The Real Reasons Your Favourite Beauty Products Get Discontinued

We've all been there. You go to top up on your favourite foundation, moisturiser or mascara, only to discover the unthinkable has happened: it's been discontinued. A frustrating occurrence to be sure, made more painful by the fact that it's becoming increasingly common for brands to discontinue products. So, why do they happen in the first place?

Before we get into the most common reasons, let's look at your options when you discover your favourite beauty buy is no longer available. First, of course, there may be a grieving period. But then, it's time to make a game plan. According to Kam Kaur, Founder & Chief Regulatory Consultant at The Cosmetic Regulator, you should first "stock up if you know a product you love is going to be discontinued." Then, she says, "Use the time to find an alternative that you like." This might not be from the same brand, so shop around. If you're lucky, "some brands may inform consumers of an alternative too." There may even be a reformulation, rather than a straight-up discontinuation (more on this later).

And remember, there's always a chance a discontinued product may come back, so never give up hope. It's rare, but it does happen—particularly due to customer pressure. Case in point: Lush's King of Skin Body Butter. "On occasion, we get it wrong but our staff and customers let us know when a product needs to return," the retail development team tells me. "King of Skin Body Butter was taken out of the range in 2019, and returned at the start of 2023 by popular demand. It's now part of our core product range."

So, what are the most common reasons your favourite beauty product may have been discontinued?

1. Commercial decisions

According to Rani Ghosh, Registered Toxicologist and Skincare Expert, "most discontinuations come down to commercial decisions." This commonly looks like a drop in sales over time, negative consumer feedback or a change in brand direction.

"Brands regularly review their ranges, and if a product slows down commercially, it can disappear, even if it has a loyal following. Manufacturing runs, packaging and retail shelf space all have to justify themselves." In short, it's often about cost: brands must ask themselves if it's worth continuing to make and sell a specific product on a mass scale.

Brands evolving their message and core identity—and the need to keep up with changing trends—can also influence this. For Lush, it's about making room for what's fresh and perhaps more relevant. "Discontinuing products is a necessary part of managing our product range, allowing us to make room for the continuous stream of new ideas and innovations," the retail development team shares. "There are many considerations when deciding whether a product is discontinued, including sales, customer feedback, the cost and availability of ingredients or what new product we have coming through."

2. Supply chain issues

The cost and availability of certain ingredients can also be a huge deciding factor. These would come under the umbrella of 'supply chain issues,' which Ghosh says consumers rarely get a glimpse into, but are very important.

"Cosmetic formulas often rely on very specific grades of raw materials from particular suppliers. If a supplier stops producing an ingredient, changes the grade, or requires very large minimum order quantities, it can make it difficult or expensive for a brand to keep producing that formula," she explains.

Kaur echoes these sentiments, saying that the "change of regulation concerning particular ingredients" significantly contributes to product discontinuations, and that we're seeing plenty of foundation re-launches lately for this very reason.

3. Brands want to reformulate

For the aforementioned reasons, brands may more commonly reformulate a product rather than ditch it altogether, particularly if it's incredibly popular and would be missed by throngs of adoring fans.

"Reformulation is usually driven by changes behind the scenes rather than the brand trying to 'improve' something people already like," reveals Ghosh. "One common reason is regulatory alignment," she continues. "Large beauty brands sell globally, so if rules change in one region, they often update the formula across all markets rather than run multiple versions."

"Ingredient supply can also force reformulation. If a supplier stops producing a particular grade of ingredient or replaces it with a newer version, formulators sometimes have to rebuild parts of the formula around it."

Understandably, this can significantly change the user experience. "Even small tweaks can alter the sensory feel of a product," says Ghosh. "Texture, spreadability and finish are influenced by the emulsifiers, emollients and stabilisers in the formula, which is why reformulated products can feel noticeably different even when the key ingredients stay the same."

Danielle Wood, Product Director at REFY, says that the former was altered in large part due to the brand's dedication to listening to consumer feedback. "We review every piece of customer feedback. From comments, reviews, and DMs, we noticed that as brow styles evolved, customers began using Brow Sculpt in more versatile ways. It was no longer just the first step to sculpt and set the brows, but also being used as a finishing gel within fuller routines."

She continues: "As the original formula was wax-based, we found that in some cases, particularly when layered over oil-based products or skincare, it could gather in the brow hairs or occasionally cause flaking. We wanted to resolve this while maintaining everything people loved about the product."

This led to a change. "In the reformulation, we carefully adjusted the percentage of wax within the formula to improve flexibility and reduce the risk of flaking, without compromising hold. The result ensures Brow Sculpt can be used in more versatile ways and across all brow types."

According to the Armani team, Luminous Silk was reformulated based on feedback from the Research and Development team and "based on consumer studies and market evolutions."

To ensure the product remained "at the forefront," the updated formula "is enriched with skincare ingredients such as glycerin and niacinamide, which help improve the look of skin tone while boosting radiance and delivering a plumping effect over time."

Prioritising inclusivity was also a major drive: "the shade range has been expanded to 44 luminous shades, including 18 new additions. Some of these shades are created using new pigment precision technology, incorporating ultramarine and green pigments to achieve an even more accurate colour match. This innovation allows for a broader spectrum of tones, with richer nuances across a wider variety of undertones and shade depths."

While reformulations can feel frustrating, there's nothing worse than losing your favourite product altogether due to discontinuation—be it down to low sales, ingredient supply chain issues, or a new brand direction. Whatever the reason, we will always remember our fallen beauty heroes and continue to seek out adequate alternatives.