The Italian cosmetic industry is growing, but its communication remains unsteady This is bellezza, an identity project presented at Cosmoprof, which shows it a little
A lot - actually, a lot a lot - happened at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna. Among all of it, one moment stood out: the presentation of This is Bellezza. According to the official press release, it is described as "an identity-driven project that launches a major alliance for Italian beauty." The nature and ambition of the initiative are clearly outlined in the words of Benedetto Lavino, President of Cosmetica Italia: "Cosmetics are an excellence that speaks Italian from research to production, from packaging to distribution, and is capable of generating a positive impact on people, thanks to the social value and essential nature of cosmetics, as well as on the entire country through its significant economic and employment contributions. With This is Bellezza, we are taking on an important challenge and responsibility: we want to create a movement that can affirm the recognized and distinctive value of the Italian cosmetics system both nationally and internationally. A movement built first and foremost on alliances, not only among industry players, but also involving all stakeholders, to jointly enhance the uniqueness of Italian beauty across its entire supply chain and support the competitiveness of our companies."
The numbers behind Italy’s beauty industry
The context is clear, and we had already partly highlighted it before. The latest outlook data, compiled by the Cosmetica Italia Research Center, confirms the strength of the sector. The total revenue of Italy’s cosmetics industry reached €18 billion in 2025, marking a 2.9% increase compared to the previous year. Exports - accounting for nearly 50% of total revenue - remain a key driver, reaching €8.6 billion (+4.1% compared to 2024), with the United States (€1.2 billion), France (€0.9 billion), and Germany (€0.8 billion) as the top destination markets. In 2025, consumer spending amounted to €12.8 billion (+3.2% vs. 2024), placing Italy as the third-largest cosmetics market in Europe and tenth globally. Over the past three years, average growth in cosmetics consumption in Italy has been 6.5%, above the global trend. Looking more closely at consumption dynamics, e-commerce stands out as the best-performing channel, with a 9.8% increase year-on-year; among product categories, fragrances recorded the strongest growth (+7.4%). Top-performing products include blush, hair styling, and men’s fragrances.
The goals and communication of the project
This is Bellezza aims to showcase the distinctive traits of Italian beauty: a unique balance of innovation, high quality, creativity, and design, capable of expressing an authentic and inclusive beauty rooted in local territories, their biodiversity, and the raw materials that represent them, as well as in artisanal tradition and a cultural heritage intertwined with the unmistakable lifestyle of the country. All of this is not only valid but long overdue, we finally have the words to describe a well-established yet still under-recognized, almost underground, production reality. What feels somewhat lacking, or rather not entirely up to date, is the communication of the project. Starting with the name itself. The average Italian consumer has not yet developed the necessary awareness to fully consider the production chain behind their favorite products. The communication remains largely corporate, tied to somewhat overused Italian stereotypes, and doesn’t seem to fully reflect the innovation and fluidity of a constantly evolving industry like cosmetics. What’s missing is a strong identity-driven push and a real bridge with the audience. But there is still time.
