In an era where self-care and wellness take center stage, understanding the statistics and trends behind skincare can provide a fascinating glimpse into the evolving preferences, practices, and innovations shaping the way we nurture our skin.
To discover the latest beauty industry trends, Drive Research surveyed over 1,000 women across the world. From the hours spent on skincare routines to unique beauty hacks, here is what our research found.
Top Skincare Statistics [Editor's Choice]
- Moisturizers (93%), cleansers (85%), and sunscreens (83%) are the most commonly used skincare products
- 3 in 4 respondents (74%) have both a morning and evening skincare routine
- 16% of women would rub their own blood on their face if it meant avoiding Botox
- 66% of women would tell their younger selves to start a skincare routine sooner
- On average women would try a skincare product for nearly 3 months to see if it works
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
General Statistics | Skincare Routine | Skincare Products | Background and Methodology
- Women are more likely to heavily invest in quality skincare products and services over quality exercise or haircare products.
Almost all survey respondents were willing to invest at least somewhat in quality skincare products and services (99%). Over 1 in 3 (35%) were willing to invest heavily. In comparison, women are willing to invest heavily in quality products and services when it comes to nutrition (37%), mental health (35%), sleep (34%), exercise (30%), and haircare (29%). - 46% of women disagree that the only way to truly reduce the appearance of fine lines is with cosmetic surgery, lip filler, or Botox.
Additionally, 39% of women agree cosmetic surgery, lip filler, or Botox is the only solution to fight fine lines and wrinkles and 15% of women neither agree nor disagree. - 16% of women would rub their own blood on their face if it meant avoiding Botox.
Survey respondents were willing to try a variety of unorthodox methods to avoid Botox and reduce lines/wrinkles such as:
- 36% of women would do face taping (Placing tape on the areas of the face where you want to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines)
- 35% of women would use skincare products with bee venom as an active ingredient
- 32% of women would rub a banana peel on their face daily
- 29% would add snail mucin to their skincare routine (The slime that snails secrete when they're under stress) (29%)
- 16% would get a vampire facial (A doctor draws your own blood and slathers it across your face)
- 67% of women over 35 regret not starting a skincare routine sooner in their lives.
Almost all respondents had something they would tell their younger selves when it comes to skincare (96%). The top pieces of advice were applying sunscreen when going in the sun (74%), starting a skincare routine sooner in life (67%), and using a moisturizer to retain elasticity (59%).
Nearly half also would tell their younger selves to invest more in quality skincare (49%) or use skincare products more often (48%).
- 3 in 4 respondents (74%) have both a morning and evening skincare routine.
This suggests that a large portion of the participants believe in the importance of maintaining their skin health by engaging in skincare practices twice a day. Additionally, of the women surveyed, fewer had just a morning routine (11%), just an evening routine (11%), or no routine at all (3%). - Among women with a morning skincare routine, three-quarters (74%) use at least 3 products.
While just over 1 in 5 women use at least 5 products in their morning skincare routine (21%). This statistic indicates a prevalent trend of incorporating multiple products into morning skincare regimens, reflecting a commitment to addressing various skin care needs and concerns within this routine.
- 25% of women use at least 5 skincare products during their evening skincare routine.
While most women (74%) use 3 or more products during their evening skincare routine. However, using this many skincare products may not be necessary.
- On average, women spend a total of 22.4 minutes on their skincare routines every day.
That's over two and a half hours a week! This considerable time investment suggests a conscious effort to engage in comprehensive skincare steps that can encompass cleansing, treatments, moisturization, and sun protection. It highlights the importance placed on self-care and the pursuit of effective skincare outcomes. - Among those with a morning skincare routine, the average routine takes an average of 12.5 minutes.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) finish their morning routine in 10 minutes or less. Additionally, among all women in the survey, including those with just one routine or no routine, the average time spent on a morning routine is 10.7 minutes. - Among those with an evening skincare routine, the average routine takes an average of 13.8 minutes.
While 3 in 5 (61%) complete their evening skincare routine in 10 minutes or less. Additionally, among all women in the survey, including those with just one routine or no routine, the average time spent on an evening routine is 11.7 minutes.
- Top skincare products currently used among women included moisturizers (93%), cleansers (85%), sunscreens (83%), and lip balms (80%).
Also used by over half were eye creams (65%), serums (57%), exfoliators (55%), and toners (52%). While face masks (49%), face oils (38%), and treatments (33%) were less commonly used compared to other skincare products. - While frequency varies widely based on the type of skincare product used, most women use cleansers (85%), moisturizers (80%), eye creams (80%), serums (77%), toners (73%), and face oils (69%) one to two times a day.
As for other skincare products and their frequency of use, lip balm users use it 2 or more times a day (69%), sunscreen users use it once a day to a few times a week (65%), exfoliator users use it 1 to a few times a week (57%), face mask users use it a few times a week to a few times a month (67%), and treatment users use it once a day to once a week (62%). - 69% of women report skincare ingredients are important, despite only 21% being fully aware of what’s in their products.
Over two-thirds of women (69%) indicated that the ingredients used in their skincare products are important, providing a rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. Despite this, only 1 in 5 women surveyed (21%) were fully aware of the ingredients used in their skincare products. - Women ranked “quality ingredients” first in overall importance among a set of factors when considering a skincare product.
Over 1 in 3 (35%) ranked quality ingredients #1 out of 7 factors. “Scientific research and clinical trials” was not far behind, ranked second overall with 31% of respondents ranking it in the #1 spot. Next in order of importance were quick results, patented technology, award-winning products, and loyalty programs. - Over half of respondents have concerns about ineffective results (62%) or allergic reactions (55%) when using a new skincare product.
Almost 9 in 10 women (87%) have some level of concern when using a new skincare product. Aside from ineffective results and allergic reactions, other top concerns include worsening skin problems (19%) and infections (14%). - 73% of women use skincare products to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, but only 15% believe they work very well.
The most common conditions respondents were trying to address with skincare products were fine lines/wrinkles (73%), dryness (51%), and dark circles (47%). Although, despite being the top condition respondents want to address, only 15% indicate their current skincare performs very well to help with fine lines/wrinkles.
Other conditions women are trying to address with skincare products include pigmentation (36%), blemishes (35%), redness (31%), cellulite (20%), and scarring/burns (13%).
The best-performing skincare products were those for dryness, with 34% reporting their current skincare does very well (rated 5 out of 5 on performance). - On average, women would try a new skincare product for 2.8 months until they expect to see results.
3 in 4 (76%) would wait 2 months or longer. Nearly half (47%) would even wait 3 months or longer. These statistics show that, on average, women are patient and willing to give skincare products a fair amount of time to deliver visible results. - 9 in 10 women experience frustration with finding skincare products that actually work for them.
According to our survey, 9 in 10 (90%) respondents experience some level of frustration with finding skincare products that actually work for them. Additionally, over 1 in 3 (36%) women report serious frustration, rating a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale of frustration.
Survey Background and Methodology
The survey took an average of 10 minutes to complete and included 28 questions. The survey received 1,004 responses. Fieldwork for the survey began on June 13 and lasted until June 24, 2023.
With a probabilistic sample, a total of 1,004 responses at the 95% confidence level offers a 3.1% margin of error.
If the survey were conducted with another random pool of 1,004 respondents, the results would yield within +3.1% or -3.1% of the stated totals in the reports. The margin of error can be used as a guideline to understand the reliability of these results.
Respondent Profile
- All respondents were screened to ensure they met the following criteria:
- Age 35 or older
- Live in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia
- Identify as female
- Household income of $200k+ USD purchasing power
- Purchased skincare products in the past 12 months
- Currently use skincare products
- Marital status
- 87% married or in a domestic partnership
- 4% single, never married
- 4% divorced
- 3% single, but cohabiting with a significant other
- Ethnic/racial background
- 85% White
- 8% Asian
- 5% Black or African American
- 3% Hispanic or Latino
- 1% Native American or Alaska Native
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Emily Rodgers
A SUNY Cortland graduate, Emily has taken her passion for social and content marketing to Drive Research as the Marketing Manager. She has earned certificates for both Google Analytics and Google AdWords.
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