Beyond Sephora: Cosmetic and Skincare Franchise Opportunities

The makeup and skincare industries are taking the world by storm, with influencers sharing their daily routines using their favorite products and cosmetic competition TV shows flooding the major streaming services.

The biggest player of them all, of course, is Sephora, the $2.6 billion beauty store that’s found in shopping centers across America. Unfortunately for aspiring entrepreneurs looking at the beauty space, the company is private and franchising isn’t an option.

But it’s not all bad news: There are alternatives in the beauty, cosmetics and skincare industry that are available for aspiring franchisees to own — they may just need to widen their lens.

Dr. Hamdan Abdullah Hamed is the co-founder of beauty and hair-care brand PowerYourCurls. Like many beauty brands, PowerYourCurls runs corporate-owned stores. But Dr. Hamed noted that there’s a great deal of opportunity across segments.

“As a company in the beauty industry, we've witnessed how brands are growing in market segments,” he said. “We're observing a more definite segmentation of the market and improving consumer loyalty. So, it's a good time to jump in and cement that with good customer service and support.”

Here are a few successful brands that do offer business ownership opportunities, as well as a look at the big-name brands that do not.

Merle Norman

Initial Investment: $115,619 - $215,415

Founded 90 years ago, Merle Norman offers a range of skincare products and cosmetics that are all the brand’s own, for women of all ages and with all skin types. Its products range from anti-aging skin care serums to foundations to eye, cheek and lip colors. The brand also offers three types of facials.

Heyday

Initial Investment: $966,010 - $1,230,590

Heyday focuses on skincare, offering facials to consumers outside of the typical luxury spa environment and making these treatments more approachable and affordable. The brand also acts as a retail outlet for specialized skin care products, with experts who give personalized advice.

Uni K Wax

Initial Investment: $66,000 - $93,045

This hair removal and waxing franchise was founded in 1993 by Noemi Grupenmager. Grupenmager developed a natural, elastic wax as an alternative to the painful honey wax and paper strips she found at other spas when considering waxing options for her daughters. Today, the brand offers 160 waxing services — from eyebrow waxing to facial waxing, Brazilian bikini wax and full body wax — for unisex customers.

Pigtails & Crewcuts

Initial Investment: $99,500 - $256,000

Kid-focused hair salon Pigtails & Crewcuts, established in 2003, boasts a family-friendly approach and a focus on community involvement. The brand offers a unique franchise opportunity, combining a low-investment, simple business model with a deep commitment to family values and operational excellence.

Honest Lash

Initial Investment: $101,000 - $282,500

Honest Lash is a new beauty franchise that offers lash extensions, brow tint, waxing and lamination, and natural lash lifts and tints. Founder and CEO Jonathan Ellis built the brand informed by a family tradition of entrepreneurship. While lashes are the medium, the central traits and goals of the business are all centered around family.

Sephora

Sephora has taken the skincare and cosmetic retail industry by storm. The brand offers both well-established beauty brands and new, up-and-coming products to keep things fresh and exciting for its customers. Currently, Sephora does not offer franchise opportunities and all locations are corporately owned.

Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty offers a range of cosmetics, skincare, hair care and fragrance products that appeal to consumers seeking both high-end and drugstore brands. The brand has over 1,200 company-owned stores across the U.S. and offers great brand recognition.

MAC Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics has unparalleled name recognition in the beauty industry. The brand doesn’t offer traditional franchise opportunities; however, it does offer opportunities for partnership that could be very beneficial to existing business owners.

While there may not be droves of beauty retail franchise opportunities, there are definitely some worth considering. Consult this list before your next consultation!