Consumers Are Hardheaded About Scalp Care

With a growing focus on scalp health to keep locks luscious and strong, brands are innovating beyond shampoos and conditioners.

According to New York City-based beauty trend tracker Spate, the fastest-growing scalp care products are electric scalp massagers and oily scalp treatments.

Relief for Oily Scalps

Oily scalp treatment is ushering in an average of 1.4K monthly searches with a +34.6% growth in searches compared to last year, per analysts. Popular searches include best scalp treatment for oily scalp, oily scalp hair loss treatment, treatment for oily scalp and dry ends, and best dandruff treatment for oily scalp—highlighting consumers’ search for products that address oiliness, hair loss and dandruff.

On TikTok, the trend scalp treatment is booming, with a +127.7% YoY growth and 22.7 million average weekly views. Hashtags like #oilyscalp are also gaining traction alongside this trend, with 510.1K average weekly views. Currently, Moroccanoil is the sole standout brand in this space, leaving room for other brands to innovate.

Following Moroccanoil’s example, analysts say brands can focus on a hero ingredient—like the increasingly popular rosemary oil—to target these issues and build buzz with educational content.

Interestingly, scalp spas are also trending, with a 64.8% YoY growth and 1.8 million average weekly views on TikTok. This shows consumers aren’t just interested in products; but in-person experiences.

Electric Scalp Massager

With the crossover between beauty and tech, the electric scalp massager is electrifying consumer interest. According to analysts, there is an average of 2.0K monthly searches and a +447.4% growth in searches compared to last year. Spate says consumers associate scalp massagers with hair growth, as seen in searches like electric scalp massager for hair growth.

Brands can capitalize on this trend by aligning their messaging with the product’s potential benefits, such as stimulating hair follicles, improving scalp health and supporting hair growth. While this trend is growing fast on TikTok as well, it is still in its infancy, averaging 29.4K weekly views. Thanks to TikTok Shop, most views are tied to posts eligible for commission (very high shop views share percentage of 96.3%), making it a profitable trend. Interestingly, there’s no clear branded search leader yet, signaling a robust opportunity for both established scalp care brands and newcomers to launch their own version of this product. TikTok offers an ideal platform for promoting it, whether through partnerships with small creators, prominent influencers or both.