European consumers assert: ‘Yes, cosmetics matter’

12-Jul-2017 - Last updated on 13-Jul-2017 at 10:30 GMT

Sometimes considered non-essential, consumers have come out in support of cosmetics in a recent survey conducted by trade association Cosmetics Europe.

In the poll of consumers of all ages, conducted across Europe, the overwhelming majority said cosmetics and personal care products are important or very important to them in their lives.

Moreover, recognising good health and personal hygiene as their most important quality of life criteria, consumers made a strong connection between cosmetics and personal care products and improving their quality of life.

The survey formed part of the Consumer Insights study, conducted by Third-I and commissioned by Cosmetics Europe, which gathered the opinions of over 4000 consumers across 10 European countries on how they perceive and use cosmetics and personal care products in their daily lives.

Key findings

The study features various key findings. These include:

71% of consumers see cosmetics and personal care products as important or very important to their daily lives.
72% of consumers feel these products improve their quality of life.
80% identify them as important or very important for building up self-esteem
Consumers across all age brackets value products as important and effective in self-esteem and enhancing interaction with others.
86% of consumers recognise and value efficacy in their products, and 87% recognise and value quality.

Economic contributor and important for well-being

John Chave, Director General of Cosmetics Europe, explained that the study confirms that the cosmetics industry does not simply fulfill a big economic function in Europe; consumers say it also forms a key part of many people’s daily lives and contributes to general wellbeing.

“With a market value of €77 billion and around 2 million jobs across the European value chain, cosmetics and personal care industry is an important contributor to Europe’s economy. The European cosmetics market is the largest in the world,” he confirmed.

“But our contribution is not limited to the economy. Our products do matter to European consumers - 71% of consumers surveyed see them as important or very important in their daily lives.”

The full Consumer Insights study is available via the Cosmetics Europe website. It considers consumer attitudes across safety, sustainability, innovation and well-being.