Impact of Influencer Marketing on Consumer Involvement and Buying Decisions: A Study in the Skincare Category

Influencer marketing has emerged as a dominant promotional strategy in the skincare industry, shaping consumer awareness, involvement, and purchase decisions. The rise of social media platforms has enabled influencers to serve as trusted intermediaries between brands and consumers. This paper examines how influencer marketing increases consumer involvement with skincare products, evaluates the effect of influencer credibility trust, expertise, and authenticity on consumer skincare purchase decisions, and analyses how influencer-created content such as reviews, product demonstrations, and before–after results influences the decision-making process. The study is based entirely on secondary data sourced from peer-reviewed journals, research reports, and online publications. Findings indicate that influencer credibility significantly affects consumer trust, perceived usefulness, and purchase intention. Content formats like reviews and demonstrations enhance product understanding, while before–after visuals strengthen perceived effectiveness. The study concludes that influencer marketing plays a critical role in shaping skincare consumers’ involvement and purchase behaviour, though challenges related to authenticity and ethical concerns persist.