What role do cosmetics and personal care products play in our lives?
We recognise that the positive influence of cosmetic and personal care products on the individual’s self-esteem is far more than just a feeling. The importance of being able to keep ourselves clean, protected and able to choose how we present ourselves to others cannot be underestimated.
Did you brush your teeth this morning, or take a shower? If you were lucky enough to wake up to sunshine, suncream might have been part of your routine this morning. Perhaps you used a deodorant, a moisturiser, beard oil, mascara, lipstick or a spritz of your favourite fragrance to help you feel ready to face the day.
Thanks to research undertaken by CTPA in collaboration with strategic insight company, Opinium*, alongside two decades worth of independent research, we are able to confidently answer the question. Yes, cosmetic products absolutely are necessary to our lives.
More than a feeling...
The outcomes of our independent research, undertaken between February and March 2022, show that looking good and feeling self-confident correlate strongly with using cosmetics.
The research found that about nine in ten (88%) of Brits think positive mental health is the most important factor to boost self-esteem, followed by getting enough sleep (87%), using toiletries for cleanliness and hygiene (84%), maintaining a healthy weight (83%) and eating a healthy diet (81%).
The research found that cosmetics and personal care products play a vital role in supporting our self-esteem. Over half (53%) of Brits consider that cosmetics and personal care products are very or fairly important in supporting their self-esteem, this view is also shared by four in ten (41%) of men.
Do European citizens feel the same?
Cosmetics Europe, the European personal care association, carried out its own research in 2022** showing that cosmetics and personal care products are highly valued and thought of as essential to the lives of European citizens.
The key take-outs from this research were:
- A European consumer uses, on average, over 7 different cosmetic products daily and almost 13 different products weekly.
- Cosmetics and personal care products are highly valued by European consumers. 72% of them perceive cosmetics and personal care products as important or very important in their daily lives.
- 70% of European consumers see personal care and cosmetic products as important or very important for building up their self-esteem.
Cosmetics and personal care products are essential to our lives.
The evidence from research conducted by both Cosmetics Europe and CTPA shows just how important using cosmetics and personal care products is in positively boosting our mental health and self-esteem. See the full results here.
References
*CTPA market research with Opinium polled 2,000 UK adults between 25 February and 1 March 2022. See more information about this research in CTPA's Annual Report 2021, More Than A Feeling...
**European Consumer Perception Study 2022 was conducted on behalf of Cosmetics Europe by Ifop in March 2022. Over 6000 consumers across ten European countries, i.e. Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and UK, were interviewed via an online questionnaire. Respondents were representative of each country’s gender and age group distribution.
