UK women are cutting the number of products used in their skincare routine

UK women are cutting back on the number of skincare products they use, according to research by Mintel. Its Women’s Facial Skincare Report claimed that 28% have reduced the number of products in their routine over the past year. 

Millennial women (aged 20–29) are the group most likely to have simplified their routines, with more than half (54%) having already removed products from their regime, the report found. Mintel predicts that the women’s facial skincare market will decline by nearly 1% this year, falling to an estimated £1.6bn from £1.17bn in 2018. 

Women are moving away from multi-step routines, with the number of those using one product to cleanse their face rising from 25% in 2018 to 28% in May 2019. Facial cleansing wipes have also fallen out of favour, dropping from 54% to 43% in the same time period. However, face oils and serums are immune to the shift, with 40% of women using facial caring products and associating these items with being “nourishing” and providing a healthy “glow”. As such, 20% of female skincare users think of serums as “brightening”, representing radiance and luminosity.