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Grooming is seen by many as an important form of self-care. From skin care to hair or nail care, it can be one small step in feeling good about oneself. And with today’s volatile news cycle, more people are looking for ways to take time to unwind and disconnect. Using the PureSpectrum Insights Platform, we polled Americans to better understand their grooming habits as they relate to self-care. 

Skin Care as Self-Care

While most people reported washing their faces before bed, there were some interesting differences between genders and generations when we asked about regular face-washing habits. 88% of Americans report at least sometimes washing their faces at night. Nearly 60% also say they apply face lotions or serums. And while more women than men report regularly practicing these grooming behaviors, we saw a greater disparity between generations than gender when utilizing the PureSpectrum Insights Platform to filter by these categories. Respondents ages 25-34 are more than twice as likely to wash their faces at night and apply lotions and serums than those aged 65 and over. 

 

video of the insights platform charts about self-care study

Source: PureSpectrum Insights Platform

And Americans don’t seem just to favor using one product. Nearly half of respondents we polled say they own at least 3 different face lotions, creams, or serums. 71% of respondents use skin products that include an SPF and 65% of respondents also say they sometimes use facemasks.

Bathing Rituals 

Rituals around bathing for relaxation go back to ancient times, but over half of our respondents say they still take baths regularly. For those looking to relax in the shower, over 50% of Americans have at least tried showering with aromatherapy tablets. These tablets release a chosen scent into a shower’s steam.

Hair washing is not something that most Americans do every day. Only a third of Americans report washing their hair daily and 15% of women say they wash their hair weekly.

Graph of dog related office perks

Source: PureSpectrum Insights Platform

Despite this lack of frequency, 40% of respondents say they own at least 3-5 different shampoos and conditioners. Additionally, 40% of respondents we polled also use dry shampoo between washings. 

A Relaxing Atmosphere

Lighting a candle has gone from being a necessity of daily life to a cultural sign of slowing down and unwinding. 75% of Americans we polled say they light candles in their homes to relax. Of those respondents, over 80% of Americans currently own at least 3 candles and 15% of respondents say they currently own over 10.

Listening to music while getting ready can also be a great way of relaxing and de-stressing. 76% percent of Americans report that they regularly listen to music while grooming in order to unwind. When using the PureSpectrum Insights Platform to again filter by age, we saw that younger generations are much more likely to listen to music while getting ready than their older counterparts. 

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Keeping up on Trends

But how are Americans staying on top of self-care trends and products? 40% of respondents say they have purchased a skincare product because of an advertisement they saw on television. Another 34% admit being influenced to purchase a lotion or serum through social media advertising. 

When asked how they follow grooming trends, responses varied from different social media platforms, magazines, blogs, and podcasts. But the most influential factor for Americans is word of mouth. 22% of our respondents said that friends and family are the most influential force in deciding what grooming products they purchase. This is followed by 16% of respondents who look to YouTube as their primary source of product recommendations. 

Although the results of our poll showed that there are some generational differences, it’s clear that Americans overall see grooming as an important part of self-care. If you would like to learn more about how your business can better capitalize on this trend by running your own survey, get in touch with us. We are also happy to share additional insights and crosstabs from our survey.

 

Methodology

PureSpectrum interviewed 509 online respondents on March 1st, 2022, using the PureSpectrum Insights Platform. The platform is integrated with the PureSpectrum Marketplace which combines proprietary measurement tools and third-party data validation to quickly collect high-quality insights. The study fielded in less than 10 minutes, targeted people within the United States, and consisted of a general population audience of 18+ years old. This study uses a 95% confidence level to examine the data.

 

About PureSpectrum 

PureSpectrum offers a complete end-to-end market research and insights platform, helping insights professionals make decisions more efficiently, and faster than ever before. Awarded MR Supplier of the Year at the 2021 Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards, PureSpectrum is recognized for industry-leading data quality. PureSpectrum developed the respondent-level scoring system,  PureScore™, and believes their continued success stems from their talent density and dedication to simplicity and quality.

In the few years since its inception, PureSpectrum has been named one of the Fastest Growing Companies in North America on Deloitte’s Fast 500 since 2020, and ranked for three years in a row on the GRIT Top 50 Most Innovative List and the Inc. 5000 lists.