By Tom Myers, President & CEO, Personal Care Products Council
The word “beauty” might bring to mind hero products, celebrities on red carpets, or beauty influencers – and that’s part of what the personal care products industry is all about. We enable essential daily care and well-being.
But when you take a look at the numbers behind the products, it is an industry that includes entrepreneurs and scientists, communities strengthened through economic opportunity and growth, jobs, and innovation. Our recently released report highlights the personal care products industry’s significant impact on the U.S. economy and why its continued success matters to us all.
Nationwide, the industry, including manufacturing, distribution, and services, generated $495 billion in total economic output, supported more than 2.6 million jobs, and contributed $242 billon to the U.S. GDP in 2024. This economic engine is not abstract; it powers the daily essentials that Americans depend on.
From sunscreen and deodorant to toothpaste and shampoo, millions of people of all ages and backgrounds rely on our essential products every day. Behind the products on store shelves and online is a complex network of manufacturing, research, logistics, retail, and services that stretches across the country.
Take, for example, the bottle of sunscreen dropped into a beach bag before the Memorial Day Weekend trip: it must be formulated, tested to meet safety and regulatory standards, manufactured, packaged, shipped, stocked, and sold. Each step along the journey involves skilled work, which in turn creates jobs and leaves a significant economic footprint in almost every state.
The latest data show, for example, California supported 355,000 related jobs; Texas and New York each generated $11 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue; North Carolina produced more than $3 billion in labor income; and Ohio created $17.5 billion in total economic output. The industry is more than skin deep. It drives economic growth in local communities.
While global beauty companies are names we all know and a big part of the story, the data show it is powered by small businesses. The workforce is diverse, employing more women and people of Hispanic and Latin descent than the national average, and the industry continues to invest in research and development and STEM careers.
The latest data also show our sector is thriving. After rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are increasing their spending on cosmetics and personal care products, and the number of firms and small businesses in the industry continues to steadily rise. From 2004 through 2022, the number of firms grew by approximately 31% (879 to 1,146), while the number of small businesses increased by about 5% (1,095 to 1,146).
The industry also plays a significant role in export growth. In 2025, exports exceeded $15 billion, underscoring the industry’s scale and steady contribution to economic activity.
So, what is needed to ensure that these essential products remain available to help people feel their best and continue to deliver economic impact to the U.S. economy? Policies that support trade, innovation, and consumer trust.
As an industry that relies on trade with global partners, we support a targeted, strategic approach to trade enforcement that protects U.S. manufacturing and strengthens American competitiveness. We urge policymakers to maintain open and stable trade relationships to support the industry’s continued growth and economic contribution.
We want Congress to act to end the testing of products on animals and to prohibit the sale of products developed using animal testing in the U.S. These alternatives, known as New Approach Methodologies, are more humane and produce results that are more human-relevant, leading to better-quality safety data.
We also believe the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be able to use a wider variety of evidence when evaluating new sunscreen UV filters. The FDA should have access to as much quality data and up-to-date science as possible when determining the safety and efficacy of new UV filters.
These measures have enormous cost-saving potential, which allows our global industry, which is made up of both domestic manufacturers and local beauty salons and barbershops alike, to invest more, create more, and employ more people.
Luckily for all of us, this industry’s beauty is not only skin deep; we have the numbers to show that it is also essential to American jobs, local communities, and the overall economy.
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