UK consumers embrace ‘Skinimalism’ trend

UK consumers have embraced minimalist skincare, and makeup routines as prestige skincare sales in the UK declined by 23 percent in 2020.

The new trend dubbed ‘Skinimalism’ sees consumers adopting more relaxed routines that focus on fewer, more targeted ingredients in their skincare products while spending less on makeup in general, according to Pinterest’s 2021 Trend Predictions Report.

The NPD Group, a market research company, reported the total prestige skincare market was valued at 295 million pounds in 2020, a year when brick and mortar stores were periodically closed and consumers changed many of their traditional at-home beauty routines.

Sales of prestige face cream declined 20 percent, prestige face cleansers declined 17 percent, and facial exfoliators declined 3 percent. However, sales of anti-acne serums increased by 51 percent in 2020 as consumers needed to combat wearing masks and face coverings.

Simultaneously, eye treatments that once represented the third-largest skincare category in terms of sales in 2018 and 2019 were surpassed by facial cleansers and serums as consumers scale back the steps in their routines.

“Face cream, facial cleanser and facial exfoliators are the three sub-segments where consumers have gone back to basics whilst some ‘additional steps’ such as eye treatments and masks have declined in importance in face skincare as consumers have ‘skinimised’ what products they’re using,” stated Emma Fishwick, account manager, NPD UK beauty, in a press release.

“At the same time, consumers focus sustainability also means that Skinimalism has become very topical. Beauty buyers seem to be purchasing fewer products, and the products that they are opting for are more targeted.”

To align with consumers’ spending habits, beauty brands such as Origins, Charlotte Tilbury, and Estee Lauder have launched products that concentrate their messages on the active ingredients in its products.

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