‘Britons ready to ditch beauty masks, exfoliators as cost of living rises’

Beauty masks and facial exfoliators sale are under threat as a recent survey shows how UK women would remove them from their make-up routine if they were forced to make cut backs with the rising cost of living. 

Britons are looking to cut back in all areas of their day-to-day life as rising cost of living tighten their budget. To explore how this will have an impact on our beauty spending habits, Beauty Daily by Clarins surveyed 2,000 British women to find out their most prized beauty items, and what they would remove from their routines if money was an issue.  

Beauty Daily found that skincare was deemed less essential than makeup in light of saving money. Face masks, face exfoliators, toner, face serum, eye cream, cleanser and lip balm made up the top 10 products they’d stop buying. 

The survey further shows that 92 per cent of those surveyed would consider more affordable beauty items before removing them from their routine entirely. Face moisturiser came in first place, with 45 per cent of respondents revealing they’d find a cheaper moisturiser, followed by cleanser at 43 per cent. 

Highlighting the fact that Brits are more inclined to cut costs when it comes to their skincare as opposed to makeup, only 12 per cent cited they’d find cheaper alternatives for contour products, 13 per cent for lashes and 14 per cent for lip liner. 

With perfumes known to be some of the priciest beauty products, it’s not surprising that Brits would remove it from their beauty routine if they didn’t have adequate funds. However, if money was not an issue – 57 per cent of women cited that fragrance is an essential part of their beauty routine. This reveals that what we deem “essential” changes drastically when we no longer have the financial means.   

Sarah Joan Ross, editor of Beauty Daily, states: “With the cost of living rising, and a lot of women around the country having to make cutbacks, these findings are so insightful regarding how we spend on our beauty routines. I will certainly be looking at cutting back on a few items, except SPF! This should be considered a non-negotiable staple. There’s also a case for looking into formulations – rich, high-tech, and concentrated products that you use less of and inevitably can last much longer could be the way to go.”