The study brings attention to lifestyle factors beyond hands-on skin care that affect skin health. What Eucerin is calling The 4 Cs: climate, connections, career and care issues.
Survey results show that 88% of respondents think personal care products impact their skin. 34% of mothers surveyed are “more likely to abandon their skin care routine when busy,” and following on that 56% find it stressful when they have not gone through their skin care regimen.
“The survey results confirm what I see in my practice every day – a majority of my patients think they are taking care of their skin, but they often don’t realize how sensitive it can be to unsuspecting factors,” board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D. said in the company’s press release announcing the survey findings.
Life matters
The survey points to six factors that greatly determine skin health according to respondents: 92% believe that stress “impacts the quality of their skin,” diet 92%, sleep 91%, hormones 91%, genetics 89%, and skincare products 88%.
Women surveyed take interest in their appearance in the workplace. Reportedly, 50% of working mothers stated that conditions at work likely lead to skin irritations.
At the same time, 37% of women were uncomfortable having irritated skin at work. And 29% were embarrassed to have messy hair, 14% chapped lips, and 6% chipped nails.
Sun and snow
Winter was identified as the most challenging season for skin care. While, “nearly all (94%) moms say their habitat plays a key role in the overall condition of their skin, especially when it comes to sun exposure (94%) and temperatures (93%).”
Curiously the survey didn’t report on air pollution issues in the section on climate concerns. Ketchum Global Research & Analytics conducted the survey via phone with 1,000 mothers. The women surveyed live in North America, range in age from 25 to 54, and have children under 18.
Another recent study found that women in significantly polluted areas have compromised skin barrier function have distinctly less hydrated skin. That study was conducted by Olay.
As Cosmetics Design reported earlier this year, working in collaboration with Dr. Wei Liu, Olay tracked changes in air quality over the year and linked increases in air pollution to increases in skin issues like hive
Routine findings
Moisturizer use was high among respondents of the Ketchum Global Research & Analytics survey; 65% use lotion on their faces daily, 64% on their hands, and 55% on their body.
And the top reasons: 47% use moisturizer to address dryness, 30% itchiness, 20% irritation, and 18% redness.
This data will certainly be helpful as Eucerin, a Beiersdorf brand, markets (and perhaps even further refines the formulation of) their Skin Calming Products for mothers and others.