Skincare is a top concern for many, with 64% of consumers reporting that they are taking their skincare routines more seriously post-pandemic.
Lycored recently surveyed some 500 skincare consumers about their attitudes toward beauty and skin health. The Israel-based ingredient supplier last explored these issues with consumers in 2017, with the firm noting that there has been a major societal shift in attitudes towards beauty in the past five years, especially among men.
Statista reported that there has been a fundamental shift in the culture of male grooming in the past decade, with the global male grooming market projected to be worth $81.2 billion by 2024.
“For many young people in the West, non-binary gender identities are now quite common,” said Caroline Schroeder, Lycored’s marketing communications manager. “Those kinds of changes would surely have an effect on attitudes towards skin care and beauty. Still, we were surprised by the extent of some of the changes. In 2017 we found that a significant number of consumers (8% overall and 22% in the younger age groups) believed that it was more important for men to look good than for women. This time, that number has nearly doubled, and 15% of consumers now say that looking good is more important to men than women.”
Ingestible skin care goes mainstream
The Lycored report found that 59% of consumers now consider the concept of ingestible skincare normal. This was particularly true for those in the younger millennial category (25-34 years old), 68% of whom said it was normal to take a supplement for skin health or beauty. People in this age group were also by far the most likely to have taken an ingestible skin care product in the past year (57% compared to 30% overall). Meanwhile, women were more likely than men to have taken an ingestible product in the past year (34% vs. 25%).
The trend is expected to continue, with the global beauty supplement market forecast to be worth around $6.8 billion by 2024, according to Statista.
Other key findings
• Most consumers, particularly those in Generations Y and Z, now consider ingestible skin care normal.
• More and more attention is paid to the physical appearance of men, with a third of 18-24 year olds believing that it is more important for men to look good than for women.
• Consumers are increasingly using skin care products to feel good rather than look young, but there is also a growing demand for visible results.
• Nearly eight in 10 (79%) consumers who are aware of carotenoids know that they offer skin benefits
• An increasing number of consumers would like to spend less time on their skin care regimens
• There is a high demand for skin care products that provide multiple benefits.
• The vast majority of consumers believe that manufacturers have a responsibility to protect the environment.
inclusion
“Really, the biggest take-home message is about inclusion. Skincare brands that embrace diversity and meet the needs of all of their customers are more likely to succeed,” Schroeder told NutraIngredients-USA.
She added that consumers, particularly women, expect visible results from beauty and skin care products. “From that point of view, it makes sense to use ingredients that are scientifically proven to provide benefits that they can see. For example, a recent study found that Lumenato, our golden tomato-based wellness extract, provides beauty results that are noticeable for weeks.”
Consumers are ditching makeup for wellness
The report also found that consumers are using money they previously spent on makeup to buy more wellness products.
“Ingestible skincare is still enjoying a huge global expansion, and some experts think the pandemic has been one of the reasons for that. They argue that the consumer experience of having unexpected amounts of time and money on their hands during lockdown diverted some money away from cosmetics and skin health,” Schroeder said.
Mental health
Another trend highlighted by the report was how consumers, especially in the younger age groups, are increasingly viewing the health and beauty of skin in holistic terms and as qualities that essentially come from within.
For many, skin care products provide a major emotional boost. Lycored research found that 69% of consumers use skincare products “to feel good about themselves”, up from 62% in 2017. This was particularly true for younger consumers, 82% of who said they used skin care products to feel good about themselves. and for women (78%, compared to 59% of men).
Many consumers also believe in a strong link between emotional well-being and healthy skin. In the survey, the percentage saying that living a stress-free life is important for skin health increased significantly (26% compared to 18% in 2017).
“They understand that emotional and mental well-being and self-care—whether through sleep, diet, or just being kinder to themselves—are just as important as the type of products they buy,” Schroeder said.
Source: news.google.com