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Henkel Consumer Brands UK&I is putting additional funding behind Schwarzkopf’s Live Go Gloss, its five-minute, temporary hair colour treatment, as UK hair gloss sales rise. Circana data cited in the report puts the category at £19 million after 21% growth this year, but glosses still account for about 8% of colourants, according to Henkel’s UK&I general manager.
Henkel Consumer Brands UK&I is putting additional marketing support behind Schwarzkopf Live Go Gloss, a temporary, in-shower hair colour treatment, as hair gloss sales rise in the UK. Circana figures cited in a Cosmetics Business report show the category grew 21% this year to £19 million, giving Henkel a fast-growing but still relatively small segment to target.
Henkel introduced Live Go Gloss through its Schwarzkopf Live brand this year. The treatment is applied in the shower, takes about five minutes and is designed to wash out; the product claims its colour lasts for up to eight washes. Schwarzkopf Live is the UK’s number-two at-home hair colour brand, according to the report.
Henkel says it plans to provide “over proportional funds” to support the product and build its position in the UK and Ireland. Stefan Pichler, general manager of Henkel Consumer Brands UK&I, described glosses as the most dynamic segment within colourants. He said gloss represents around 8% of the overall colourants market, while the broader category is growing 5%, compared with 21% growth for glosses.
Pichler said shoppers are looking for non-permanent colour options that can refresh existing colour or let them try a different shade without a long-lasting commitment. Henkel believes gloss products could introduce consumers to colour and lead some to consider semi-permanent or permanent products later. Pichler said the company does not yet have official data supporting that customer-upgrade theory.
A fast-growing, small colour segment
The figures point to a growth opportunity inside a mature colourants category, rather than evidence that gloss has displaced established permanent and semi-permanent products. At around 8% of colourants, gloss remains a smaller part of the market, but its reported pace of growth is substantially higher than the 5% rate Pichler gave for colourants overall.
For Henkel, investing early could help establish Live Go Gloss with shoppers before the segment develops further. The company says it wants to be ahead of the curve as the market matures in the region toward 2027. The bet also gives retailers and competitors a signal that lower-commitment colour formats are receiving more attention from a major at-home hair colour supplier.
The commercial case depends on whether the current growth continues and whether trial of a temporary product translates into repeat purchases or purchases of other colourants. Henkel’s proposed “gateway” effect remains a company expectation, not a measured result in the information available.
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Henkel’s lower-commitment colour offer
Live Go Gloss sits between everyday hair care and longer-lasting at-home colour: it is a temporary treatment intended to add or refresh colour and wash out over several washes. Its five-minute application and limited duration align with the consumer preferences Henkel describes—less effort, lower cost and lower perceived risk than a more permanent change. Those preferences are the company’s explanation for demand, rather than a quantified breakdown of why sales are rising.
The report also links interest in glossing to a broader change in beauty styling, with consumers moving away from the highly polished “clean girl” look toward more colourful expressions of personal style. That is presented as industry context, not as a measured driver of the category’s sales. The main available market figures are Circana’s UK estimate of £19 million and 21% annual growth, alongside Henkel’s estimate that gloss is about 8% of colourants.
Sales conversion remains unproven
The available report does not give sales figures for Live Go Gloss, its market share, repeat-purchase rates or the amount Henkel plans to spend. It also does not provide the underlying Circana data series or a detailed comparison period beyond describing the category’s 21% growth “this year.” Readers should treat the figures as reported market estimates, not a forecast of future sales.
It is also not yet clear whether shoppers who try a gloss go on to buy semi-permanent or permanent colour, how much of the market’s growth reflects new users rather than switching between products, or whether the category will sustain its current pace through 2027. Henkel’s account of changing beauty preferences is qualitative, and the report does not quantify the effect of those trends.
Henkel’s push toward 2027
Henkel says it will continue providing above-average support for Schwarzkopf Live Go Gloss as it seeks to establish the product with UK and Irish shoppers. The company’s stated aim is to build its position before the category matures further in the region in 2027. The report does not specify future campaign dates, retail expansions or additional product launches.
The next useful indicators will be updated market data on gloss sales and whether Henkel releases evidence about product performance, repeat buying or movement into other colourants. Until then, the confirmed development is the company’s investment in a temporary treatment, set against a fast-growing category—not proof that gloss has become a lasting growth engine for Henkel.
Key Questions
What is Schwarzkopf Live Go Gloss?
It is a temporary hair colour gloss from Schwarzkopf Live. Henkel says it is used in the shower, takes about five minutes and claims to last for up to eight washes.
How large is the UK hair gloss market?
Circana figures cited by Cosmetics Business put the UK category at £19 million after 21% growth this year. Henkel’s Stefan Pichler said gloss accounts for around 8% of the wider colourants market.
Why is Henkel investing in gloss treatments?
Henkel sees gloss as a fast-growing segment and says shoppers want temporary colour that takes less effort and carries less commitment. It plans to support Live Go Gloss as the category develops in the UK and Ireland.
Has Henkel shown that gloss buyers move to permanent colour?
No. Pichler said Henkel has no official data yet showing that gloss acts as a gateway to semi-permanent or permanent products. The company describes this as an expectation.
Source: cosmeticsbusiness.com
