Beauty and cosmetics emerged as the most-purchased category on Amazon during Prime Big Deal Days on October 6–7, according to a new report.

Market Defense’s The Beauty Dealmakers: Amazon Prime Big Deal Days October 2026 Report found that beauty products were purchased by 32 per cent of shoppers, up from 22 per cent last year, when the category ranked third.

The sector also topped Amazon’s deals page and keyword searches. During Big Deal Days week, shoppers conducted 152.4 million beauty searches on Amazon, nearly matching the four-day search volume of June’s Prime Day event at 87 per cent.

“Five years in, Prime Big Deal Days keeps getting bigger, and beauty is making quite the impression,” said Vanessa Kuykendall, chief engagement officer at Market Defense.

Based on the findings, skincare brands claimed nine of the top 10 bestselling spots. Meanwhile, derm-focused labels including La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, EltaMD, Vanicream and Differin collectively accounted for 20.8 per cent of beauty sales on Amazon during Big Deal Days, up from 17.1 per cent a year earlier.

“So, what’s behind beauty’s big showing at this year’s event?” Kuykendall raised. “Influencers fueled discovery, while established brands found fresh fans through the tried-and-true magic of a great product.

“And with most holiday gifting still ahead, there’s more momentum to make the most of,” she emphasized, as customers have already begun their holiday shopping in beauty.

The report also indicated that Prime Big Deal Days boosted online spending across US retailers, with shoppers spending $9.86 billion during the two-day event, up 8.5 per cent from $9.09 billion a year earlier. This outpaced the 7.3 per cent growth recorded during the 2025 event compared with 2024.

Yet Jonathan Wilner, SVP of commerce media at Market Defense, said standing out in November and sustaining that momentum through Black Friday will take more than a discount: strong creative, branded search, and a clear gift message.

“My advice to beauty CEOs heading into the final months of 2026 is to prioritize capturing demand rather than manufacturing it through aggressive promotions,” Market Defense’s COO Karan Raturi added.

“The brands that outperform this holiday season won’t simply be those driving the most revenue, but those converting consumer demand into profitable growth.”