New analysis of CEW Beauty Awards finalists reveals the six consumer signals shaping beauty, including barrier repair, biotech actives, scalp care, glow, and gourmand fragrance.
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CEW has selected consumer and market intelligence company Revuze to author the 2026 CEW Beauty Awards Finalist Report, an analysis examining what organic consumer feedback reveals about the products, claims and trends represented among this year’s Awards finalists. The research analyzes consumer feedback to identify which claims resonate most with consumers, which products exceed expectations, and which beauty trends are backed by consumer evidence.
Among the key findings on 280 products:
- Barrier repair has moved firmly into the consumer vocabulary. Fifty-three finalists used skin-barrier positioning, while products associated with the trend averaged 82% positive sentiment.
- Biotech language is becoming mainstream. Products associated with biotech actives earned the highest average star rating at 4.7 stars. Consumer reviews increasingly include ingredient-specific terms.
- Scalp care is being evaluated more like skincare. The trend generated the largest review pool, with nearly 2,500 organic reviews. Products including Kitsch’s Rosemary & Biotin Shampoo and K18’s AirWash Dry Shampoo showed that consumers judge hair products by outcomes such as scalp health.
- Glow remains a meaningful claim even in a softer makeup market. Fifty-one of the 280 finalists incorporated radiance positioning, while consumers used the word “glow” more than 500 times across the reviews analyzed.
- Format can determine whether a trend delivers on expectations. In gourmand fragrance, reviewers who discussed longevity for Phlur’s Vanilla Skin Body Oil expressed 92% positive sentiment, demonstrating how product format can influence consumer experience.
“The most useful trends are the ones consumers validate after purchase,” said Neil Rennert, Beauty Insights Lead at Revuze. “When shoppers begin using language like ‘barrier repair,’ ‘peptides’ or ‘scalp health’ without being paid for their opinion, brands gain a stronger signal that a claim has become part of how consumers make purchasing decisions.”
“Beauty brands have access to more consumer data than ever, but volume alone does not make an insight reliable,” said Elana Drell Szyfer, President, CEW. “Understanding which signals reflect genuine consumer experience can help the industry make more informed decisions about innovation, positioning and the products consumers respond to.”
Findings from the research are explored in this on-demand panel discussion featuring Karyn Schoenbart, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Duo Partners and CEW Board Member alongside CEW and Revuze’s Head of Beauty Insights.
The Full Report to Be Presented at the 2026 CEW Beauty Expo
The 2026 CEW Beauty Awards Finalist Report will launch prior to the CEW Beauty Expo and will be presented in NY on September 17. The presentation will examine what finalist data reveals about key trends to help brands plan for 2027. For a tailored breakdown of the findings, schedule a briefing with the report author and Revuze’s Head of Beauty Insights.
About CEW
CEW is a nonprofit membership organization that supports and advances women across the beauty, health, and wellness industry. Founded in 1954 as a social group for women in the beauty business, CEW has grown into a global community of 8,000 members, from emerging talent to C-suite executives.
About Revuze
Revuze is an Agentic AI-powered market intelligence platform delivering category-to-SKU clarity for CPG and Retail brands. By unifying millions of consumer signals across the entire customer journey, including online reviews, social, Reddit, care, surveys and sales, Revuze creates a single, living market model.
Media Contact
Donna Perlstein
VP Marketing, Revuze
donna@revuze.it
201-803-1517
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SOURCE Revuze Ltd.
