The 5 Beauty Beats
I'm tracking beauty news across five beats. Every story comes from public reporting, with the sources linked, and the newest updates come first.
Researched with AI assistance, curated and analyzed by Cassandra. How Ask Cass Works →
Trending
What everybody's trying right now, and whether it's worth it.
Liquid highlighter under the eyes
People are tapping liquid highlighter under their eyes instead of reaching for more concealer, and searches for it are up sharply on TikTok.
Artists are splitIt can brighten smooth skin, but it can also show off texture. Mixing it with concealer helps it sit better.
PDRN, the "salmon DNA" ingredient
PDRN is made from DNA fragments, often from salmon. It's one of the fastest-rising ingredients in skincare, pushed by K-beauty and luxury brands.
Evidence is thinThe research mostly backs the injectable version. The molecules are likely too big to sink into skin from a serum or cream.
Making your own sunscreen
Homemade sunscreen recipes keep circulating online.
Derms say skip itThere's no reliable way to know how much protection a homemade mix gives you. Store-bought sunscreen is tested for SPF.
"Eat your skincare"
Creators are pushing foods and supplements as a swap for serums and creams.
Partly trueDermatologists say what you eat can help your skin, but it can't replace sunscreen or what you put on your face. Too much vitamin C can also upset your stomach.
Layering for "glass skin"
Viral Korean skincare routines stack product after product to chase poreless, glassy skin.
Derms say ease upA study shown at a European dermatology conference found nearly 95% of the top videos made misleading claims, and none were made by dermatologists. Too many layers can clog pores and damage your skin barrier.
Legislation
New rules for the products we use and the claims brands can make.
FDA opens comments on MoCRA paperwork
FDA sent its revised cosmetics paperwork rules (adverse event records, facility registration, product listing, safety substantiation, labeling) for review. FDA estimates about 22,564 companies file initial product listings.
LegislationThe FTC is enforcing its fake review rule
The FTC is sending warning letters under its rule on reviews and testimonials, which bans fake reviews (including AI-written ones), undisclosed insider reviews, bought reviews, and fake follower or engagement counts. Lawyers covering the rule name beauty and personal care as one of the most exposed industries. Its newest cases go further than fake praise: in a suit filed October 6 against Digital Forensics Corp., the FTC says the company also kept bad reviews from being seen. The allegations are unproven.
LegislationAustralia plans stricter testing behind sunscreen SPF numbers
On October 27, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration proposed new rules after consumer group CHOICE found 16 of 20 sunscreens it tested didn't meet their SPF claims. Brands would have to test the finished product, not just the base formula, send results to the regulator before listing, keep testing after launch, and use accredited labs. No start dates are set. CHOICE wants the results made public and the regulator to run its own checks.
LegislationHigherDOSE declined to defend its red light claims to the ad watchdog
BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division (NAD) opened two inquiries into HigherDOSE as part of its routine monitoring. One covered the Red Light Hat and claims that it supports hair growth, increases blood flow, and reduces shedding. The other covered the Red Light Face Mask and claims about fewer fine lines and wrinkles, firmer skin, and more hydration. HigherDOSE chose not to take part, so on October 27 NAD said it will refer the claims to regulators, including state attorneys general. NAD did not rule on whether the claims are supported, and the announcement included no statement from HigherDOSE.
LegislationEurope sets how fast hazardous ingredients must leave cosmetics
On October 22 the European Parliament voted 477 to 59 for revised rules on cosmetics with ingredients newly classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction. Companies would get six months to stop putting affected products on the market and twelve months to sell existing stock, with shorter periods where a safety concern is identified. Consumer groups warned the longer windows could keep risky products on shelves.
LegislationFDA spells out how it can order a cosmetic recall
FDA issued final guidance on October 22 on the recall power MoCRA gave it: when it can order a cosmetic recall, the steps it will follow, and what it expects from companies that get an order. FDA says the final version has no major changes from the 2025 draft, and that it still prefers companies recall problem products on their own. It was published in the Federal Register on October 23.
LegislationNO FAKES Act stalls on the Senate floor
The main federal bill protecting your voice and likeness from AI replicas passed committee unanimously in June, then hit an objection on the Senate floor on September 30. Senator Cruz says he supports it but wants tighter free speech protections around parody first.
LegislationPFAS limits keep spreading, from California to the EU
California, Colorado, and Maryland already ban intentionally added PFAS in cosmetics, Connecticut joined in 2026, and Maine, Vermont, and Minnesota phase in limits through 2032. In the EU, limits on PFHxA in cosmetics took effect October 10, with a broader PFAS restriction still under review. There is still no federal PFAS ban for cosmetics in the US.
Litigation
The beauty lawsuits making their way through court.
J&J talc trials keep going while its settlement waits on support
Juries keep splitting on J&J's cosmetic talc. In early November a Boston jury found J&J's baby powder caused the mesothelioma of Missy Haddad and awarded about $3.3 million, according to her lawyers (other outlets reported lower figures), and J&J says it will appeal. A California jury in Alameda County awarded $34.21 million to Kevin Reikes, putting 40% of the fault on J&J and 60% on the maker of Dr. Scholl's, which settled before trial, so it isn't clear yet how much J&J itself would pay. Meanwhile a jury in Plymouth, Massachusetts sided with the company in a separate case. A Connecticut trial is still under way. Separately, J&J's proposed deal to resolve roughly 70,000 ovarian cancer claims, reported at $5.5 billion, only goes forward if at least 95% of claimants take part, and there is no word yet on whether it has. J&J says its talc never contained asbestos, and the claims in the open trials are unproven.
LitigationNeutrogena settles Skin360 face scan suit for $4.7 million
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., now Kenvue, agreed to pay $4.7 million to settle Melzer v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. The suit says the Skin360 skin assessment tool collected face scans from Illinois users without the consent the state's biometric privacy law requires. If you did a Skin360 assessment in Illinois between December 9, 2019 and May 5, 2023, you can file a claim at skin360bipasettlement.com by November 25. Payments depend on how many valid claims come in. A settlement isn't a court finding.
LitigationSuit says Honest's "hypoallergenic" baby shampoo contains fragrance allergens
A proposed class action filed in late October says some scents of The Honest Company's baby Shampoo + Body Wash and Conditioning Detangler are labeled hypoallergenic but contain linalool or limonene, two fragrance ingredients known to cause allergic reactions in some people. The claims are unproven, and no company response has been reported.
LitigationMinnesota becomes the second state to sue L'Oréal over hair relaxers
Minnesota's attorney general sued L'Oréal on October 23, saying it marketed Dark and Lovely, Optimum and Mizani relaxers to Black women and girls without disclosing studies linking frequent use to uterine and ovarian cancer. Arizona filed a similar suit in September. Separately, the federal case had 12,381 cases as of October 1, and its first trial is set for September 7, 2027. On October 22, the judge ruled that the plaintiffs' epidemiologist can testify that chemical relaxers can cause uterine and ovarian cancer, and let a toxicologist testify in part. That decides what a jury can hear, not whether relaxers cause cancer. L'Oréal says the claims lack merit, and they are unproven.
LitigationSuits say gum health toothpastes hide an irritating ingredient
Two proposed class actions in California, against Procter & Gamble and Haleon, say Crest Pro-Health gum lines, Sensodyne, and Parodontax use sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) without disclosing research linking it to gum irritation and slower healing. The shoppers argue that conflicts with marketing that promises healthier gums. No company response was reported, and the claims are unproven.
LitigationA lawsuit says Ulta's emails use fake deadlines
Two Indiana shoppers say Ulta's marketing emails create false time pressure, which they argue breaks an Indiana law against misleading subject lines. One example: an email saying a $10 off $50 offer ended that day, followed the next day by one saying the same offer ran through February 22. The case is now in federal court in Indiana. Ulta did not respond to a request for comment, and the claims are unproven.
LitigationDr. Squatch settles its "natural" label suit for $9 million
Dr. Squatch agreed to a $9 million settlement to resolve claims over the "natural" label on its products. Dr. Squatch denies wrongdoing.
LitigationPatrick Ta Beauty sues CVS over unauthorized sales
Patrick Ta Beauty sued CVS and distributor Akstrom Imports on October 14 in the Southern District of California, saying they sold its products outside its approved stores. CVS declined to comment. The claims are unproven.
LitigationCalifornians sue over PFAS in Carefree panty liners
Hundreds of plaintiffs filed in Los Angeles County on October 9, naming Edgewell, Essity, J&J, and Gelson's and pointing to a 2024 lab test that allegedly found PFOA in the liners. California has banned intentionally added PFAS in menstrual products since January 2025. Essity says it doesn't intentionally add PFAS. The claims are unproven.
LitigationDove body wash suit asks what "collagen" on a label means
A proposed class action in New York says Dove's Vitality Renewal Firming Body Wash implies real collagen on the front label, while the ingredient list shows only a plant-derived "vegetable collagen." The claims are unproven.
LitigationSephora sued over active skincare sold to kids and teens
A proposed class action in San Francisco says Sephora sold more than 1,600 products with acids, vitamin C derivatives, and retinoids that were marketed to children and teens without age warnings, and that creator relationships weren't clearly disclosed. Plaintiffs want changes in practice, not damages. The claims are unproven.
LitigationShiseido takes Shein to court in France
Shiseido's French unit says Shein let its products be resold outside its authorized retailers and is seeking about 2.6 million euros. Shein argues it only hosts third-party sellers.
AI x Technology
AI-edited ads, virtual try-ons, and what happens when someone uses your face.
The Ask Cass AI x Beauty Law Guide →AI shopping agents can now buy your beauty products for you
In about six weeks, most of the big places you shop made room for AI agents that search, fill a cart and check out for you. Shopify connected Shop Pay checkout to Meta's AI agent in September, then opened its whole catalog to outside agents in October, with the shopper confirming the total before an order goes through. Google rolled out a Universal Cart in Search and Gemini that saves items from different stores and alerts you to price drops. Walmart opened its store to approved agents, letting shoppers require approval for each purchase or set a spending cap, and says its normal returns apply when an agent gets it wrong. Amazon is going the other way, blocking outside agents from buying on its site while growing its own Buy for Me agent. American Express published a framework that records what you told the agent to buy and checks the purchase against it. TikTok added an AI shopping assistant and one-click checkout in the feed.
AI x TechnologyPennsylvania will require a label on ads that use AI to mislead
Governor Josh Shapiro signed SB 806, now Act 99 of 2026, on October 22. Starting December 21, an ad that uses AI-generated or heavily AI-altered images, video or audio to give a false impression of a product must clearly say AI was used, the first time the content appears. Fictional content, parody, satire, commentary and text-only ads are exempt. Only the state attorney general or a district attorney can enforce it, with fines up to $3,000 plus legal costs.
AI x TechnologyCalifornia ads will have to say when the person on screen is AI
Governor Newsom signed SB 1050 on September 16. Starting January 1, 2027, audio and video ads that prominently feature an AI-generated performer, one who demonstrates the product, narrates, or reacts on screen, must clearly disclose that the performer is synthetic. Violations are handled under California's false advertising and unfair competition laws. New York passed a similar law that took effect in June, but it doesn't cover audio-only ads.
AI x TechnologyOne look-alike TikTok Shop site set off a fifth of a security company's phishing blocks
Surfshark, which sells a VPN and a web blocker, says one suspected fake TikTok Shop domain set off 320,007 blocks among its users from May to September. That was about 19% of all the phishing blocks it recorded worldwide. Monthly blocks for that one domain climbed from 16,995 in May to 125,413 in September, and another 96,711 came in the first 20 days of October. Surfshark notes that a block is not the same as a victim, and that the domain hasn't been confirmed as phishing. These are one company's numbers from its own users.
AI x TechnologyCoty is paying to show up in chatbot shopping answers
Coty, one of the largest beauty companies, announced a partnership on October 27 with Brandlight, a company that works on how brands appear in AI assistants and AI search. The goal is more of what the industry calls generative engine optimization: showing up when shoppers ask a chatbot for suggestions instead of searching for a brand by name. Coty says early pilots reworked product pages, creator content, PR, and launch materials, and that its brands appeared more often in AI recommendations. It didn't share any numbers or name which brands.
AI x TechnologyThe AI likeness rules already in effect
The TAKE IT DOWN Act has required platforms to remove intimate deepfakes within 48 hours since May. Maryland's deepfake fraud law took effect October 1, making it a felony to use a deepfake to defraud someone and letting victims sue. The EU AI Act's labeling duty for AI-generated content applies from August 2026, and YouTube opened its likeness detection tool to all adult creators in May.
AI x TechnologyA skin AI company says general chatbots see problems that aren't there
Haut.AI, which sells skin analysis technology to beauty brands, released a public test called SkinBench on October 27 along with its own skin model. In the company's results, six general-purpose AI models reported eye puffiness in roughly 95% to 100% of images where there was none, compared with about 18% for its own model. The results come from a company selling a competing product, and Google's Gemini beat it on some measures.
AI x TechnologyCalifornia adds AI digital replicas to its likeness law
Governor Newsom signed SB 1111 on September 30. Starting January 1, 2027, California's rule against using a living person's voice or likeness in ads without consent also covers AI digital replicas, and using a replica to impersonate someone counts as false impersonation under existing state law.
AI x TechnologyAnother creator says her videos ran in ads she never approved
In Holston v. R5 Brands, filed October 9 in North Carolina, creator Amber Jordan Holston says a supplement brand used her videos, face, and voice in at least 12 paid Meta ads for a product she never used. The videos were made for a different company. The brand had not responded when the case was reported.
AI x TechnologyUlta launches a shopping app inside ChatGPT
Ulta's new ChatGPT app builds a product bundle from your goals, budget, and routine, explains its picks, and sends the bundle to an Ulta cart. Buying two to five eligible full-price items together gets 10% off. Sephora has been testing its own ChatGPT app since March.
AI x TechnologyA creator says an ad used AI to lighten her skin
In a federal suit filed in California on October 2, creator Catherine Esperanza Amador says an app ran her promo video as a Facebook ad with an AI-altered version of her, with lighter skin and changed features. The app blamed Meta's automatic ad enhancements. Amador says her terms barred AI edits either way.
Industry
Who's buying, launching, and making moves in beauty.
Ulta now sells the Oura Ring, its first health tracker
The Oura Ring 5 went on sale at Ulta.com on November 10 and reaches about 1,000 Ulta stores on November 22, as part of the Wellness by Ulta Beauty section. Oura says the ring gives insights on sleep, stress, heart health and reproductive health. The Ring 5 starts at $399. It's Oura's first US beauty retailer, and Glossy reports Ulta plans to add a Whoop wearable in March.
IndustrySkincare and fragrance are outgrowing makeup this year
Circana's numbers for the first nine months of 2026 show US beauty still growing. Prestige beauty sales hit $25.5 billion, up 5%, and mass beauty reached $57.4 billion, up 7%. Prestige skincare rose 7% to $7.4 billion, with the number of units sold up by double digits, and mass fragrance sales jumped 15%. Makeup grew the slowest, with prestige makeup up 3% to $8.1 billion and mass makeup up a little over 4%. Circana expects holiday shoppers to mix small treats with hunting for value.
IndustryChina's biggest beauty brand, Proya, heads to Ulta
Proya announced on November 12 that 16 products from its Advanced Firming and Original Repair lines are coming to 400 Ulta stores and Ulta.com, led by a nourishing cream and a repair serum. Proya says the cream's bicyclic peptide smooths fine lines and supports collagen, and that the serum calms redness fast and cuts down recurring sensitivity. It names research partners like Zhejiang University and West China Hospital, but hasn't published sample sizes or study lengths and says it will share its clinical research later. Prices weren't announced. Proya also owns most of the makeup brand Flower Knows, which began a limited run at Ulta in September.
IndustryTikTok Shop sets its Black Friday sale, as beauty growth slows
TikTok Shop's holiday sale started November 11 and runs through November 30, with Sephora and Ulta now on the platform. Beauty and personal care sales hit $992.9 million in Q3, up 39% year over year, but down from 96% growth in Q1. The platform expects more brand livestreams, gift sets, and bundles this quarter.
IndustryThe big beauty deals to watch
Galderma is buying ZO Skin Health for $1.5 billion, expected to close in Q4 2026 or early 2027. Boots and No7 are part of an $8.9 billion deal announced October 7. Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Kleenex and Huggies, closed its purchase of Kenvue on November 2, so Neutrogena, Aveeno and OGX now belong to it. The private equity firm PAI Partners agreed on November 4 to buy Elemis from L'Occitane Group, with the deal expected to close in early 2027. And Dermalogica's CEO steps down at the end of December.
IndustryA fragrance creator's accounts were suspended after a distributor reported his dupe videos
Noel Deyzel, known online as Noel Smells, has about 1.2 million followers on Instagram and 1.8 million on TikTok. Both accounts were suspended after videos comparing luxury fragrances from houses like Creed and Amouage with cheaper alternatives. He blamed German distributor Nobilis Group for the reports. Nobilis co-owner and CEO Udo Heuser denied targeting creators and said the company only reports what it considers illegal under German and EU comparative advertising rules. Deyzel appealed and has since regained access to his accounts.
IndustryLady Gaga takes over as CEO of Haus Labs after the bronzer shade backlash
Lady Gaga is now CEO of Haus Labs, effective immediately, after co-founder and CEO Ben Jones left earlier in October. She keeps running creative and product development and now also oversees the business side. The change comes weeks after a backlash over the brand's Sun Dipped Bronzing Veil. Creator Golloria George criticized the planned six-shade range for leaving out deeper skin tones, and Haus Labs asked her to take her post down, citing an embargo. The brand later called that request unkind, paused the launch, and expanded the range to 11 shades.
IndustryJennifer Lawrence's new haircare line calls itself biodesigned
Jennifer Lawrence launched mes°, a haircare brand made with Arcaea, a biotech-focused beauty company whose founder, Jasmina Aganovic, is also the CEO. The first products are a repair mask ($52), a root volume mist ($34), and a restyling serum ($44), sold only on the brand's own site. The brand says it uses a "Creative Biodesign" approach: it starts with what causes a hair problem and looks to biology for a fix, drawing on microbiome research and its own ingredient technology. The launch coverage doesn't say which ingredients that refers to.
IndustryL'Oréal launches Dr.G in the US through TikTok Shop
L'Oréal brought the Korean skincare brand Dr.G to the US through TikTok Shop with seven products and five exclusive bundles, after acquiring it in 2024.
The Fine Print
What a beauty study actually tested and whether it backs up the claim.
A YouTuber says 8 Daiso sunscreens missed their SPF. Daiso says its retests passed
In July the channel Skin Is Min Dong-seong said it paid about 30 million won (around $22,500) to test 10 Daiso Korea sunscreens, and that 8 came in under their label. It said testing on some products stopped because participants had skin reactions. No measured SPF numbers have been reported. Daiso says the data the channel released came from 2 or 3 people per product, while Korea's regulator and the international SPF standard (ISO 24444) require at least 10 valid people. The channel also hasn't named the lab, the lead researcher or the product lot numbers. In September the eight makers (Fruits Nara, Kim Jung Moon Aloe, The Lab by Blanc Doux, Dewytree, Bonsept, Beprove, Scinic and VT) retested at four Korean clinical labs with 10 or more people per test, and Daiso says all eight passed. Daiso has asked the channel to take the video down and apologize, and says it may take legal action. The channel's claims are unproven, and no regulator ruling has been reported.
The Fine PrintRoC puts PDRN in a drugstore retinol serum and says skin looks 7 years younger
RoC launched the serum in early November, pairing encapsulated retinol with PDRN made from ginseng callus cells instead of salmon DNA, at $28.49 for one ounce. Both headline numbers come from one 12-week study of 29 people that RoC reports on its product page. The 7-years-younger figure is based only on crow's feet and under-eye wrinkles at one month. The page doesn't say who ran or paid for the study, and we couldn't find it published anywhere.
RoC's study: 29 peopleThe Fine PrintThe ad watchdog says Blissy can't back its acne and anti-aging pillowcase claims
BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division (NAD) reviewed Blissy's ads. It found the "Less Frizz" claim supported by lab testing backed up by users' own assessments. It found the acne-fighting and broad anti-aging and wrinkle claims weren't supported: studies showing silk doesn't clog pores don't show it prevents acne. NAD also recommended Blissy drop or change the dermatologist endorsements, saying they implied the doctors had checked the evidence behind results like 90% of users getting clearer skin.
The Fine PrintThe ad watchdog backs Dove Deep Moisture's 24-hour moisture claims
Procter & Gamble challenged the claims at BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division (NAD). On November 9, NAD said Unilever had supported all of them, including the product's Deep Moisture name. According to the announcement, Unilever's main evidence was a study that measured skin hydration over 24 hours after a single wash, along with studies showing fatty acids from the wash end up in the skin's outer layer. NAD found P&G hadn't shown that study was flawed. The announcement doesn't say how many people were tested or how hydration was measured.
The Fine PrintThe ad watchdog says Carpe can't back up its first-ever 100-hour deodorant claim
Procter & Gamble challenged ads for Carpe's Underarm Stick, made by Clutch, Inc., at BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division (NAD). On October 30, NAD said Carpe's $19.95 reference price was supported. It recommended Carpe stop calling itself the first deodorant with 100 hours of clinically tested protection, and change how it presents its savings. That includes not using countdown timers or scarcity language unless a sale really is limited, and making clear when savings depend on an auto-renewing subscription. Carpe said it will follow the recommendations.
The Fine PrintDoes topical PDRN work like the injections?
PDRN is made of DNA fragments, often sourced from salmon. Most of the research on it involves getting it into the skin with a needle, either by injection or by microneedling. Creams and serums ask it to get there on its own, and PDRN molecules are much larger than what usually passes through intact skin. New on October 28: a review of clinic skin boosters rated none of the comparative results it found at low risk of bias, which means even the injected evidence is thinner than the marketing suggests. Below are the studies I found, who ran them and what they measured, so you can read the fine print with me.
Injected: 27 peopleMicroneedled: 24 people, 6 wksTopical cream: 21 people, 2 wksNew review: