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Are Beauty Products a Necessity?

Yes they are, according to a study performed by About.com. The study “revealed that beauty products are considered a necessity, with over two-thirds of respondents willing to purchase products even while watching their budgets.” In addition, the study concluded that the most effective makeup ads were those that appealed to consumers’ confidence rather than insecurities, and also offered free samples. Below are the About.com study’s findings, which appeared on Business Wire.

The study revealed that beauty products are non-negotiable, regardless of budget, because consumers view them as an important part of life and necessary to help maintain their look and skin/hair health. 80 percent of respondents plan to spend more or the same this year on skin, hair, male grooming, teeth whitening and cosmetic products. Consumers also indicated that they use beauty products for the following reasons:

Body sculpting generally involves three procedures:

• 69 percent of respondents use beauty products to make sure hair and skin always stay healthy.
• 67 percent of respondents use beauty products to help solve specific skin and hair problems/concerns.
• 59 percent of respondents use beauty products to maintain a certain look/style.
• 55 percent of respondents use beauty products to look the best for their age.

The study also concluded that consumers prefer ads that appeal to their confidence, rather than to perceived insecurities. They also prefer ads that present brand and product benefits in an informative, intelligent way, and are receptive to ads that stress quality over price. The most compelling ads offer free samples or trials (cosmetics, 71 percent; skin care, 64 percent), printable coupons (cosmetics, 58 percent; skin care, 56 percent) and product information (cosmetics, 49 percent; skin care, 44 percent).

Beauty products are part of how participants present themselves:

• Beauty products make me feel more confident (55 percent).
• Looking my best will make me more successful (70 percent).
• Looking my best will make me more desirable (63 percent).
• When I look good on the outside, I feel good on the inside (75 percent).

Over 50 percent of consumers prefer well-established brands because they are more reliable and are perceived to have higher value. Consumers prefer well-established brands over generic for cosmetics (73 percent), skin care products (72 percent) and hair care products (67 percent).