The pandemic has influenced how consumers approach their skincare, with more people than ever before paying attention to their skin’s health. There is greater awareness that it can impact both overall health and well-being as well as their physical appearance.
Attitudes and behaviours
Consumers often wish to improve their skin health for self-confidence reasons, in the short-term, and to facilitate healthy ageing in the long-term. Our research finds that more than six in 10 consumers state that they recognise the link between good skin health and overall well-being … and that 58% of global consumers seek out food and drink products that can improve skin health.
By implementing changes even if they don’t suffer from any related issues, consumers have become more proactive about their approach to skin health. Our research finds that 43% of consumers state they have used probiotic food/drinks to change their diet in the last 12 months to improve their skin health.
One of the most frequently reported skincare issues is that of pores on the skin. This can be impacted by factors such as stress, dehydration and unhealthy dietary habits, which can manifest into skin health problems.
Appearance and healthy ageing
Healthy skin facilitates healthy ageing; good skin is associated with positive traits such as energy, vibrancy and overall happiness. This relates to the concept of beauty from within, which refers to the link between physical appearance and inner health.
The most common reason why consumers are interested in addressing skincare issues is to maximise their appearance (according to 45% of global consumers), which is very closely followed by reducing the signs of ageing and improving self-confidence. This highlights that consumers wish to look after their skin mainly for cosmetic/appearance reasons and are less concerned about preventing illness.
Ingredients
With the growing uncertainty about the economy and the current recessionary environment, we can expect to see associated behaviours amongst consumers that will result in a change in spending patterns and shopping habits.
Consumers may be less willing to spend money on products that they deem to be non-essential; and, in addition, they may feel that the health and wellness market might make exaggerated claims to charge premium prices.
However, consumers are still willing to pay a premium for products that they believe deliver genuine value; brands can increase credibility and value for money by linking the importance of skin health to overall health using supported evidence and claims.
Our research finds that 54% of consumers would like to see claims on products supporting skincare health in the tea/coffee category.
Many people prefer liquid formats, with bottled water and juices/smoothies also be listed as popular items.
This can be attributed to the notion that good hydration improves the skin. In addition, liquid formats are convenient and easy to implement into everyday routines and diets.
Of note, collagen is the ingredient that consumers are most likely to link to skin health, with 45% of global consumers associating it with benefiting the skin, closely followed by vitamin C. When purchasing these products, consumers are most likely to check the price first, indicating that value for money is the top priority compared with any health claims.