How Beauty x Wellness Can Address Stressed-out Consumers: New Data Shows

Denise Herich, The Benchmarking Company

Fifty-five percent of the 4,000-plus U.S. female beauty buyers surveyed in a nationwide study say they are more mentally stressed now than they were five years ago, with 18% saying their stress level is similar to what it was then. At the same time, 89% say the importance they place on achieving a positive state of both physical and emotional well-being has increased during the past five years, with 99% agreeing that their mental well-being and physical health are connected. Results from this original Benchmarking Company study reveal the issues buyers are facing, and the beauty-meets-wellness solutions those Gen Z and older are looking to the beauty and personal care industry to offer. Let's get to the data.

How Beauty x Wellness Can Address Stressed-out Consumers: New Data

Aug 28th, 2024

Denise Herich, The Benchmarking Company

Seventy-two percent of Gen Z females take a hot bath or shower to alleviate stress, while 66% spend more time on their beauty and personal care routines.

WavebreakMediaMicro at Adobe Stock

Fifty-five percent of the 4,000-plus U.S. female beauty buyers surveyed in a nationwide study say they are more mentally stressed now than they were five years ago, with 18% saying their stress level is similar to what it was then. At the same time, 89% say the importance they place on achieving a positive state of both physical and emotional well-being has increased during the past five years, with 99% agreeing that their mental well-being and physical health are connected. Results from this original Benchmarking Company study reveal the issues buyers are facing, and the beauty-meets-wellness solutions those Gen Z and older are looking to the beauty and personal care industry to offer. Let's get to the data.

About the Data in this Study

The Benchmarking Company conducted its "Wellness & Supplements" online study, comprising 4,139 respondents, in October 2023.

Wellness is Everything to Women

F-1. How women rank their well-being prioritiesNearly all women surveyed (99%) believe that wellness comprises a combination of their physical, mental and emotional health, with 92% saying spiritual health is part of wellness, and 88% saying sexual health plays a part in her wellness circle (F-1).

Seventy-eight percent of women say their physical and emotional/mental wellness is equally important to them.

Women's Wellness Activities

Most women (92%) engage in activities designed to improve their sense of wellness, ranging from regular preventative care (86%) to times when she unplugs from technology (44%), as seen in F-2.

Women's Stressors

F-3. Women's top stressors by generationFeeling stressed about loved ones (76%), personal finances (68%) and personal health (53%) dominate her worry list (F-3), followed by a lack of civility in the population (46%), wars (44%) and employment issues (39%).

When examining the stressors of Gen Z versus older females, the younger generation is more stressed about personal finances (72%), their own health (61%), their jobs (58%) and their own self-perceived constant use of technology (39%).

Women's Coping Mechanisms for Stress

F-4. How consumers deal with stress Survey respondents are looking for beauty and personal care products to help her de-stress.

Seventy-two percent of Gen Z females take a hot bath or shower to alleviate stress, while 66% spend more time on their beauty and personal care routines (F-4).

Fifty-eight percent of her older counterparts take a hot bath/shower to unwind, while 48% spend more time on their beauty and personal care routines.

Twenty-two percent of all respondents have used stress-relief patches or fragrance roll-ons as stress-relief aids.

Mood Lifters She’d Like to Explore

Neurocosmetic products that provide aesthetic benefits (helping her to look good) and feel-good effects are of high interest to 88% of women surveyed; only 6% have tried a product of this type.

Feeling calmed and less stressed is the primary outcome she’d expect from a product of this type. Ninety-two percent of women would be interested in a product that left them feeling calmer and de-stressed.

Benefits She’s Seeking

• 92% calming/de-stress/relax

• 81% mental clarity/focus

• 78% happiness

• 73% sleep support

• 71% more energy

• 59% digestive support/gut health

• 55% hormonal support

• 53% enhance sexual pleasure

Product Types They Want to Try Beyond Supplements

• 80% wellness patches

• 79% light therapy devices

• 76% at-home recovery apparatus/ice bath

• 65% sexual wellness products

• 65% wellness roll-ons/oil roll-ons

• 53% wellness teas/drinks

• 43% wellness aromatics

Supplements for Beauty and Wellness

Seventy-three percent of Gen Z and 84% of those older than Gen Z say they take some type of vitamin or supplement on a regular basis, with 30% of women using supplements for a specific beauty purpose. Of those who do not, 92% would be open to it.

Current beauty supplement users take them for:

• hair growth (79%);

• stronger nails (65%);

• restoring collagen/skin firming (60%);

• clearer skin/healthier skin in general (55%);

• and for anti-aging purposes (40%).

The main reasons she doesn’t already use supplements are that she feels they are too expensive (45%), they are too confusing (22%), she’s not sure how to use them (18%) or doesn’t fully understand what supplements do (16%).

Only 25% of women say they’re currently taking an ingestible supplement that supports both beauty and wellness.

Unmet Needs in Wellness & Beauty Supplements

F-5. The supplements shoppers would like to trySupplements to support a feeling of calmness, happiness and mental clarity top her list of products she’d like to try (F-5).

Ninety-three percent of Gen Z and 87% of older buyers would be interested in buying a customized supplement created for her personal needs that could be shipped directly to her on a regular basis.

Half might prefer an all-in-one pill to meet her specific needs if it was offered and was proven to be effective.

Is your brand ready to deliver on her beauty-meets-wellness needs?

Based in sun-seared San Diego, Denise Herich is co-founder and managing partner at The Benchmarking Company. The Benchmarking Company provides marketing and strategy professionals in the beauty and personal care industries with need-to-know information about its customers and prospects through custom consumer research studies through its 250,000+ female PinkPanel database, focus group, and consumer in-home use testing (IHUTs) for claims substantiation and risk mitigation.