Sebum Softeners, Whipped Cleansers Call Consumers

Consumers are phoning in novel formats to keep up with oil build-up this summer.

Summer tends to slow down with vacation season in full swing, but it means the opposite for oil build-up, and beauty obsessed consumers are experimenting with novel formats to keep their pores clean. But not to the detriment of their skin barrier.

According to Spate’s Popularity Index, sebum softeners and whipped cleansers are the fastest-growing cleansing products.

Sebum Softeners

Sebum softeners – treatments designed to dissolve excess oil and loosen blackheads before cleansing – have grown 296.0% compared to last year despite remaining a low-popularity trend, analysts say. Google owns 65.7% of the Popularity Share, growing 160.2% year-over-year (YoY). Spate says the trend receives 4,100 average monthly Google searches and 1.6 million average weekly TikTok views.

On TikTok, interest is driven by concerns like blackhead (1.5 million weekly views) and sebum (598,400), alongside categories like Korean Skincare (1.2 million). Consumers are also searching for pore-refining solutions, with pores (288,300 weekly views) and ingredients like mung bean (255,500) highlighting demand for formulas that remove buildup while balancing and soothing skin. Leading brands include K-beauty Ilso (1.3 million weekly views) and Beplain (223,700).

Whipped Cleansers

Meanwhile, whipped cleansers, which differentiate themselves through their airy, whipped texture, have grown 218.8% compared to last year, and remain a low-popularity trend, according to Spate. TikTok owns 69.8% of the Popularity Share, growing 236.0% YoY. The trend receives 800 average monthly Google searches and 87.7K average weekly TikTok views.

On Search, leading brands include Senka (2,000 monthly searches) and Etude (1,400). TikTok data shows Very High Paid Views Share (84.5%) and Very High Shop Views Share (57.2%), indicating strong creator partnerships and TikTok Shop activity. Top related benefits include Clean (56,600 weekly views), Soft (56,500), and Balanced (56,000), reflecting consumer demand for cleansers that deeply cleanse without stripping the skin.