Gen Z is Back in Diapers
Plus wedding-level proms & the Rapunzel revival
Diapers Are Back—And Not for the Reason You Think
Gen Z is seriously rethinking their period product options. And, plot twist, it’s led them to diapers. When we polled our Youthtellers (ages 15-27), 66% either know someone—or are that someone—using diapers or ultra-large pads for period protection. Meanwhile, tampons? Yeah, they’re steadily losing ground—only 40% of our respondents still use them. We know you remember when everyone seemingly graduated from pads to tampons. It felt like tampons had a solid 80% approval rate, right? Seeing 40% now feels like a major nosedive. We’re already planning to run this poll again next year to see where things really land.
A staggering 92% of respondents prefer pads, overnight pads, or even diapers. And for 10%, the answer is simple—skip the products altogether and free-bleed.
Why? Comfort (76%), cost (64%), and convenience (54%) are driving the shift. It’s clear that the period product market still has some serious gaps to fill. The brand that can nail materials with easy-to-pronounce, recognizable ingredients, absorption, discretion, and easy removal (disks and Diva cups, we're side-eyeing you) will solve a 12.8-billion-dollar-a-year problem for Gen Z.
Prom Should Be on Your Marketing Calendar
By mid-May and early June, limos flood the streets, and young people step out in meticulously curated gowns and suits. At first glance, it could be a Hollywood event, except it’s happening everywhere, all at once.
Welcome to Prom Season, a high-stakes, high-spend milestone that brands are underestimating as an opportunity to connect with teens in the US. Prep starts months in advance, with young people scouring social media for the perfect look—one that’s on-theme, unique, and coordinated with their date or group. The era of millennial sequin cutouts is over. Today’s prom is a Bridgerton-inspired spectacle, complete with custom corsetry, vintage accessories, and a level of investment that rivals weddings. From luxury dresses to DIY corsages, pre-prom facials to TikTok-viral promposals, this is more than a high school dance, it become an entire economy.
Yet many brands are still missing out. Where’s the strategic ad push for prom beauty tutorials? The influencer collabs for last-minute styling hacks? The Buy Now, Pay Later options for the Gen Z shopper making their prom vision a reality? This is a months-long content engine, and if your brand isn’t part of the conversation, you’re leaving a major moment on the table.
Haircare Is the New Skincare
Trend or lifestyle shift? Either way, Gen Z’s beauty obsession isn’t just about skincare anymore—it’s all about hair. Specifically, getting it long. Influencers like Tessa Peay (with a casual 2.2M Instagram followers) have turned haircare into a full-blown movement, proving that Rapunzel-length locks are a status symbol.
When we polled our Youthtellers (ages 15-27), an overwhelming 84% reported that they’ve increased their focus on hair health, with 49% being very focused and 35% casually into it. A staggering 69% reported personal struggles with hair damage or thinning—creating a perfect storm of anxiety when combined with the fact that 86% feel intense pressure from social media and peers to maintain flawless, healthy hair.
Hair oiling, a practice traditionally used in Black, Indian, and Asian cultures, has become increasingly mainstream. According to our survey, 73% of respondents now incorporate oils like rosemary, castor, or amla into their regular hair care routines. (Only 6% have ventured into minoxidil or Rogaine territory.)
With salon and professional haircare prices skyrocketing, Gen Z is taking matters into their own hands. One 25-year-old from Somerset, NJ, summed it up perfectly: “I think it’s going to be a lasting shift, especially with salon/professional studio haircare getting exponentially expensive.”
*This article was originally posted on Substack. Click HERE to subscribe