Welcome to the latest edition of Beauty Watch, with legal updates dedicated to businesses in the beauty, cosmetics and wellness sectors.
The British Beauty Council reported earlier this year that the beauty industry continues to be a strong marketplace with its growth being four times faster than the growth of the economy, and consumer spending growing to £32.4 billion.
Against that backdrop, and as we approach the end of 2025, in this issue, we examine critical developments that are shaping how brands protect, distribute and market their products.
With the festive shopping season upon us, the perennial challenges of counterfeits and dupes take centre stage. We explore the legal strategies available to brands seeking to protect their innovations and brand equity, whilst examining the fine line between legitimate competition and infringement. Alongside product protection, we address the growing challenge of safeguarding proprietary beauty techniques and treatments, and the practical steps brands and salons can take when traditional IP rights may not provide complete protection. We also look at distribution strategies, analysing selective distribution criteria and how brands can maintain control over their premium positioning, and examine the doctrine of exhaustion and parallel imports. These are issues of particular importance as brands seek to manage their products across different markets and price points.
For beauty advertising, we provide essential guidance on navigating health claims, which is an area of heightened regulatory scrutiny as consumers demand transparency and substantiation. With the ASA continuing to deploy sophisticated monitoring technology, ensuring compliance is critical to maintaining consumer trust and avoiding enforcement action.
Finally, for beauty entrepreneurs and established brands alike, we offer insights into selling your company, covering the key legal and commercial considerations that can make or break a successful transaction, and the changes to director ID requirements at Companies House.
As always, the subjects covered in this edition reflect the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the industry. If there is anything that you wish to discuss further, or any ideas for future issues, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Retail team.