FIT'S BEAUTY THINK TANK REVEALS GLOBAL INSIGHTS ON THE LONGEVITY OF BEAUTY: THE CONSUMER, THE SCIENCE, THE BUSINESS

While 65% of beauty buyers already use longevity-supporting products, 58% don't grant beauty a role in longevity.
The longevity consumer isn't coming. They're here.

NEW YORK, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, students from the Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) master's degree program in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management (CFMM), known as the "Beauty Industry's Think Tank," unveiled global insights on "The Longevity of Beauty," a research study from its 2026 capstone initiative focused on three areas: the longevity consumer, the science of longevity, and the business of longevity. Sponsored by Coty, the research was presented at the college, along with an awards ceremony for graduates and a reception for industry professionals. The findings, delivered to an audience of more than 700 industry executives from leading global beauty brands, draw on three independent online surveys of 1,654 U.S. Beauty consumers, collectively the "Longevity in Beauty Consumer Research Study," conducted in May 2026 as part of FIT's CFMM program.

"I always enjoy digging into the students' original primary quantitative consumer research, and their aggregated findings and insights are eye-opening," said Dr. Brooke Carlson, interim dean, School of Graduate Studies. "While beauty industry professionals will gain a deeper understanding of consumers' feelings about longevity as it relates to brands, product claims, and marketing, the findings transcend the consumer by delving into the roles of science and the business of longevity. For me, this research is a wake-up call for any business—not just beauty—to take action or be left behind."

"On this, the occasion of the 25th anniversary of CFMM's capstone research, we have chosen a topic with universal appeal to businesses, brands, and consumers alike," said Professor Stephan Kanlian, chair, CFMM, School of Graduate Studies. "This group of global professionals has embraced the opportunity to perform field research in five global markets during their graduate study and to conduct original consumer research for a nuanced understanding of the problems facing today's business leaders."

Part One: The Longevity Consumer
Redefining Beauty in an Era of Uncertainty
Driven by economic instability, information overload, and optimization culture, beauty consumers are trading aspirational shopping for data-backed biological investments. As longevity becomes a defining priority, the research examined how four macro forces—uncertainty, the erosion of the American Dream, cognitive fatigue, and optimization—are reshaping purchasing behaviors. Key findings include:

• Beauty is the most-protected discretionary spend. Only 33% cut beauty in a stressed economy—versus 55% dining out, 48% clothing, 45% travel. Beauty is cut at barely half the rate of restaurants.
• The "lipstick effect" is real and additive. Of the 26% who buy beauty "pick-me-ups" under economic stress, only 16% are also cutting their beauty budget. For the other 84%, the splurges are new spend on top of normal beauty—not traded-down spend.
• The market runs on cognitive overload. While 85% feel overwhelmed shopping for beauty, one in five (21%) experience that anxiety every single time. The leading cause, named by 50%, is too many new products. The launch-volume strategy is backfiring.

The full Consumer Survey Fact Sheet is available online.

Opportunity: The question is no longer what beauty can offer aesthetically, but rather how brands can meaningfully support consumers' pursuit of longevity, well-being, and a more sustainable life experience. As shoppers become more intentional and emotionally selective, the brands best positioned for growth will be those that deliver credibility, functional value, and intentional moments that improve everyday life.

Part Two: The Science of Longevity
Shifting from Products to Systems for 100-Year Thinking
The beauty industry is undergoing a major structural transformation as longevity reshapes how consumers define aging and wellness, shifting priorities toward measurable vitality. Because research suggests that nearly 80% of aging is influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors, consumers are demanding more than marketing claims. The graduates' research exposed a critical credibility gap between how science measures aging and how beauty has historically marketed it. Finally, a structural misalignment outlines how true longevity innovation requires long-term clinical research, while the beauty industry still largely operates on short-term product cycles and trend-driven launches. Key findings include:

• Brands fumble the one job that matters. A total of 56% say beauty brands explain the science of aging unclearly or not at all; just 12% feel it is explained "very clearly." Explanation, not product, is the gap.
• The biology is slow—the consumer isn't. Data shows 42% of consumers polled expect visible results within a month, faster than healthy-aging biology typically delivers. Set honest time-to-result expectations or lose believers by week four.
• Science jargon is eroding trust. Only 14% say terms like NAD+, exosomes, and epigenetics make a product feel credible; 32% read them as marketing. The lever is translation, not vocabulary.

Opportunity: To remain credible, brands must move beyond "longevity-washing" toward integrated systems capable of delivering measurable health-span outcomes. The future belongs to companies willing to rethink beauty not as a category of aspiration, but rather as a platform that actively supports prevention, recovery, resilience, and long-term vitality. The question is no longer whether beauty can participate in longevity, but where it can do so credibly.

The full Science Survey Fact Sheet is available online.

Part Three: The Business of Longevity
Trust, Desire, and the Three Levers of Durable Brands 
A crowded marketplace with intensifying competition is creating unprecedented pressure on brands, making typical strategies insufficient to ensure the sustained survival of a business. Following six months of global research, the CFMM cohort identified two fundamental anchors for modern brand durability and long-term success: trust and desire. The data confirms the impact:

• Proof alone within an oversaturated market of high-performing products will not be enough to stand out: 40% love a brand for "proof it works," but nearly 90% name ritual, learning, people, or identity as a main point of authority.
• Discovery is a long game, not a one-off campaign: 40% first heard about their favorite brand from a friend or family member, as opposed to approximately 6% from an influencer. Brand-led discovery remains relevant, as 27% of shoppers cite brand marketing and in-store placement as first point of contact.
• Unincentivized human opinion remains the most trusted driver of purchase: While 55% rely on their closest circle of peers and small online communities (Reddit, Discord, etc.) for trusted product opinions, only 2% turn to AI platforms like ChatGPT for reviews before purchasing a product.

Opportunity: The competitive advantage no longer belongs to the brand that spends the most; it belongs to the one that connects most deeply with its audience. Brands must commit to participating authentically in peer spaces, integrating cultural layers so visible moments reinforce daily rituals and foundational credibility, and designing experiences where consumers become protagonists. This framework is not optional for longevity: It is the only structure that compounds trust and desire at scale.

The full Business Survey Fact Sheet is available online.

Infographics are also available online for the Longevity Consumer, the Business of Longevity, and the Science of Longevity.

About FIT and the Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management MPS
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a part of the State University of New York, has been an internationally recognized leader in career education in design, fashion, business, and technology for more than 75 years. The college offers nearly 50 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the creative economy. The FIT Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management (CFMM) program, one of seven advanced degree programs in FIT's School of Graduate Studies, was developed in collaboration with industry as a leadership  development program for outstanding midcareer executives. Global luxury firms, including Chanel, Estée Lauder, LVMH, and Shiseido, and global consumer packaged goods companies, including Coty, L'Oréal, and Unilever, nominate talented emerging executives to participate in the two-year program. The CFMM program has become the beauty industry's recognized think tank, producing high-level research presented to industry executives and organizations, and at specialized panels, symposia, and forums in both academia and industry. In 2024, the college launched the Beauty Center at FIT, academia's first consumer and business research facility focused on the dynamic beauty sector. For more information on the program, visit fitnyc.edu/cfmm. For more information on FIT, visit fitnyc.edu.

CONTACT
Alexandra Mann: [email protected], (212) 217-4722

SOURCE Fashion Institute of Technology