The Ramadan and Eid Beauty Shopping Report

Ramadan and Eid reshape beauty shopping because personal care, hospitality, gifting, social presentation and promotions converge within a compressed commercial window. Beauty demand therefore varies sharply by category and purchase occasion.

The strongest signals show that beauty participates materially in seasonal spending. In the UAE, 48% of respondents expect to spend more on fragrances than in the prior year, while 39% expect to spend more on skin care and 39% on cosmetics and beauty products. Saudi Arabia shows a closely related pattern: 47% plan higher fragrance spending, 41% higher skin care spending and 39% higher cosmetics and beauty spending. Beauty therefore sits behind household essentials but firmly among categories gaining momentum during Ramadan and Eid.

The gifting layer makes the category more important. Around nine in ten respondents plan to give Eid gifts, and fragrance is selected by roughly half of gift-givers in both markets.

This report follows seasonal beauty demand from shopping attitudes and category spending through winter-use changes, promotions, channel behavior, Eid gifting, country differences, premium search signals and a practical benchmark framework. The objective is to separate broad Ramadan retail momentum from the specific mechanisms that make fragrance, skin care, cosmetics and personal care commercially valuable.

Executive Ramadan and Eid Beauty Shopping Benchmarks

The numbers that define seasonal beauty demand

The executive picture is highly consistent across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Fragrance is the strongest core beauty-spend signal in both markets, with 48% of UAE consumers and 47% of Saudi consumers expecting to spend more during Ramadan and Eid than in the prior year. Skin care follows at 39% in the UAE and 41% in Saudi Arabia, while cosmetics and beauty products stand at 39% in both. Deodorants show a wider gap, at 38% in the UAE versus 31% in Saudi Arabia.

These spending percentages matter because they show that the seasonal opportunity is not restricted to premium prestige products. Fragrance leads because it combines self-use and gifting, but skin care and cosmetics carry broad-based demand.

Gifting strengthens the commercial case. In 2025, fragrance appears as an intended Eid gift for 49% of UAE gift-givers and 50% of Saudi gift-givers. Cosmetics and beauty products reach 25% in both markets, while skin care reaches 24% in the UAE and 23% in Saudi Arabia. The result is a layered hierarchy: fragrance is the anchor category, cosmetics and skin care provide a large supporting tier, and personal-care products create additional routine volume.

The most useful benchmark therefore separates spend intent, usage, gifting and channel behavior. A category with moderate spending growth can still be commercially powerful if gift penetration or repeat purchase is high. Likewise, strong spending intent may require different merchandising online and in store. The headline figures are a starting point for understanding seasonal demand, not isolated sales forecasts.

 

Why Ramadan Beauty Shopping Requires a System-Based Benchmark

Beauty performance during Ramadan is shaped by several forces at once. Cultural gifting raises the value of presentation, limited editions and premium fragrance, while seasonal routines increase demand for care-oriented products.

That complexity explains why a single category ranking can mislead. Fragrance is commercially strong because the same bottle can satisfy self-treating, family gifting and premium positioning.

A system-based benchmark should evaluate five core layers: category spending uplift, seasonal usage change, gifting strength, promotion response and channel behavior. Country-level differences should then refine the interpretation.

The objective is not to declare one category universally superior. It is to identify how each category earns its value during Ramadan and Eid.

 

Ramadan Shopping Attitudes and Consumer Intent

Why the season changes purchasing behavior before the category decision begins

Seasonal beauty demand begins before shoppers choose a product because the underlying shopping mindset is already elevated. In the UAE, 80% of 2025 respondents say they treat family or themselves with special gifts, 78% look forward to special Ramadan events across the city and 76% are excited about brands' special Ramadan editions. A further 74% say shopping is an important part of the season, while 71% postpone purchases to take advantage of special offers or promotions.

Saudi Arabia presents an equally commercial environment. Some 81% treat family or themselves with special gifts, 78% look forward to Ramadan events, 77% are excited by special editions and 77% describe shopping as an important part of the season. Notably, 76% postpone purchases for offers, above the UAE figure. Promotional calendars can therefore influence the timing of beauty conversion rather than simply add value after a purchase decision is made.

Figure 1. High gifting, special-edition interest and promotion sensitivity create a strong commercial environment before category-level beauty decisions are made.

Year-over-year comparisons show that several attitude measures softened slightly from 2024, but the absolute levels remain high. The implication is not that Ramadan shopping is weakening; instead, consumers continue to enter the season with strong expectations around gifts, special editions and offers. Beauty brands can benefit from this mindset because the category lends itself naturally to limited packaging, discovery sets, bundled routines and gift-ready formats.

The merchandising implication is clear: beauty should be visible before demand peaks because shoppers delaying purchases for Ramadan deals are already forming intent.

 

Beauty Category Spending During Ramadan and Eid

Which beauty categories consumers expect to spend more on

Fragrance is the clearest premium beauty winner in the spending data. In the UAE, 48% expect to spend more on fragrance during Ramadan and Eid than in the prior year, compared with 47% in Saudi Arabia. Only a small minority say they do not spend in the category, reinforcing its broad reach. The near-identical result suggests that fragrance holds a shared regional role across personal use, hospitality, identity and gifting.

Skin care is slightly stronger in Saudi Arabia, where 41% expect to spend more, compared with 39% in the UAE. Cosmetics and beauty products are exactly level at 39% in both countries. This consistency is commercially useful because it indicates that a cross-market campaign can share a common core proposition while still adapting product emphasis, promotional mechanics and channel strategy locally.

Figure 2. Fragrance leads expected higher beauty spending in both markets, while skin care and cosmetics form a broad second tier.

Deodorants show a different pattern: 38% of UAE shoppers expect higher spending, compared with 31% in Saudi Arabia. This does not make deodorant a premium seasonal category, but it confirms the importance of routine personal care within the Ramadan basket. Value packs, replenishment messaging and bundles can therefore create growth even when a product is not a primary gift item.

The spending distribution also reveals why beauty retailers need a portfolio view. Some consumers plan to spend the same as the prior year, while others will spend less.

 

Fragrance as the Anchor Ramadan and Eid Beauty Category

Fragrance is the most complete beauty category in the seasonal dataset because it performs across several different dimensions at once. It has the highest expected spending uplift among core beauty categories, reaches roughly half of Eid gift-givers and retains strong physical-store importance. These characteristics give fragrance a role that is closer to fashion accessories or jewellery than to ordinary replenishment products.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are remarkably close in direct spend intent: 48% and 47% respectively expect to spend more. The gifting measure is similarly aligned, with 49% of UAE gift-givers and 50% of Saudi gift-givers planning fragrance. This combination means that fragrance campaigns can serve both personal desire and social generosity without needing entirely separate category narratives.

Channel behavior, however, requires more nuance. In 2025, 23% of UAE consumers report shopping more online for fragrance during Ramadan than during the rest of the year, while 34% report shopping more offline. Saudi Arabia is more balanced, with 28% shopping more online and 31% more offline. Stores remain particularly relevant because scent testing, gifting advice and premium packaging are difficult to replicate fully on a product page.

The strongest commercial model combines digital discovery with store-quality presentation. Online channels support retargeting, gift guides, delivery and repeat purchase; stores add testing, consultation and immediate gift readiness.

Winter Ramadan and Seasonal Beauty Use

How climate and season alter beauty routines

The winter timing of Ramadan changes beauty demand beyond gifting. In the UAE, 39% of respondents plan to use more moisturizers because Ramadan falls in winter, making moisturization the strongest beauty-use signal in the market. Oral care follows at 35%, hair care at 31%, cleansers at 30%, sunscreen at 28%, make-up and cosmetics at 26%, and nail care at 23%.

Saudi Arabia shows a similar but not identical hierarchy. Oral care leads at 35%, moisturizers follow at 33%, hair care reaches 30%, cleansers 28%, sunscreen 24%, nail care 23% and make-up 22%. The consistency of hair care and cleansing across both markets reinforces the role of routine maintenance. These products are not necessarily bought because they are festive; they gain because Ramadan changes daily schedules, exposure conditions and self-care habits.

Figure 3. Seasonal beauty use broadens beyond cosmetics, with moisturizers, oral care and hair care gaining from winter Ramadan conditions.

The year-over-year pattern is also informative. UAE moisturizer intent rises from 35% in 2024 to 39% in 2025, oral care from 31% to 35% and hair care from 29% to 31%. Saudi oral care rises from 26% to 35%, moisturizers from 29% to 33% and sunscreen from 19% to 24%. These movements suggest that seasonal beauty planning should include practical need states alongside celebration-led products.

Retail execution can reflect this difference. Moisturizers, cleansers and hair care are strong candidates for routine bundles, replenishment reminders and value packs.

 

Cosmetics, Skincare and Personal Care Comparison

Cosmetics, skin care and personal care occupy different positions in the Ramadan beauty basket. Cosmetics are closely tied to social presentation.

These differences change what success looks like. A cosmetics campaign may prioritize limited-edition palettes, long-wear products, tutorial content and event-ready looks.

The data support that separation. Cosmetics and beauty spending uplift is 39% in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, giving the segment strong cross-market consistency. Skin care is slightly stronger in Saudi Arabia at 41% compared with 39% in the UAE. Deodorants are stronger in the UAE at 38% versus 31% in Saudi Arabia. Seasonal usage data adds another layer because moisturizers, cleansers and hair care are among the products shoppers plan to use more in winter Ramadan.

A useful assortment strategy therefore maps products by job rather than only by department. Occasion beauty should be highly visible as Eid approaches.

 

Promotions That Shape Ramadan Beauty Purchases

Discounts remain strongest, but bundles fit beauty particularly well

Price discounts are the most widely preferred Ramadan and Eid promotion in both markets. In the UAE, 54% place discounts among their top three most attractive offers, compared with 49% in Saudi Arabia. Value communication therefore matters even in premium categories, while the next tier of preferences gives beauty brands room to protect equity through bundles, gifts and added-value offers.

In the UAE, 38% prefer more quantity for the same price, 33% prefer bundle offers and 32% value a free gift or service. Cashback reaches 29% and free shipping 28%. Saudi Arabia is even more bundle-oriented: 40% select bundles, 38% more quantity for the same price, 33% cashback, 30% free gifts or services and 29% free shipping.

Figure 4. Price discounts lead overall, but bundle and added-value mechanics remain important for beauty categories.

Beauty is particularly well suited to these mechanics. A fragrance can be bundled with a miniature or body product.

The strategic choice is therefore not discount versus no discount. It is deciding how much of the seasonal value proposition should come from price and how much should come from added value.

 

What Encourages Trial of New Products During Ramadan

New-product trial behaves differently in the two markets. In the UAE, bundle offers are the strongest single trigger at 22%, closely followed by a Ramadan-specific theme at 21%. Reduced trial price reaches 18%, while small trial packs and in-store displays each reach 14%. Free sampling is lower at 12%. The pattern suggests that UAE shoppers respond to a combination of seasonal relevance and perceived package value.

Saudi Arabia is more price-led at the point of trial. A reduced trial price leads at 29%, followed by in-store displays at 16%, Ramadan-specific themes at 15% and bundles at 15%. Small trial packs and free samples each reach 12%.

For beauty brands, these numbers can translate into practical formats. A Ramadan-specific theme can mean limited-edition packaging, a curated fragrance discovery set, a skin care travel kit or an Eid-ready cosmetics sleeve. The market difference argues against one regional trial plan. UAE activation can lean more heavily on bundles and seasonal design.

Online Beauty Shopping During Ramadan

Digital intensity is rising, but category behavior remains mixed

Overall online-shopping intensity is increasing in both markets. Heavy online shoppers in the UAE rise from 37% in 2024 to 41% in 2025, while Saudi Arabia rises from 28% to 31%. This broad shift supports stronger digital beauty investment, especially in search, social discovery, marketplaces, brand-owned commerce and fast delivery.

Figure 5. Heavy online-shopping incidence increases in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia between 2024 and 2025.

Category behavior is less linear. UAE consumers shopping more online for cosmetics and beauty during Ramadan decline from 32% in 2024 to 27% in 2025. Fragrance shifts from 28% to 23%, while skin care records 25% in 2025. Saudi Arabia moves differently: cosmetics and beauty rises from 27% to 30%, fragrance holds at 28%, and skin care reaches 34% in 2025.

The contrast shows why overall e-commerce growth should not be used as a substitute for category-level planning. A shopper can become a heavier online consumer while still preferring to buy certain beauty categories in physical stores.

Digital execution should therefore be category-specific. Fragrance needs strong discovery tools, sampling or easy repeat purchase.

 

Offline Beauty Retail During Ramadan

Physical retail remains strategically important even as online shopping intensity rises. The clearest reason is experience.

The channel data demonstrates this role. In the UAE, 34% report shopping more offline for fragrance during Ramadan, compared with 23% shopping more online. Cosmetics and beauty are more balanced at 28% offline and 27% online, while skin care reaches 30% offline and 25% online. Saudi Arabia is closer to parity in fragrance, at 31% offline and 28% online, while skin care tilts online at 34% versus 24% offline.

Stores therefore should not simply replicate the online assortment. Their advantage lies in tactile and service-rich moments: fragrance discovery, rapid gift assembly, beauty consultation, premium wrapping and immediate purchase. Stores can also act as media. A high-impact Ramadan display may create awareness even when the shopper later purchases online.

The strongest omnichannel model treats the store and website as complementary rather than competing. Digital channels can hold broader assortment, retarget users and solve last-mile convenience. Stores can create confidence, experience and gifting urgency. For retailers with both channels, shared inventory visibility and consistent promotional rules reduce friction while preserving the unique role of each environment.

 

Eid Gifting and the Beauty Opportunity

Nearly nine in ten consumers plan to give gifts

Eid gifting is one of the strongest commercial anchors in the dataset. In 2025, 90% of UAE respondents and 89% of Saudi respondents plan to give gifts. The scale matters because beauty does not need to create a gifting occasion from scratch; it competes within a cultural behavior that already reaches most shoppers.

Fragrance is the dominant beauty gift. It is selected by 49% of UAE gift-givers and 50% of Saudi gift-givers. That level puts fragrance alongside major traditional gift categories rather than within a narrow beauty niche. Cosmetics and beauty products are planned by 25% of gift-givers in both markets, while skin care reaches 24% in the UAE and 23% in Saudi Arabia. Deodorants sit lower at 15% and 14%, reflecting their more functional role.

Figure 6. Fragrance is the dominant beauty gift in both markets, followed by cosmetics and skin care.

Beauty gifting becomes more powerful when products are merchandised by recipient and price point. Entry sets can serve friends, colleagues and younger family members.

Presentation is especially important because gift readiness can reduce decision time late in Ramadan. Clear packaging, visible value, wrapping, personalization and reliable delivery can become conversion tools.

 

How Eid Gift Preferences Are Changing

The year-over-year gifting pattern shows both stability and adjustment. Fragrance remains the leading beauty gift despite declining from 53% to 49% in the UAE and from 59% to 50% in Saudi Arabia between 2024 and 2025. The decline is meaningful, but it does not remove fragrance leadership. Instead, it suggests a more competitive gifting environment in which shoppers have a wider set of choices and fragrance brands need stronger differentiation.

Cosmetics and beauty are comparatively stable, moving from 24% to 25% in the UAE and from 26% to 25% in Saudi Arabia. Skin care appears at 24% in the UAE and 23% in Saudi Arabia in the 2025 data. These categories therefore provide a dependable secondary tier even when fragrance share moderates.

The wider gift mix includes money, fashion clothing, chocolates and sweets, gift cards, jewellery, technology and designer accessories. Beauty must compete with all of these, which means a generic gift set is not automatically compelling. Fragrance has a cultural and premium advantage, but cosmetics and skin care need presentation, relevance and easy recipient fit to earn space in the basket.

For brands, the strategic response is to increase distinctiveness rather than simply add more SKUs. Limited designs, exclusive sizes, personalization, discovery formats and clear gifting narratives can create reasons to choose one beauty product over another. Retailers can also improve navigation by organizing gifts around budget, recipient and category instead of requiring shoppers to browse standard departments.

 

Eid Gift Budgets and Premium Beauty Positioning

Gift budgets create a second source of beauty upside beyond the number of people giving presents. In the UAE, 51% of 2025 gift-givers plan to spend more on Eid gifts than in the prior year, compared with 53% in 2024. That still represents a majority of the gifting audience and supports premiumization when the product and presentation justify the spend.

The reasons for spending more are varied. Among those planning an increase, 45% want to make Eid more special, 41% cite improved personal finances, 39% plan to be more generous, 37% will buy for more people and 34% say they saved more and want to treat themselves and others. Higher prices are also cited by 34%, so part of the increase reflects inflation rather than pure trade-up.

Premium beauty can fit this environment because it delivers visible presentation value without necessarily reaching the price of jewellery or technology. A premium fragrance, curated skin care routine or prestige cosmetics set can signal generosity while remaining easy to wrap, transport and personalize. The category also offers multiple price ladders, allowing retailers to capture different budget levels within one department.

The commercial opportunity is strongest when premiumization is transparent. Shoppers should be able to see why one set costs more: concentration, size, exclusivity, included products, packaging, personalization or service. A higher price without a clear value story is less likely to convert simply because gift budgets are larger.

UAE and Saudi Arabia Beauty Shopping Comparison

The UAE and Saudi Arabia share a common Ramadan beauty cycle, but the strongest signals differ enough to justify local execution. The UAE has a slight lead in fragrance spending, at 48% versus 47%, and a clearer lead in deodorant spending, at 38% versus 31%. Saudi Arabia leads skin care spending at 41% versus 39%, while cosmetics and beauty are tied at 39%.

Online intensity is one of the largest structural differences. Heavy online shoppers account for 41% of the UAE sample in 2025, compared with 31% in Saudi Arabia. Yet Saudi beauty categories can still show strong digital behavior: skin care reaches 34% shopping more online during Ramadan, compared with 25% in the UAE. This demonstrates that market-wide digital intensity and category-specific digital affinity are not the same thing.

Promotions also differ. Price discounts are more prominent in the UAE at 54% versus 49%, while bundle offers are stronger in Saudi Arabia at 40% versus 33%. For new-product trial, the UAE favors bundle offers and seasonal themes, while Saudi Arabia is much more responsive to a reduced trial price. These differences should shape both creative and offer architecture.

Gifting is remarkably similar at the top. Fragrance reaches 49% of UAE gift-givers and 50% in Saudi Arabia, while cosmetics sits at 25% in both. This allows regional brands to preserve a common Eid gifting platform while localizing the route to conversion. The brand story can be shared; the promotional trigger, channel emphasis and product mix can be market-specific.

 

Saudi-Made Personal Care During Ramadan

Local-product preference adds an important dimension to the Saudi market. During Ramadan, 33% of respondents say they buy more Saudi-made personal care products than during the rest of the year, while 57% buy about the same and only 11% buy less. The data does not imply automatic preference for every domestic brand, but it shows that Ramadan can strengthen the opportunity for locally positioned personal-care offers.

This matters for categories that can connect origin with trust, cultural relevance or gifting. Saudi fragrance houses, personal-care brands and beauty manufacturers can use the season to highlight local creation, familiar scent profiles, regionally relevant routines and domestic manufacturing. The opportunity is strongest when origin supports a product benefit rather than acting as the entire message.

Retailers can also use local-brand curation as part of Ramadan storytelling. A dedicated discovery zone, gift guide or online collection can reduce search costs for consumers interested in Saudi-made products. For emerging brands, Ramadan may provide a high-attention period in which trial and gifting accelerate awareness.

The key is to maintain the same quality expectations applied to international products. Local relevance can open the door, but packaging, performance, pricing and availability still determine repeat purchase. Domestic brands should therefore treat Ramadan as a customer-acquisition opportunity rather than only a seasonal sales spike.

 

Wider Ramadan Retail and Beauty Market Signals

Beauty operates inside a broader Ramadan retail environment with exceptional commercial intensity. Regional retail sales for the season have been projected at approximately $66 billion, while consumer surveys show high willingness to increase spending. In one benchmark, 64% of UAE consumers say they would spend more during Ramadan, compared with 56% in Saudi Arabia and 74% in Egypt.

Figure 7. Regional spending intent is high, creating a large competitive environment for beauty and gifting categories.

Value seeking is equally strong: 86% of regional consumers say Ramadan is an ideal time to find the best deals.

Beauty shoppers also evaluate factors beyond price. Ingredient and formulation concerns matter in the category, including interest in whether brands avoid undesirable additives.

The broader market context also raises the cost of invisibility. Beauty competes with food, fashion, jewellery, technology and home categories for seasonal budgets.

 

Luxury Beauty and Seasonal Search Momentum

Luxury shopping becomes particularly relevant toward the end of Ramadan, when consumers shift from routine preparation toward Eid celebration. Search behavior shows a material rise in luxury apparel interest late in the month, including a 21% uplift in the UAE and 45% in Saudi Arabia in one benchmark. Around Eid periods, luxury apparel and beauty search interest also increases, reinforcing the connection between festive occasions and premium discovery.

The numbers should not be interpreted as a direct forecast for every beauty brand. They are a signal that high-intent consumers become more active around premium categories when gifting and social occasions converge. Fragrance, prestige cosmetics and high-end skin care are well positioned to benefit because they can deliver both personal indulgence and gift value.

Timing is therefore critical. Premium beauty campaigns should build awareness before the final Ramadan rush, then become more conversion-oriented as Eid approaches. Search, social video, influencer content, gift guides and retargeting can support discovery, while inventory visibility and delivery promises reduce friction at the point of purchase.

Luxury beauty also needs a different promotional philosophy. Deep discounts can conflict with exclusivity.

Building the Ramadan Beauty Shopping Benchmark Index

The Ramadan Beauty Shopping Benchmark Index converts the report into eight weighted pillars. Category spending uplift receives 18%, the largest weight, because higher planned spending is the clearest direct signal of commercial opportunity. Eid gifting strength receives 17%, reflecting the importance of beauty as a presentable seasonal purchase rather than only a self-use category.

Promotional responsiveness receives 14% because a category may have strong underlying demand but still require the right offer to convert. Online shopping intensity receives 12%, while offline retail importance receives 11%. Keeping both channel measures visible prevents a digital-heavy score from undervaluing experiential categories such as fragrance. Seasonal usage uplift receives another 11% to capture routine categories that gain because Ramadan occurs in winter or changes daily care behavior.

Premium and luxury potential receive 9%, linking categories to trade-up, gifting and high-intent search. Local-market fit and cultural relevance receive the final 8%, recognizing that fragrance traditions, domestic brands, local routines and gifting norms influence how a category performs. The weights total 100% and are designed to keep spend, gifting, channel and usage in balance.

Figure 8. The benchmark weights direct spending and gifting most heavily, while preserving channel, usage and cultural-fit dimensions.

Scores from 0 to 39 indicate weak seasonal fit, 40 to 59 basic commercial opportunity, 60 to 74 a competitive Ramadan category, 75 to 89 a high-potential seasonal category and 90 to 100 exceptional Ramadan/Eid commercial fit. Sub-scores should remain visible so that a high spend score cannot hide weak gifting or poor channel accessibility.

 

Ramadan and Eid Beauty Market Challenges

The first challenge is promotional saturation. Consumers actively expect Ramadan deals, so beauty brands without visible seasonal value can lose attention even when the product itself is relevant.

The second challenge is timing. Beauty demand shifts from preparation and routine care early in Ramadan toward gifting, premium presentation and convenience as Eid approaches.

The third challenge is channel fragmentation. Heavy online shopping is rising, yet fragrance and some beauty purchases remain store-dependent because testing, consultation and immediate gift readiness still matter.

The final challenge is overgeneralization. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are similar enough for a shared regional platform, but different enough to require local decisions on offers, channels and category emphasis.

90-Day Ramadan and Eid Beauty Shopping Plan

Days 1 to 30 should establish the category and inventory baseline. Retailers should identify the products most exposed to seasonal demand: fragrance, skin care, cosmetics, moisturizers, hair care and giftable accessories. Price bands, gift sets, bundle structures, packaging, delivery promises and country-level differences should be defined before high-intent traffic arrives. Creative assets should begin with preparation, routine care and discovery rather than only Eid gifting.

Days 31 to 60 should focus on active Ramadan shopping. Promotional tests can compare discounts, bundles, free gifts and shipping incentives. Digital channels should emphasize discovery and education, while stores should strengthen displays, fragrance testing and cross-category recommendations. CRM can segment replenishment shoppers from gift seekers so that offers become more relevant.

Days 61 to 90 should shift decisively toward Eid conversion and post-Eid retention. Gift-ready fragrance, cosmetics sets, premium packaging and last-mile certainty should move to the front of the experience. Search campaigns and retargeting should prioritize high-intent terms. Stores should simplify gift selection by budget and recipient. Delivery cutoffs must be visible because convenience becomes more valuable as Eid approaches.

After the peak, brands should capture what happened rather than immediately resetting. Gift buyers can be converted into personal users, trial customers can enter loyalty journeys and category-level results can inform next year's assortment. The 90-day plan is therefore a full lifecycle: prepare, activate, convert and learn.

Metrics Beauty Brands and Retailers Should Track

Sales describe the outcome, but a useful Ramadan beauty scorecard explains why performance changed. Demand metrics should include category sales uplift, revenue per shopper, average basket size, fragrance share, skin care share and cosmetics share. These measures show whether growth came from more transactions, higher spend or a change in category mix.

Promotion metrics should include conversion by offer type, bundle attachment, gift-with-purchase uptake, cashback use and free-shipping response. Tracking only total promotional sales can hide the mechanics that work best by category. A bundle may outperform a discount in fragrance but underperform in routine personal care, while free shipping may matter more online than in stores.

Channel metrics should include online conversion, store conversion, mobile traffic, click-and-collect, delivery speed and cross-channel behavior. Fragrance should also track sampling or consultation where possible, because experience can be an important step before purchase. Digital skin care should track content engagement and repeat purchase because education and replenishment are central to the category.

Gifting metrics should include gift-set penetration, fragrance gifting share, average gift order, gift wrapping, premium packaging uptake and delivery-to-recipient behavior. Consumer language around value, presentation, scent, routine and gift suitability can add qualitative context. Together, these metrics turn Ramadan from a one-time sales event into a repeatable commercial learning cycle.

 

How Ramadan Beauty Opportunity Changes by Business Model

Manufacturers encounter the Ramadan cycle earliest because production, packaging and gift-set assembly need lead time. Their priority is forecasting the mix correctly and avoiding late overproduction of seasonal packaging. Fragrance houses should plan discovery formats and giftable sizes, while skin care manufacturers can build routines that solve seasonal dryness and cleansing needs.

Brands control the consumer promise. They decide whether Ramadan is framed as a discount event, a gifting moment, a self-care period or a coordinated combination of all three.

Salons and beauty professionals occupy another role because they combine services with product recommendations. Eid preparation can increase interest in hair styling, cosmetics and at-home maintenance. Retail products that support the service outcome can extend the transaction beyond the appointment. The opportunity is strongest when recommendations feel useful rather than purely promotional.

Retailers connect these models by deciding which brands receive visibility, how categories are grouped, how gifts are navigated and whether online and offline experiences remain coherent.

 

The Ramadan and Eid Beauty Shopping Report FAQ

Which beauty category has the strongest Ramadan spending signal?

Fragrance. The 2025 data shows 48% of UAE respondents and 47% of Saudi respondents expecting to spend more on fragrance than in the prior year, ahead of the core skin care and cosmetics measures.

How many consumers expect to spend more on cosmetics and beauty products?

In both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, 39% expect to spend more on cosmetics and beauty products during Ramadan and Eid than in 2024, giving the category unusually consistent cross-market demand.

Is skin care important during Ramadan?

Yes. Higher-spend intent reaches 39% in the UAE and 41% in Saudi Arabia. Winter-use data also shows stronger moisturizer and cleanser demand, which gives skin care both a seasonal-need and commercial role.

Which beauty products gain from winter Ramadan?

Moisturizers, oral care, hair care and cleansers are among the strongest usage signals. In the UAE, 39% plan more moisturizer use, while Saudi Arabia reaches 35% for oral care and 33% for moisturizers.

What is the strongest beauty gift for Eid?

Fragrance. It is selected as an intended Eid gift by 49% of UAE gift-givers and 50% of Saudi gift-givers in 2025, far above other core beauty segments.

Do consumers prefer discounts or bundles?

Price discounts lead overall, at 54% in the UAE and 49% in Saudi Arabia. Bundles are also important, particularly in Saudi Arabia where 40% place them among the most attractive Ramadan and Eid promotions.

Is beauty shopping moving online?

Overall heavy online-shopping incidence is rising in both markets, but category behavior remains mixed. Skin care shows notable digital strength in Saudi Arabia, while fragrance continues to benefit from physical-store discovery.

Should fragrance be sold mainly online?

No. Online channels are important for discovery, repeat purchase and convenience, but physical stores remain valuable for scent testing, consultation, premium packaging and immediate gifting.

How important are Eid gift budgets?

Very important. Around nine in ten respondents plan to give Eid gifts, and a majority of UAE gift-givers report plans to spend more than in the prior year, creating room for premium beauty and larger sets.

Should the UAE and Saudi Arabia use the same Ramadan beauty strategy?

They can share a common seasonal platform, but execution should differ. The UAE is more heavily online overall and more discount-oriented, while Saudi Arabia shows stronger bundle preference, reduced-price trial response and online skin care activity.

Final Takeaway

Ramadan and Eid create a multi-layered beauty market in which fragrance provides the strongest premium signal, skin care and cosmetics deliver broad supporting demand, and personal care benefits from routine use. Higher-spend intent reaches 48% for fragrance in the UAE and 47% in Saudi Arabia, while cosmetics reaches 39% in both and skin care reaches 39% and 41% respectively.

Seasonality expands the opportunity beyond occasion beauty. Moisturizers, oral care, hair care and cleansers show meaningful winter-Ramadan usage increases, demonstrating that consumers are not only dressing for gatherings or Eid. They are also adjusting daily routines. That distinction supports a longer commercial window and gives care categories a reason to activate earlier in Ramadan.

Gifting then changes the economics of the category. Around nine in ten respondents plan to give Eid gifts, and fragrance reaches roughly half of gift-givers in both markets.

The strongest Ramadan beauty categories combine three qualities: they solve a seasonal need, fit the culture of gifting and remain easy to discover and buy across digital and physical retail. Fragrance leads this combination, while skin care, cosmetics and personal care add substantial value when timing, promotion and channel strategy are aligned.