Canadian skin-care routine poll
The cross-Canada poll surveyed 1,140 Canadians (99% confidence level, 4% margin of error, based on English-speaking population) over a four-week period in March/April 2021, around the one-year anniversary of the first COVID lockdown. Like everything we could buy during the first 12 months of COVID-19, skin care has gone digital, and Canadians are as committed and loyal to their skin-care regimens and products as much as before.
Here’s what we found:
More than 1 in 3 Canadians have made an online skin-care purchase without trying it first |
More than 3 out of 5 Canadians read online product reviews before buying a skin-care product |
More than 1 in 2 Canadians believe that skin-care efficacy is not based on price |
Almost 1 in 4 Canadians believe that price signals effectiveness for skin-care products |
Almost all Canadians (96.9%) do not owe for skin-care products on their credit cards or through buy now, pay later programs |
Other sources have confirmed that it’s been tough on Canadians during lockdowns and the entire pandemic to maintain our personal routines. But, with the majority of Canadians not changing how much they spend on skin care, based on our data, this is one way they are committed to spending money on themselves. “You’re on Zoom all of the time, you’re looking at yourself constantly,” says Williams. “People may be more willing to try something new for self-care, as well as for a pick-me-up.”
Based on our survey, Canadians are fitting this spend into their budget. Although the skin-care industry has revenues of $1.7 billion annually, they’re not splurging needlessly or going into debt.
How much are Canadians spending? It varies from person to person. Our poll shows 47% spent $100 to $499 on skin-care products in 2020, 42.1% spent $99 or less and 10.9% spent $500 or more. It’s worth noting that a single skin-care product, like a moisturizer or a serum, typically costs $50 to $100, which may suggest buying one to 10 products a year.
Online skin-care shopping tips
54.3% “A savvy shopper knows which products work, no matter the price.” |
23.9% “You get what you pay for.” |
13.2% “Cheap and chic for the win.” |
When it comes to shopping online for skin care, it can feel like you’re “adding to cart” and hoping for the best, especially if you’ve never purchased that particular moisturizer, lotion, mask or serum before. And 36.2% from our survey say they have not made an online skin care purchase in the past year without testing or trying it first.
“We truly believe there are effective products at every price point, and we’re happy to see from the results of this survey that Canadian consumers are in the know, too,” says Williams. We all like that Canadians don’t mind putting in the effort to research products they buy.
There are tools available, though, including expert reviews on online magazines and blogs, user reviews on the site, customer service chats, and even the good ol’ fashioned ways of calling a store or getting a referral from a friend.