30% of Brits prioritise self care more since Covid pandemic
30% of Brits are dedicating more time to self care since the pandemic began last year, including skincare, waxing and facials, with an overall greater focus on home care and wellness treatments.
This data comes from UK spa group Champneys, which surveyed 2,000 people in the UK about their views on beauty trends during Covid-19 lockdowns.
The survey also revealed that nearly one in five (19%) Brits admitted to not knowing the safety risks and dangers with home treatments, so it’s no surprise that 13% of people have had a home treatment go wrong.
Those aged 16-24 were most likely to experience a “horror story” home treatment, with 15% needing to seek professional help to fix the mistakes. Surprisingly, more men have tried a DIY beauty treatment that resulted in an injury than women.
A public attitude shift regarding aesthetic treatments was also underlined in the results of the study, with a quarter of Brits now feeling less pressured to get aesthetic treatments such as nails, lashes, eyebrows, fillers and tanning since before the pandemic.
Instead, there has been a greater interest in wellbeing, with 20% of the population now prioritising massages, facials and other wellness treatments.
Gen Z were revealed as the generation paying the closest attention to wellness, with half (49%) of the population agreeing it had a positive impact on their mental health.
Millennials are the generation that has seen the biggest change in their priorities for treatments, now seeking wellbeing treatments more than aesthetic, while the "silent generation" (74 years and older) is the only group still prioritising aesthetic treatments, according to the survey.
The research also discovered which UK cities are spending the most on treatments now compared to before the coronavirus pandemic.
Top 5 cities that have increased their treatment spend since pre-pandemic
Birmingham has increased treatment spend by 19.95%
London has seen an increase of 19%
Nottingham is up 14.3%
Manchester 13.1%
Glasgow 12.1%
Champneys' group spa director Laura Tatlow commented: “Not only is it great to see people prioritising their wellbeing in a time that has been challenging for everyone, both mentally and physically, but it’s also extremely welcoming to see UK cities come together to help support the reopening of our beauty and wellness industry across the nation.”