constantly evolving the program by exploring exclusive athlete-led workshops, VIP game-day experiences and team-based challenges that turn our loyalty members into a true community that has a team feel to it, something all of our consumers can resonate towards as being members of teams themselves.

For us, loyalty isn’t a points system. It’s belonging. And, in today’s beauty market, that’s what truly sets brands apart.

KENISHA RUFF Founder and Creative Director, Marie Hunter Beauty

We prioritize customer loyalty by creating a personalized and rewarding shopping experience. Our email list is segmented into three distinct customer groups, allowing us to send tailored exclusive offers that resonate with each segment. For repeat customers, we often include a complimentary product in their order based on their purchase history. This unexpected surprise is our way of expressing appreciation and strengthening the emotional connection between our brand and our customers.

This approach has been really well received. Customers often reach out to say how much they loved the surprise, and in many cases, they’ll place another order right away, sometimes to give to a friend or family member. It’s proof that small gestures can go a long way in building strong relationships.

Looking ahead, we are exploring a tiered rewards system that integrates seamlessly with our e-commerce platform. A structured loyalty program would provide customers with more tangible incentives to continue shopping with us while also making their engagement with our brand feel even more rewarding over time.

We are also considering relaunching our referral program to encourage word-of-mouth marketing. Referrals are one of the most organic and trusted ways to grow brand awareness, and by incentivizing existing customers to share our products with their network, we can turn loyal shoppers into brand advocates while rewarding them for their support.

Kecia Hielscher Owner, CEO and Creative Director, Formulary 55

Formulary 55's loyalty program has seen impressive results after a major overhaul in January 2025. Previously a basic and underperforming loyalty program, we revamped it into a simplified and more engaging system with tiered rewards (bronze, silver, gold) based on specific actions. Automated emails alert customers when they are nearing the next tier, driving increased engagement.

In just six weeks, the results have been remarkable with the new program attributing over a quarter of total revenue:

40% more new sign-ups compared to last year
454% more completed activities (purchases, social follows, newsletter sign-ups)
Double the rewards claimed versus last year
Newsletter sign-ups increased dramatically, with 195 customers joining in a single day

Customer activity, purchase frequency and sales have also surged:

Redeeming members now order 1.8X more frequently than non-members
Average order value has increased, with redeeming members spending 1.2X more per order and 5.4X more overall

The data confirms that our investment in a more robust and streamlined loyalty program has been a success, and we look forward to seeing even more growth as we move into the warmer months.

SYDNEY DAKE Founder, Gntl

At Gntl, customer loyalty and retention has always been one of our strongest metrics. I believe this is due to our approach to building deep relationships over chasing new acquisitions. As a bootstrapped indie brand, we've invested most heavily in our owned channels, from email and social media, and have returned to more traditional, high-touch and in-person experiences that align with our mission and brand expression.

Our local pop-up experiences and intimate workshops have proven particularly powerful. These events typically see 70% to 80% of attendees converting to customers within 30 days, with a notably higher order value than first-time website purchases.

Looking forward, we're exploring direct mail campaigns in communities where we've recently hosted pop-ups to build relationships with these high-value customers. We're also working on referral and loyalty programs, further supporting our strategy of investing in customer experience rather than strictly acquisition.

Cece Meadows Founder and CEO, Prados Beauty

In today’s market, brand loyalty is more important—and more challenging—than ever. With the rise of online shopping and platforms like Amazon, where brand names are often overlooked, building genuine loyalty requires more than just a great product, it requires a deep connection with customers.

To foster loyalty, we’ve experimented with a number of strategies. One of the most successful has been the introduction of a tiered loyalty program that rewards customers for repeat purchases as well as engagement with our brand. The program has led to a 32% increase in repeat purchases, and we’ve also seen a significant uptick in customer lifetime value (CLV). Beyond that, we’ve worked to create personalized experiences for our customers through targeted emails and exclusive offers, which have helped deepen our relationship with our community.

We’re also continuing to focus on aligning our values with those of our customers. Whether it’s sustainability or diversity, we know that today’s consumers are more likely to stay loyal to brands that reflect their own values.

Moving forward, we plan to expand on these efforts by exploring additional reward incentives. We’ve found that loyalty is built on more than just transactions, it’s about creating a sense of belonging and making customers feel valued beyond the purchase.

Dillon Pena Founder, Leland Francis

We recently launched a loyalty program where customers earn points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed on future purchases. Additionally, we offer seasonal bounce-back gift cards based on spend thresholds. For example, spend $100 and receive a $25 gift card.

Both programs have already shown strong potential in boosting customer retention and increasing average order value. I’ll continue refining these efforts to foster long-term customer relationships and brand love.

Jamika Martin Founder, Rosen Skincare and Flora Studios

Brand loyalty is super tricky, especially as certain categories get dominated in brandless spaces—cleaning products, household goods and now even beauty is entering this space. For us, the importance will always come back to our community. What does our ambassador program look like? Talking to customers? Eventing? Listening to customers when it comes to design or ingredient choices?

Over the last year, I've really returned a lot more to just trying to create a community and products are a byproduct of that. Sometimes the "optimization" of it all through loyalty programs, discounts, drip emails, etc., loses the soul of what actually connects people to a brand.

Emma Allen Founder, Everyday Oil

This is one area that we have worked really hard on from the beginning and has been such an integral part of our growth as a company, from a startup in my kitchen to multi-millions in revenue, with zero startup capital or outside investment.

This month, our average returning customer rate is just over 71%. It does all start with a good product and making sure that the price point and value offered feel in line with your customer base. Beyond that, we have always worked really hard to make sure that every touch point and interaction we have with customers is a positive one.

There are always times when customers come to you with frustrating requests or complaints, but we really try to think of everyone as a friend or a relative, etc., and treat them accordingly. We try to never lose a customer, and for the most part, we will do whatever it takes to make sure the customer feels satisfied with the outcome of any situation. Of course, you can truly never make everyone happy, but it's amazing how many negative situations can be turned positive with kindness and a spirit of abundance.

In our experience, it will return to you threefold. If you are a solo entrepreneur and you feel personally insulted by customers coming to you with complaints, I recommend making an alter ego for yourself who can breeze through those customer emails without taking it personally. Use a costume or different name if it helps you!

In terms of marketing, we try to give more than we ask. To explain, in my opinion, sending someone an email with information or details about your product or ingredients is an "ask.” You are showing up in their inbox and asking for their time and attention. A "give" would be sending them a playlist, a recipe you really love or a reminder to get outside and see the upcoming solar eclipse. You are still showing up in their inbox, but you are giving them something of value in return.

In terms of discounts, we very rarely offer them. We try our very best to offer a very competitive price and to offer true value in our products. We don't want to price our products higher than necessary just to put them on sale all the time. It feels more honest and true to our brand to offer that value year round. We believe this engenders loyalty by showing the customer they can feel secure making their purchase any time.

Nhu Le Founder, Finding Ferdinand

At Finding Ferdinand, we know that brand loyalty isn’t just about offering great products, it’s about creating a deeper connection with customers. We’ve focused on a few key strategies:

Personalization and product uniqueness—Our approach has always been about offering something distinct, like The Black Lip Balm, which adapts to each person’s unique chemistry. Products that feel personal create stronger emotional connections, which naturally foster loyalty.
Exclusive gifting and perks—Instead of a traditional points-based loyalty program, we’ve leaned into exclusive gifts with purchase like our Mirror Charm or Print Zine to make customers feel rewarded in a way that aligns with our brand’s creative DNA.
Strong brand identity and community engagement—Customers are loyal to brands that reflect their values and aesthetics. Through editorial content, partnerships and direct engagement on social, we make sure Finding Ferdinand feels like a brand worth coming back to.
Limited-edition drops and seasonal sets—We’ve seen that creating scarcity and excitement around launches like our Morphosis Balm Set or our Holiday Duo Set brings customers back to see what’s next.

We’ve seen a consistent increase in repeat purchase rates, especially for products that offer a personalized experience. The Black Lip Balm, in particular, has developed a cult following, with customers returning to restock. Our holiday campaigns, which included exclusive sets and gifting incentives, drove higher AOV and repeat engagement.

We’re looking at ways to formalize our most loyal customers into an insider community, potentially through early access, exclusive content or special pricing for frequent buyers. We’re also exploring a more structured referral program as word-of-mouth has been one of our biggest organic growth drivers.

JAMILA POWELL Founder, Naturally Drenched

We’ve found that constant discounting isn’t the most effective loyalty tactic for a small brand like ours. It can dilute the brand’s value and doesn’t always drive meaningful retention.

Instead, we’ve focused on building relationships through creator, stylist and salon outreach, emphasizing education as a key driver of loyalty. By providing the “why” behind our products and how they work, we’re able to create a deeper connection with our community.

We're also exploring TikTok more intentionally, particularly through live shopping and educational live events, which allow us to engage in real time and build trust.

The long-term goal is to keep evolving our product offerings and education so our customers view Naturally Drenched as something they can’t live without. While people naturally want to experiment, they often return to what works—and that’s where we shine.

Looking ahead, we’re also considering more grassroots efforts like participating in well-attended local markets, which provide an intimate way to connect directly with customers and create memorable brand experiences.

KATE ASSARAF Founder, Dip

Brand loyalty is tougher than ever, especially in beauty. We’re seeing a massive shift toward sameness across all brands and categories, desperate marketing moves to race to the bottom and inauthentic advertising that leaves customers saying, "Why would I pay for this when others seem to get it for free?"

I have found that the key to brand loyalty has been random acts of surprise and delight for our DTC customers and also our retailers. For example, we took our top retailers to the Dominican Republic last year and filled the trip up with fun and zero pressure to post, and we saw an increase in sales in those already performing stores.

For recurring customers, during Black Friday, we did a secret Santa initiative where we didn't tell recurring customers until after they purchased that Dip bought something for them, too. To do this, we just added something that matched with what they frequently purchased from us so not everyone received the same gift. It was a really fun activation that was personal and effective.

We also wrote to our ambassadors and sent them cozy sweatshirts just for fun, no need to purchase anything, no need to post, just a genuine gift with zero marketing strings attached. In a world where brands are acting more and more stingy about their bottom line and overly generous with influencers, our approach has always been unreasonable generosity for our paying customers.

Karina Moises Founder, Beautology Lab

For us, brand loyalty is about inspiring people to build healthy rituals into their skincare routines. We look at loyalty as more than just discounts and incentives, it's about delivering healthy habits that customers feel add value to their daily health and wellness.

Brand loyalty is also very important when building a brand for other reasons. First, customer retention is key in order to build a sustainable and profitable brand. The more you need to rely on constantly acquiring customers at fluctuating ad costs, the harder it is to scale.

Also, customers are the most important data and connection point to understand behaviors and needs when developing new products. Another important point is that in building loyalty, you build brand equity which makes you more desirable if you're looking to get acquired.

As we continue evolving and building our brand loyalty program, we're focusing on adding value to our customers through educational content on our social media, blog, quizzes and email touchpoints, including discounts for our mailing list and recurring product subscribers and giving first access to new product launches for our loyal customers. We'll eventually build out more robust loyalty programs and offerings that will continue to engender gratitude for our customers.

SOPHIA CHABBOTT Founder, Testament Beauty

Our customers are extremely loyal, and over 40% of them are repeat purchasers. Once they fall in love with a product (our two bestsellers are the Damascena Rose De-Stress Moisturizer and the Ancient Vine Vitality Serum), they keep coming back because they know it, love it, and they know these products perform for them.

We offer our top customers certain discounts and offers ahead of sales, so they have that early access. During those promotional times, it’s not uncommon for a customer to purchase three or four of two or more SKUs.

We also run special customer events such as skincare master classes with top-tier aestheticians. Last month, we teamed up with Tanya Taylor and hosted a skincare master class led by Glow by Nettco founder Annette Cohen Friedman. The event, at Tanya Taylor’s Madison Avenue flagship, was attended by our top clients in the neighborhood and was a great opportunity to check in with them and spend quality time with them.

MEERIKA KHANNA Founder, Rthvi

To foster loyalty, we’ve implemented several strategies:

Loyalty rewards program—We offer points and special discounts for repeat buyers to encourage long-term relationships. This program has helped drive repeat purchases, particularly for our bestselling shampoo and conditioner.

Educational marketing—We focus on educating our customers about proactive hair wellness through informative content. By building a deeper understanding of their hair health needs, we aim to strengthen their connection with Rthvi beyond just transactional interactions.

Customer service—We strive to provide good customer service, whether it’s addressing questions about a product, its usage, ingredients or even resolving issues like missing packages. We aim to resolve concerns promptly and ensure our customers feel supported, knowing that Rthvi is there for them.

Dwight Allen O'Neal Co-Founder, Rose Neal Collective

At Rose Neal Collective, we tell our clients that brand loyalty isn’t something you buy with a coupon. It’s built through consistency, connection and clear identity. One of the first things we suggest is exploring a subscription model for your hero SKUs, but not just any subscription. It has to be thoughtful.

You need to ask yourself, how often does your client actually need to replenish this product? If you push too aggressive a cadence, you’re going to frustrate them. That’s the fastest way to lose a loyal customer. You have to respect their usage habits and show that you’re listening.

We also stress the importance of building a real community around the brand. Today’s shopper wants to feel aligned with what you stand for. They want to see themselves in your story. If they don’t, they’ll go grab the same type of product on Amazon without a second thought. The brands that are winning in this climate have a strong identity, and they lean into it unapologetically. They’re not for everybody, and that’s exactly why their audience stays with them.

We’re also guiding our clients to shift away from traditional influencer campaigns and instead embrace live selling strategies. We teach them how to talk about their products in a way that feels natural and unscripted. Think of it as an elevated version of word-of-mouth.

It’s not about overproduced content or pushing a script. It’s about showing up, being passionate, and weaving product education into everyday conversation. When the person speaking genuinely uses and loves the product, it resonates. That authenticity builds trust—and trust leads to loyalty.

What we’ve seen is that brands who apply these strategies retain subscribers longer, generate more engagement and create a community that actually roots for them. Their customers don’t just shop. They show up, speak up, and stick around. And that’s the kind of loyalty every brand should be aiming for.

Alastair Dorward CEO, Dropps

There's a real difference in how consumers view big corporate brands versus indie, founder-started brands. The Unilever CEO himself has recently noted that big brands from big corporations are often treated with suspicion, but I don't see a loyalty problem if a brand has a relevant story, is relatable and independent. There's strong consumer interest as long as the product delivers on efficacy.

At Dropps, we’ve found loyalty is really category-dependent. In specific categories within beauty and household, especially those tied to daily behaviors like applying SPF or running your dishwasher, once consumers find something that really works, they stick with it. Loyalty depends heavily on a brand's efficacy and whether using the product becomes a ritual or daily practice.

The challenge in beauty, specifically, is the constant excitement around novelty. The trends and fads make building loyalty difficult. However, we've noticed something interesting about what we call the "cost of failure" in specific categories. In sun care, failure could cause actual damage to the skin or, in our space, laundry, the cost of failure is significant—you might damage clothing, your washing machine and potentially your skin barrier.

This explains why we're seeing such strong loyalty numbers. About 65% of our shoppers at Wegman's are entirely new to the category, yet they're switching from their existing brands to ours. And on our DTC platform, 90% of our sales are repeat customers.

Our loyalty tactics are practical. We offer larger sizes that provide greater value. We make subscriptions easy to set up and easy to adjust. We have real people managing our customer service function, and we pride ourselves on timely and personable responses to inquiries and requests.

We're hearing directly from retailers that, in times of economic uncertainty and most certainly now, consumers are looking to buy larger sizes because they get a better deal. That's one of the directions we're moving toward. On Amazon specifically, we're also hitting a level of subscribe and save at 50%, while most brands we're seeing max out around 30%. That's significant loyalty in today's market.

Jeremy Soine CEO, Face Reality

Customers today are looking for solutions that are tailored specifically to them, including recommendations that consider overall wellness. Many brands offer a generic quiz, but those tools are often no more than a simplified product finding tool. Customers can see through these types of overly simplistic approaches. They’re demanding solutions that consider their overall wellbeing.

As a professional brand that partners with dermatologists and aestheticians, Face Reality provides a highly customized plan for every single client, and I believe this is a huge advantage versus retail or e-commerce brands. We’ve found that the average relationship customers have with one of our partners is more than two years, extraordinary for the beauty category!

One of the tactics that we’ve found works well with our practitioners is the use of “bootcamps,” where customers purchase bundles that will last them three to six months for both products and treatments. This is a win for customers because they receive a discount, and it’s a win for the practitioner because they’re able to take the time required to provide great results. For acne, this generally means eight to 12 weeks to show results.

For B2B customers, we’ve developed many different perks that reward loyalty—access to online and in-person training and education tools, access to in-treatment room diagnostic tools, access to account management and the ability to earn discounts by achieving status through our rewards program. This enables us to utilize our investments into education to realize better loyalty in ways that matter to those practitioners and allow them to increase their profitability.

Face Reality’s customer loyalty is extremely high versus the beauty category. We have the benefit of competing in a category where our products are must-have products. For those who experience acne, those customers don’t consider their acne product optional. This is very different from most of the beauty category, where a part of the fun is to explore the nice-to-have nature of the products that might address those stubborn wrinkles, as an example.

For those experiencing acne, experimentation is very low once customers have found a solution that works for them. Our Clear Skin Method results in a client success rate of about 90%. I’m not aware of any other beauty brands who can make this type of claim. We’re fortunate to have very strong clinical results, which leads to the average customer visiting their Face Reality Esthetician or Dermatologist monthly for more than two years. On the B2B side, this high customer success leads to very high B2B loyalty, which is about 90% in any given year.

Nothing drives loyalty in beauty like strong clinical results, and we’ve spent the past 20 years developing products with exceptional, science-based results. We’re continuing to invest heavily into clinicals so that customers know they can trust Face Reality’s results.

In many ways, the beauty category suffers from a self-imposed curse that is contributing to declining loyalty. The fun, exploratory nature of beauty inspires editorial content that often focuses on top 10 lists for every type of beauty product. This also enables easy social media posting, especially Tik Tok, to post their favorites and suggestions, oftentimes without the providing the necessary guidance that everybody’s skin type and tolerance for active ingredients is very different from one another.

This evolution has contributed to very high curiosity and trial of new brands and products, but also less effective results because the recommendations are generic in nature and not geared toward their unique concerns. Beauty brands that will succeed in the future must provide wellness-based, holistic solutions to customers that successfully address their unique skincare concerns.

Sandra Velasquez Founder and CEO, Nopalera

Nopalera customers shop their values. A brand that wears its mission on its sleeve, our customers come to us and stay with us for both product and purpose.

While we do have loyalty rewards and subscribe-and-save programs on our website, a recent deep dive into our super customers—I called them on the phone—revealed that many found out about the brand via their friends and family and then continued to spread the word to their inner circles as well.

With the market being so saturated, you can’t compete on efficacy or ingredients alone. A real brand has an emotional connection with its customers. We’ve built the brand around this from day one.

Tomara Watkins President, Buttah Skin

At Buttah Skin, we may be a bit of an anomaly in today’s beauty landscape. Our customers are incredibly loyal. We consistently see repeat purchase rates above 50%, which is well above industry norms.

Here’s what we believe drives that loyalty:

We create products that work.For our community, concerns like dark spots, hyperpigmentation and achieving a radiant glow are deeply personal. When our customers see real results, they come back.
We show up online and in real life. It’s not just about building a social following. We believe in getting offline and creating real connections with our community. When your customers know where you stand and feel supported by your brand, that relationship becomes deeper than just product.
We listen and respond. From product development to customer service, we’re constantly listening to our community’s needs and making changes based on their feedback.
We lead with culture and purpose. Our brand is rooted in celebrating melanin-rich skin. That identity and mission resonate with our customers in a way that goes beyond skincare.

Make no mistake—what’s inside the bottle has to show up. Loyalty starts with performance, but it’s sustained through trust, consistency and showing up for your community.

Melodie Reynolds Founder, Elate Beauty

Brand loyalty has become increasingly difficult to cultivate, especially in the beauty space where customers are bombarded with new options constantly. At Elate Beauty, we've built loyalty through personalized experiences, transparent communication about our sustainability efforts, high-performing products and a rewards program that highlights the values we stand for. We've also leaned into subscription models and special member-only offers to foster a sense of and belonging.

The results have been positive. Our customers appreciate the transparency and the feeling of being part of a like-minded community. Moving forward, we’re planning more community-driven tactics such as customer events and collaborations with other like-minded brands to increase engagement.

In the past, our best collaborations have brought new customers to all parties involved and demonstrated to our community that we live our values. Loyalty in today’s market isn’t just about discounts, it’s about creating authentic connections and delivering on your values consistently.

Barbara Paldus Founder and CEO, Codex Labs

We have moved away from beauty and into dermo-cosmetics and inside-out solutions for skin conditions through the gut-skin connection. We have also moved to professional channels involving dermatologists, pediatricians and naturopaths. We are seeing the stark contrast with this new focus in sales.

Our new acne and eczema products launched in 2024 to 2025 have regular repeat orders compared to our beauty products in 2022 to 2023 because customers with skin conditions remain loyal to products that work compared to beauty customers chasing the latest ingredients or trends.

Kapua Browning Founder, Honua Hawaiian Skincare

This year, super detailed customer service filled with aloha has gone a long way [with] loyalty programs, better quality emails and in-person events in Hawaii and partner spas.

Ruth-Ann Thorn Founder, N8iV Beauty

We believe that the true mark of loyalty lies in the effectiveness of our beauty products, which are rooted in Native American plant medicine. If our products genuinely deliver results, customers will return.

While marketing strategies such as loyalty programs and discounts hold value, they cannot replace the foundation of trust built through quality. Customers may be drawn to hype initially, but maintaining loyalty requires delivering real, lasting results.

Lilly Ghalichi Founder and CEO, Lilly Lashes

At Lilly Lashes, we’ve worked tirelessly to maintain our position as the No. 1 prestige lash brand—and that success is truly rooted in the loyalty of our community. Over the last 10 years, we’ve built a community of devoted brand advocates who don’t just buy lashes. They invest in a lifestyle that celebrates boldness, confidence and unapologetic glamour.

We know what we have is truly unique and prioritize our loyal customers and community at every opportunity. Through our loyalty rewards program, subscription offerings and personalized email and SMS marketing, we keep our community engaged and ensure they’re the first to access new launches, special discounts and exclusive perks. We take pride in rewarding those who have supported us from the beginning, offering them priority access and exclusive experiences that make them feel valued and appreciated.

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