Lycored surveyed 1,285 consumers in the U.S. and U.K. in August 2021, all of whom had purchased a skincare product in the past 12 months, and asked them to define their skin tone in one of five categories: dark brown or black, brown, light brown, white—darker, and white—pale or fair.
When asked which skincare goals they wanted to achieve, consumers with the darkest skin tones were more likely to select healthy glow/radiance—specifically, 67% of Americans with dark brown or black skin chose that option, compared to 51% of those with pale or fair skin. Those with the lightest skin tones were more likely to seek protection from UV light—in the U.K., this was a goal for 34% of those with pale or fair skin, compared to 17% of those with dark brown or black skin tones.
Lycored also looked at products for specific skin tones, compared to products that don’t target particular skin tones. The findings: In the U.S., 73% of those with dark brown or black skin had purchased a product designed for their particular skin tone, as had 54% of those with white skin. However, 73% of Americans agreed with the statement: “Products that provide the same benefits for people of all skin tones offer a platform for inclusivity.” Perhaps this feeling is linked to another finding—in the U.K., 74% of respondents with dark brown or black skin believed that it was harder for people with darker skin to find the right products, while only 26% of those with white skin thought the same. In the U.S., things are looking up in this area—62% of those surveyed believed that the beauty industry has gotten better at meeting the needs of people of all skin tones.
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The findings line up neatly with Lycored’s #rethinkbeautiful initiative. Launched in 2016, the initiative aims to “challenge traditional notions of beauty,” the press release says, by promoting inclusivity, positivity, and ingestible skincare.Zev Ziegler, Head of Global Brand and Marketing, Health, Lycored, said: “When we launched #rethinkbeautiful we had no idea just how much it would resonate. Embracing diversity is no longer optional and brands are working much harder to meet the needs of all their customers. Our research shows that ingestible beauty products can offer a powerful possible platform for true inclusivity, adding to the ways the industry can strive to meet the beauty needs of everyone.”
