The beauty
industry
From the perspective
of beauty buyers in the
U.S. and UK
BUYING PREFERENCES AND ATTITUDES
Skincare products are their most common beauty purchase Female Male
% in the U.S./UK who have purchased the following beauty products in the last month
69% | 55% 58% | 17% 57% | 64% 55% | 47% 41% | 14% 39% | 22% 30% | 28% 22% | 13%
Skincare products Make-up/ Personal grooming Hair styling Nail polish/ Hair coloring Exfoliating Other beauty
cosmetics products products products products products products
They take an active interest in their health
% U.S./UK who are interested in the following 44% try to buy
natural/organic
57%
46% 46%
products
16%
11%
1 in 3 go to the
IDX 1.22 IDX 1.22 IDX 1.14 IDX 1.19 IDX 1.22 gym at least once
Personal Health foods Fitness & Vegetarian Vegan food a week
healthcare /drinks exercise food
Brand status and transparency are important to them
% U.S./UK who say the following factors are important when buying beauty products
69% 65% 51% 36% 35%
Quality Affordability Good brand Clear list of Clear instructions
reputation ingredients on how to use
21% 21% 20% 17% 14%
Sustainable/recyclable Ethical Sustainably-sourced Innovative Vegan/organic
packaging credentials materials product design ingredients
Highest over-index
Most distinctive factor when buying beauty products, against the average internet user in the UK and U.S.
GEN Z & MILLENNIAL S (aged 16-36) GEN X (aged 37-55) TOP 25% INCOME GROUP
Vegan/organic ingredients Ethical credentials Innovative product design
IDX 1.56 IDX 1.33 IDX 1.70
WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM BRANDS
Brand authenticity is as important as renown Trustworthiness is a key consideration
among beauty buyers when evaluating brands
Half usually buy from 56% want 3 in 10 are comfortable 3 in 4 want
big, well-known brands to be with beauty brands brands to be
beauty brands authentic accessing their reliable
personal data
They want greater overlap between the beauty and the wellness industry
% U.S./UK who would like to see more of the following from beauty brands in the future
42% 40% 34% 31% 31%
Vitamins & supplements Skincare effectiveness Plant-based More distribution via Personalized
(e.g. for weight loss, clearer tests ingredients online retailers recommendations
skin, stronger hair) (e.g. Amazon) for products
28% 24% 19% 16% 11%
On-the-go CBD-infused beauty Products inspired by Products celebrating Partnerships with
beauty kits products local culture/heritage foreign cultures influencers &
celebrities
THEIR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY
They want the beauty industry to be more inclusive
% U.S./UK who think the following groups should be better represented by the beauty industry
GEN Z MILLENNIAL S GEN X & BABY BOOMERS
(aged 16-22) (aged 23-36) (aged 37-64)
People of color 43% 37% 24%
Men 35% 30% 25%
People with disabilities 34% 42% 32%
Youngsters (aged 16-24) 34% 32% 18%
LGBTQIA+ community members 31% 30% 17%
People above the age of 55 29% 40% 41%
Plus size 28% 38% 36%
It’s already inclusive 16% 17% 27%
38% of male beauty buyers think men 43% of female beauty buyers think plus sizes
should be better represented (IDX 1.67) should be better represented (IDX 1.48)
Enthusiasm toward beauty tech exists and is highest in the U.S. U.S. UK
% in the U.S./UK who are interested in using the following beauty products/services in the future
36% | 31% 33% | 26% 28% | 21% 26% | 19% 25% | 17%
Skin-scanning devices Smart mirrors Personalized skincare Augmented reality Gender-neutral
that customize skin- recommendations apps to try on makeup beauty products
care regimens (based on machine learning
algorithms)
23% | 16% 23% | 13% 18% | 14% 17% | 12% 17% | 10%
Post-workout products Monthly beauty 3D-printed face masks On-demand stylists Voice technology
memberships offering beauty
advice
Highest over-index
Most distinctive beauty products/services wanted in the future, against the average internet user in the UK/U.S.
MALE BE AUT Y BUYERS FEMALE BE AUT Y BUYERS TOP 25% INCOME GROUP
Post-workout products Augmented reality apps to try on makeup Voice technology offering beauty advice
IDX 1.52 IDX 1.52 IDX 1.69
Unless otherwise stated, all figures are taken from GlobalWebIndex’s December 2019 custom survey of 2,436 U.S. and 2,362 UK internet users aged 16-64; and our Q3 2019 wave of research among 24,813 U.S. and 10,115 UK internet users aged 16-64.
Among this cohort there were 2,084 (U.S.) and 1,992 (UK) beauty buyers in our custom survey aged 16-64; and 75,397 (UK) and 13,698 (U.S.) beauty buyers in our Q3 2019 wave of research. Beauty buyers are defined as those who have bought any of the
following in the last month: skincare products; personal grooming products; hair styling products; make-up/cosmetics; hair coloring products; exfoliating products; nail polish/products (only included in our custom survey) and other beauty products.
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