UK women spend £1.15bn on facial skin care: latest trends and insights from Mintel

14-Aug-2018 - Last updated on 14-Aug-2018 at 11:18 GMT

In 2017 British women spent £1.15 billion on facial skincare, with sales set to increase by 3% to reach £1.18 billion in 2018.

It’s a category with huge potential in the market: over the next five years alone, Mintel expects the category to rise by an impressive 15% to reach £1.36 billion in 2023.

This is according to the latest market report from Mintel, market research firm. Mintel suggests the following are key trends and behaviours likely to define the facial skin care market in the coming period:

40% of UK female facial skincare users find it difficult to know which level of sun protection to use on a daily basis.
62% of UK female skincare users aged 55+ believe sleep has the biggest impact on their skin.
Just 5% of UK female facial skincare users believe electronic devices are harming their skin.

Which products are currently most popular?

According to Mintel, facial cleansers are far out in front as the most popular product type among UK consumers: the firm says 92% of British women currently use facial cleansers.

While face wash (55%) is the UK’s most popular cleansing product, facial cleansing wipes (up from 45% in 2017 to 54% in 2018) and micellar water (up from 19% in 2017 to 27% in 2018) are proving to be star performers.

Usage of all facial cleansing products has risen over the past year, even usage of regular/traditional bar soap which has increased from 24% in 2017 to 27% in 2018.

In terms of facial caring products, day cream and night cream are proving to be the cream of the crop. In the last 12 months, usage of day cream has increased from 59% in 2017 to 66% in 2018; while night creams usage has risen from 39% in 2017 to 48% in 2018.

Analyst’s view: Roshida Khanom

Roshida Khanom, Associate Director, Beauty & Personal Care at Mintel, says: “As beauty trends continue to be inspired by Korean facial skincare routines, which can reach as many as 10 steps, British women are adopting multiple cleansing routines and even using different cleansers for different occasions.

“The rise in different formats, from micellar waters to cleansing milks, oils and lotions, is also driving experimentation.

“Facial wipes remain popular due to their convenience and are sometimes used instead of a facial cleanser; however, with government plans to eliminate single use products like facial cleansing wipes, the category could be affected.”