TikTok’s New Beauty Powerhouse + Clean Commerce on the Rise
From Trace’s Oats to Sweeney’s soap, the feed’s getting fresh.
Welcome back to Sell! Sell! Sell! 🛍️
Apologies for last week’s hiatus—turns out it’s hard to ship a newsletter while gawking at the Pyramids of Giza 🤷
This week, we’re diving deep into how social commerce is reshaping consumer engagement, from TikTok’s latest moves to creator-led brand launches.
Let’s jump in.
🚨 This Week’s Headlines
(May 3rd)
💄 TikTok Becomes the UK’s 4th-Largest Beauty Retailer
TikTok has stormed into the UK’s £30 billion beauty market, reshaping how cosmetics are discovered, marketed, and sold. It’s now the country’s fourth-largest beauty retailer, with an astonishing one beauty product sold every second on TikTok Shop UK.
🛁 Sydney Sweeney Collaborates with Dr. Squatch
Actress Sydney Sweeney has partnered with Dr. Squatch to launch “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss,” a limited-edition soap featuring a dash of her actual bathwater. Launching this Friday (June 6), it has sparked both intrigue and debate, perfectly illustrating celebrity marketing in 2025.
📉 TikTok Shop’s Free Views Era Ends
TikTok Shop’s honeymoon phase is over. After years of providing free, organic traffic to U.S. sellers, TikTok now requires businesses to invest in paid ads to drive meaningful engagement. This shift is a clear signal TikTok is moving from growth to monetization, significantly impacting sellers dependent on organic reach. History keeps repeating itself…
🧴 Touchland Acquired by Church & Dwight for $880M
The viral hand sanitizer brand Touchland — known for its sleek design and Gen Z appeal — has been acquired by Church & Dwight for $880 million. With products in 25,000 stores and strong traction on social, the deal underscores just how valuable design-forward hygiene brands have become.
🎤 Seller Spotlight
Trace’s Oats: From TikTok Fame to Purpose-Driven Breakfast Brand
Trace Alexander launching his own overnight oats
Primary Channel | Top Brands / Items | Hook |
TikTok | Overnight oats (3 flavors) | Creator-led, nutritious breakfasts made simple |
Trace Alexander didn’t just launch another influencer product. His oat brand, Trace’s Oats, came directly from a deeply personal struggle. Facing severe gut-health issues in college, Trace found relief through oatmeal—but quickly realized store-bought options were full of sugars and artificial ingredients.
After two years of testing and refining, he launched Trace’s Oats: three delicious, nutrient-rich flavors (each with 15g protein, no added sugar, and up to 8g fiber), specifically designed for gut wellness. His TikTok announcement quickly went viral, with over 3.2 million views, thanks to the loyal following he built through genuine, transparent storytelling.
📦 Why Trace’s Launch Worked:
Authentic Personal Story: Trace openly shared his gut-health journey, deeply connecting with his audience.
Quality & Transparency: Every product is intentionally formulated, focusing on gut health and nutrition, clearly communicated through authentic content.
Content-Driven Community: Over 2.4 million followers were engaged and invested well before products hit shelves, transforming viewers into buyers.
Trace’s Oats isn’t just another social commerce success story—it’s proof of how personal authenticity, strong community engagement, and purpose-driven products can combine to form a winning recipe.
@tracesoats We’re officially RESTOCKED + limited edition merch 🥣👕 #oatmeal #oats #ᴏvernightoats
🧠 Brand Move of the Week:
Rhode’s $1 Billion Acquisition by e.l.f. Beauty
Hailey Bieber selling Rhode to Elf Cosmetics for $1bn
Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand, Rhode, just scored a major win—an $1 billion acquisition by cosmetics giant e.l.f. Beauty. Since launching in 2022, Rhode rapidly became a Gen Z skincare staple, generating over $212 million in annual sales through targeted influencer campaigns, clean ingredients, and Bieber’s high-profile advocacy.
📈 What Made Rhode’s Model Work?
Influencer-Led Brand Storytelling
Bieber’s consistent involvement and visibility in the brand’s marketing positioned Rhode authentically within her fanbase, turning awareness quickly into loyalty.
Strategic Product Portfolio
A minimalist, carefully curated product line appealed directly to Gen Z’s preference for simplicity and transparency in skincare routines.
Strong Community & Social Commerce Integration
Rhode leveraged Instagram and TikTok not just for awareness, but for direct conversion, combining influencer partnerships with user-generated content and seamless social checkout.
This acquisition highlights how effectively combining celebrity influence, strategic product design, and targeted social selling can create rapid growth—and impressive valuations—in today’s beauty market.
🔭 Trend Watch:
Sanitation Sells — Coincidence or Something More?
This week, clean and hygienic products dominated the headlines:
🛁 Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater-infused soap with Dr. Squatch
💧 Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode, acquired for $1B
✋ Touchland, the sleek hand sanitizer brand, acquired by Church & Dwight for $880M
So… what’s going on?
Are we just in a moment of coincidental product launches/exits? Or is something deeper bubbling up from the sink?
🧼 What Might Be Driving the Clean Craze:
1. Cleanliness = Cultural Cachet
Sanitary products are no longer utilitarian — they’re status symbols. From minimalist packaging to high-profile endorsements, “clean” is the new luxury.
2. Post-Pandemic Priorities Still Stick
Even years later, consumers remain tuned into hygiene and ingredient transparency. A hand sanitizer brand commanding an $880M exit shows the demand hasn’t rinsed away.
3. Celebs Are Selling Intimacy
What’s more intimate than skincare — or literal bathwater? These launches aren’t just about hygiene; they tap into parasocial closeness and personal connection.
4. Simple = Trustworthy
When brand noise gets too loud, consumers retreat to clarity. Simple, clean, honest products rise above the chaos — especially when powered by smart distribution and influencer trust.
The shift?
Clean isn’t just a benefit. It’s a story. And in 2025, it sells — fast.
👂 We’re all ears.
This newsletter is still a work in progress, and I’d love your take:
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Hit reply and vent (or rave) in as many / few words as you like.
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