Most US consumers do not use products to protect their skin from pollution, despite being aware of the harmful effects, according to a new study by skin care brand H20+ Beauty.
This disparity between purchasing habits and awareness of the dangers may present opportunities for brands as it indicates a need to educate consumers about the benefits of pollution-protecting products.
The survey, conducted by research company Media Consult, revealed that out of 2,000 US consumers, just 33% purchased products to protect their skin against pollution and other environmental stressors, although the majority were aware of the damage pollution could do to their skin, including compromising skin integrity and contributing to visible signs of ageing.
Joy Chen, CEO of H2O+ Beauty, said: "The data indicates a serious rift between general awareness of the damage that pollution can cause to your skin and the understanding that you can shield your skin from harm with certain products."
This was especially the case for men, as the study reported that male consumers consider skin protection less of a priority, and they are consistently less informed about how pollution affects their skin than women.
However, 55% of men and 62% of women said that they would be more likely to purchase a product that protected their skin against pollution, such as H20+ Beauty's Aquadefense line, which has been formulated to combat the harmful effects of pollution on the skin.
Chen added: “There's a real opportunity for the beauty industry to take more action to help protect our skin against harmful airborne toxins.”
