


​​​volume one
​​​FEBRUARY 2025

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The Second-Hand Beauty Market is Here and Thriving.​
I was perusing Mercari, as I am apt to do for some faux retail therapy (because leaving the house to shop and actually spend money is so 2019.) I can spend hours looking at NWT (new with tags) and NWOT (new without tags) second-hand dresses, shoes, and jewelry. Imagine it, and Mercari's got it, even second-hand beauty. Gasp! But before you jump down the proverbial rabbit hole, take a quick read to learn more about this growing, not-going-away trend, its best resources, benefits, and precautions to take.
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Market Research on Second-Hand Product Revenue
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Cosmo featured Erica Metzger's article on second-hand beauty trends in 2023 and I was NOT immediately drawn to the idea of swapping DNA off any jo-shmo's unwanted Dior lipstick. However, with my unparalleled obsession with Mercari, I decided to do some digging. According to Q3 Transparency Market Research report "The [global second-hand] market is anticipated to advance with a booming 13.6% CAGR from 2023 to 2031 and by 2031, the market is likely to gain US$ 1.3 trillion." This is a global phenomenon and the attention to self care and beauty routines since the pandemic is most definitely part of that success. TMR is not alone in its estimations. Capgemini Engineering published a report titled Beauty Goes Circular exclusively on Formes DeLuxe "Second-hand cosmetics is a global market worth some $7bn that is slipping through brands’ hands and into those of consumer-to-consumer (C2C) platforms,...”
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Best E-Comm Resale Resources​
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One can see with a simple Google search that there are already a dozen of pre-owned and second-hand beauty resale websites and programs underway. The newest to hit the market GlamBot acts as your ThredUp beauty edition with cleaning standards as part of their promise to buyers as mentioned on their About page. As I had already mentioned Mercari has become a personal favorite when I'm in the market to buy second hand. The cost of buying and selling has changed numerous times as the app has settled into one of the top downloads from the Apple Store, at one time achieving a #3 ranking. The filter options are the most intuitive in my opinion offering shoppers the option to search for new unused items only, research price trends for sold items, and their latest feature opened up the Japanese Mercari listings to US buyers and vice versa. In addition to Mercari and Glambot, other web or app-based companies in the beauty resale game include (in no particular order): You From Me, Vinted, Poshmark, Glou Beauty, Depop, and Ebay, with no doubt.
Practice Caution​
Now don't get me wrong - there is a gross factor here and when using a C2C (consumer to consumer) resale site like Mercari. There is a certain amount of risk is involved. Many consumers speaking on the subject via reddit note that many resale products can, in fact, be counterfeit. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with legitimate packaging, fragrance, and product skin interactions via samples available at various beauty retailers. If unsure of the product's authenticity you can start a conversation with the seller and ask if they have a receipt for their purchase. Obviously not everyone keeps these receipts but it can be a sure-fire way to ensure they came into possession of the product(s) from a trusted source.
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Winners & Losers in the Beauty Resell Market
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For consumers with sustainability top of mind second-hand purchases are a win-win. Consumers can save some dollarbucks and minimize waste that would otherwise go to a landfill or worse into the plastic island floating in the Atlantic known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In fact, based on latest research Cosmetic Designs published an article that estimates 95% of all beauty packaging waste goes unrecycled.
Buying second hand is also a great way to try out new products - maybe you're just not ready to go big at Sephora for your favorite brand's latest product. Maybe, you'll decide if it helps out a real person AND cuts waste you'll take a look into this second hand beauty thang .
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Now for the brands - it's not so much of a win but a call to action. If you're a true brand loyalist and want to see the brand survive, I wouldn't recommend buying all of your beauty from these resale resources to save a buck. It's a real conundrum that more top-selling beauty brands haven't pushed for product or empty packaging recycling. Moneycrashers published a list of 11 beauty brands that offer rewards when you deposit any container with them including Credo, Lush, L’Occitane en Provence I know if there were a brand where I could bring my "it didn't work out" purchase in or out of the return window for ssssssssssay a 110% brand credit? That might tempt me.


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