74% of dark-skinned consumers struggle to find beauty products for their skin type

While inclusivity is top of the agenda in the beauty industry there's still a long way to go, with a survey by skin health brand Lycored revealing that New research into diversity in the beauty industry has revealed how three quarters of people with dark skin find it hard to find the right products for their skin

The research, which surveyed 1,285 consumers in the UK and US with skin tones ranging from "white" to "dark brown" or "black" on the Fitzpatrick scale, also revealed that needs and preferences vary considerably according to skin tone and that there's still much to be done to adequately meet the needs of all skin tones.

More than half (64%) of people with dark brown or black skin surveyed said they do not believe that the beauty industry does enough to meet the needs of people of all skin tones, while only 24% of people with white skin felt the same way, the report found.

Interestingly, given that 74% of those surveyed with dark skin said they find it hard to find products for their skin tone, dark-skinned consumers are more likely to look for skincare tailored to their skin tone.

White or fair-skinned consumers are also much less likely to purchase a product designed for their skin tone, with 33% of fair skin people buying skincare marketed to them, compared to 56% of those with light brown skin and 54% with brown skin, the report found.

The survey also revealed that what consumers want from their skincare varies widely depending on skin tone. Consumers with dark skin cite healthy glow and radiance as their main skincare goal, with 67% of people with dark brown skin saying this was their top priority, while just 51% of pale or fair-skinned people aimed for this.

For white-skinned respondents, minimising redness way the key skincare goal, with 24% of those asked stating this was their top aim, while just 9% of dark brown or black-skinned people saying the same.

The factors influencing skincare shopping habits also showed disparity among skin tone types too. For top influence on purchasing was the opinion of family and friends, though in the UK, 38% of brown-skinned respondents said they trusted social media and online influencers when it came to skincare shopping, compared to just six % of pale of fair-skinned consumers.

One thing all respondents did agree on was that things are improving, with 56% of respondents saying they think the beauty industry had improved at meeting the needs of people of all skin tones in recent years.

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