British women spend £1.15 billion a year on facial skincare
British women spent £1.15 billion on facial skincare in 2017, with sales set to reach £1.18bn in 2018, according to analyst Mintel.
The UK’s facial cleansing product of choice is face wash, with more than half of women choosing to lather up for a deep cleanse. Facial cleansing wipes are up from 45% in 2017 to 54% in 2018, and unsurprisingly micellar water has risen in popularity, with an increase from 19% to 27%.
In terms of facial care, day and night creams are the go to products. In the last 12 months, usage of day cream has increased from 59% in 2017 to 66% in 2018, and night cream usage has risen from 39% to 48%.
Despite the prolonged period of sunshine in the UK, the research found that although 72% of facial skincare users believe sun exposure has the greatest impact on their skin, less than half of them used skincare products that contain SPF.
Other external factors believed to have the greatest impact on skin were pollution at 41% and cold weather at 39%, the report found.
“Whilst sun exposure is considered the biggest external factor impacting the appearance of skin, usage of SPF on the face is relatively low. Confusion in the sector could be a reason, presenting an opportunity for brands to do more to help women understand how best to use sun protection on a daily basis,” said Roshida Khanom, associate director, beauty & personal care at Mintel.
Beauty Sleep
When it comes to internal influences, sleep is considered to have the biggest impact on the appearance of skin for 62% of female facial skincare users. This is followed by diet at 54% and water consumption at 46%.
Finally, while Brits are quick to pinpoint a range of factors that impact the wellbeing of their skin, a quarter are resigned to the fact that genetics hold the key to looking good.
The research was carried out by Lightspeed among 1,008 female internet users aged 16+ in May 2018.
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