Vietnam Hair Care Market

Usage & Attitudes Study

Understanding consumer behavior, preferences, and trends in Vietnam’s hair care market.

Research Objectives

• Map current hair care product usage patterns
• Identify key purchase drivers and barriers
• Measure brand performance and positioning
• Segment consumers based on attitudes and behaviors
• Determine future trends and opportunities

Fieldwork Details

Sample Size: 462.

Demographics: Men & women aged 18-55.

Geography: Urban & suburban areas across 6 cities: Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang, Can Tho, Hai Phong, Nha Trang.

Methodology: Online survey with follow-up qualitative interviews (with 08 survey respondents representing different consumer segments).

Fieldwork Period: January – February 2025

Hair Care Usage Patterns

Hair Wash Frequency

“How often do you typically wash your hair?” (n=462)

Product Usage Frequency (% of users using product regularly)

Usage Pattern Insights:

• Vietnamese consumers exhibit high hair wash frequency, with 68% washing their hair daily due to climate, lifestyle, and cultural factors.
• Conditioner usage shows significant urban-rural divide: 78% usage in urban areas vs. 51% in rural/suburban areas.
• Treatment products (masks, oils) show stronger adoption among women (52%) than men (25%).
• Men represent a growing segment in specialized products, with 32% now using conditioners (up from 21% in a 2022 study).

Primary Hair Concerns

Top Hair Concerns (Overall)

Usage Pattern Insights:

• Hair fall/ thinning is the dominant concern across demographics, particularly among men (72%) and older age groups (80% for 45-55).
• Environmental factors (pollution, humidity) combine with dietary changes to influence the high prevalence of hair and scalp issues.
• Women show greater concern for appearance-related issues (frizz 52%, split ends 42%), while men prioritize functional concerns (dandruff 68%, hair fall 72%).
• Age-related concerns show clear patterns: younger groups worry more about oil control and dandruff, while older groups focus on hair fall and graying.

Concerns by Age Group (Base: Users of each age group)

Concerns	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54
Hair fall	52%	65%	75%	80%
Dandruff	68%	64%	58%	54%
Damage	61%	64%	55%	48%
Gray hair	8%	22%	45%	61%

Hair Care Purchase Journey

Qualitative interviews with 08 consumers and journey mapping exercises

Hair Care Purchase Behavior

Purchase Frequency

Product Type	Monthly	Every 2-3 months	Every 4-6 months	Less often
Shampoo	24%	42%	26%	8%
Conditioner	18%	38%	32%	12%
Hair Treatments	15%	25%	34%	26%
Styling Products	12%	22%	32%	34%

“How often do you typically purchase the following hair care products?“
(Base: Users of each product type)

Top Hair Concerns (Overall)

“Where do you typically purchase hair care products?”
(n=462)

Purchase Behavior Insights:

• The typical Vietnamese consumer purchases shampoo and conditioner every 2-3 months, with specialty products bought less frequently.
• E-commerce and Social-commerce have gained significant ground (52%) for hair care purchases, with higher penetration in urban centers (64% in HCMC and Hanoi).
• Channel preferences vary by product type: mass products predominantly from supermarkets and traditional retail, while premium products from e-commerce and specialist stores.
• Social media plays a critical role in the discovery phase, with 68% of consumers researching hair care products online before purchase.

Purchase Drivers & Barriers

Key Purchase Drivers

Purchase Barriers

Purchase Decision Insights:

• Product efficacy (82%) remains the primary purchase driver, demonstrating that performance trumps other considerations.
• Natural ingredients (71%) has emerged as a major purchase driver, reflecting growing consumer focus on health and sustainability.
• Specialized treatments face barriers due to price sensitivity (74%) and perceived value concerns.
• Chemical concerns represent a growing barrier (62%), particularly among educated urban consumers who research ingredient safety.

Brand Awareness, Consideration & Usage

Awareness – “Which of these brands are you aware of?“ (n=462)
Consideration – “Which would you consider buying?” (n=462)
Usage – “Which have you used in the past 6 months?” (n=462)

Brand Imagery & Association

Key Brand Attributes

Attribute	Leading Brand	Score
Best value for money	Sunsilk	72%
Most effective for dandruff	H&S	78%
Best for damaged hair	Pantene	68%
Most natural ingredients	Dove	62%
Most innovative	L’Oréal	64%
Best fragrance	Pantene	58%
Premium quality	Tsubaki	56%
Best for daily use	Sunsilk	60%

Brand Performance Insights:

• P&G and Unilever brands dominate the market with combined 58% share, but face increasing competition from premium Asian and global brands.
• Dove has successfully positioned itself at the intersection of natural ingredients and beauty, capturing health-conscious consumers.
• Japanese brands (e.g., Tsubaki) are gaining traction in the premium segment, leveraging their Asian beauty expertise and ingredient stories
• Awareness-to-usage conversion remains a challenge for premium brands, highlighting opportunities to strengthen value proposition communication.

Brand Performance Insights:

Product Usage by Segment

Emerging Trends in Hair Care

Emerging Trends

“Which of the following hair care trends are you aware of?“ (n=462)
“Which trends interest you the most?“ (n=462)

Strategic Implications

Product Development

• Formulate with natural, clean ingredients while maintaining efficacy.
• Develop products addressing specific Vietnamese hair concerns (pollution protection, humidity control).
• Invest in scalp health solutions beyond dandruff control.
• Create multi-functional products to streamline routines while delivering benefits.

Marketing Strategy

• Educate consumers on complete hair care routines using multi-channel approach.
• Build digital communication strategy targeting growing EC segment.
• Develop targeted offerings for key segments based on distinct needs.
• Implement transparent ingredient communication to address chemical concerns.

Conclusion & Recommendations

The Vietnamese hair care market presents significant growth opportunities, particularly in premium and specialized segments.

Additional Analysis

Brand Usage Analysis by Area: Urban vs. Rural

“Which have you used in the past 6 months?” (n=462)

Key Pattern: Urban-Rural Brand Divide

The data reveals distinct patterns in brand preference between urban and rural areas. Premium and beauty-focused brands like Dove and L’Oréal show significantly higher usage in urban centers, while functional brands and more affordable options demonstrate stronger performance in smaller cities.

Key Insights: Brand Performance by Area

• Premium International Brands (Dove, L’Oréal, Pantene) show significantly higher penetration in major urban centers, with clear statistical significance (p < 0.05). This reflects greater exposure to international trends, higher disposable income, and more developed retail infrastructure.
• Mass Market Brands (Sunsilk, Clear) perform more consistently across regions, with slightly higher usage in smaller cities and rural areas. These brands’ value positioning and widespread distribution contribute to this pattern.
• Functional Brands (Head & Shoulders) show an interesting reverse trend, with higher penetration in smaller cities where specialized concerns like dandruff might be addressed through targeted functional products rather than premium multi-benefit solutions.
• The Urban-Rural Divide is most pronounced for beauty-positioned brands, with Dove showing a 20% difference between Tier 1 urban usage (38%) and smaller cities (18%).

Consumer Segments by Gender & Area

Consumer Segments by Gender

Key Demographic Patterns

• §Gender divide is most pronounced in Beauty Enthusiasts (3x higher female representation) and Traditional Value Seekers (significantly higher male representation).
• §Urban-rural gradient is evident across all segments, with Traditional Value Seekers increasing in prevalence as we move from urban to rural areas (28% to 56%).
• §Problem Solvers show the most consistent distribution across both gender and geographic variables, indicating universal hair concerns.
• §Natural Solution Seekers show moderate gender and geographic differences, with higher prevalence among females and urban consumers.

Strategic Implications

Gender-Specific Marketing Approaches

Male-Targeted Strategies

• Focus on functional benefits and value proposition for Traditional Value Seekers.
• Develop problem-specific solutions with clear efficacy claims for Problem Solvers.
• Use straightforward messaging that emphasizes performance.
• Create educational content about basic hair care routines.

Female-Targeted Strategies

• Emphasize natural ingredients and sustainability for Natural Solution Seekers.
• Create premium, trend-focused products for Beauty Enthusiasts.
• Leverage social media and influencer marketing.
• Develop multi-step routines with specialized products.

Geographic Marketing Approaches

Urban Marketing (Tier 1 & 2)

• Target Beauty Enthusiasts and Natural Solution Seekers.
• Focus on premium positioning and specialty products.
• Leverage digital and social channels.
• Create experience-based marketing in modern trade.

Smaller Cities/ Rural Marketing

• Focus on Traditional Value Seekers with value messaging.
• Develop affordably priced products with basic benefits.
• Use mass media and traditional retail channels.
• Create educational campaigns about hair care basics.

Primary Concern by Consumer Segment

Hair Concerns by Segment

“Which of the following hair concerns do you currently experience?” (n=462)

Key Hair Concern Analysis

Hair fall/ Thinning (38%)

Dandruff/ Scalp Issues (28%)

Dryness/ Damage (19%)

Style-Related Concerns (15%)

Key Hair Concern Analysis

• Functional vs. Appearance Divide: Traditional Value Seekers and Problem Solvers focus overwhelmingly on functional issues (hair fall, dandruff), while Beauty Enthusiasts and Natural Solution Seekers show greater concern for appearance and damage-related issues.
• Hair Fall as Universal Concern: While hair fall is the top concern across all segments, its intensity varies significantly (48% for Problem Solvers vs. 28% for Beauty Enthusiasts), indicating different tolerance thresholds and priorities.
• Dandruff Priorities: The significant difference in dandruff concern between Problem Solvers (36%) and Beauty Enthusiasts (14%) highlights how functional concerns vary by segment, with implications for targeted marketing.
• Appearance-Related Concerns: Style-related issues like frizz and manageability show the most dramatic segment differences, with Beauty Enthusiasts 8.5x more concerned than Traditional Value Seekers.

Strategic Implications for Product Development

Segment	Primary Focus	Product Opportunity
Traditional Value Seekers	Hair fall, Dandruff	Affordable anti-hair fall formulas with basic anti-dandruff properties
Natural Solution Seekers	Hair fall, Dryness	Natural ingredient-based products with dual benefits for strength and moisture
Problem Solvers	Hair fall, Dandruff	Specialized, high-efficacy products with clinical credentials
Beauty Enthusiasts	Dryness, Hair fall	Premium products focusing on shine, smoothness, and damage repair