In 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic has radically altered shopping and consuming behaviors. According to a recent analysis by Euromonitor, the development of Internet shopping, the increased emphasis of cleanliness, and revitalized self-care at home practices have altered the worldwide cosmetics and personal care business.

In Euromonitor’s Beauty Survey 2020 study, Lisa Holmes, Global Consumer Insights Expert, states, “While some of the more dramatic constraints on everyday living witnessed in 2020 may be unusual events moving ahead, there is little doubt that many areas of consumer behavior have transformed for the long-term.”

The movements are summarized by Euromonitor as three important trends: the increase of online beauty in consumer habits, the significance of personal cleanliness, particularly for hand cleanliness, and the growth of time spent on at-home treatments and indulgences.

Online shopping is more comfortable

The year 2020 will be remembered for the fast move to internet purchasing. According to the results of Euromonitor’s annual beauty study, 34 percent of customers are now deemed “digital beauty” customers, meaning they buy hair, skin, or color cosmetics from online merchants and are influenced by digital media, online user-generated, or expert-generated content. 

More than half of buyers (53 percent) now buy more beauty goods online than they did before COVID, according to the survey. This figure is significantly greater among younger customers, with 66 percent of Gen Z customers and 58 percent of Millennials (Gen Y) claiming they’re spending more money on cosmetic items online today than they were before the epidemic.

Furthermore, Americans are spending far more time on the internet. Nearly half of them (49%) stated they spent more than US$ 50 each month, up from only 16% in the last research in 2019.

In addition, whereas 47 percent of online beauty customers claimed they started their beauty purchasing adventure on Amazon two years ago, almost half (44 percent) indicated they started on a beauty retailer’s website in the most recent poll (Ulta.com or Sephora.com).

One of the most significant effects of the epidemic is that beauty customers are becoming more confident in purchasing skin care, hair care, and cosmetics without first checking or inspecting them in person.

E-commerce advancements have also aided firms in gaining access to new markets, creating rivalry between established and rising businesses. Indeed, online platforms are transforming the digital shelf into a shared marketplace where global, local, private label, and independent firms compete for customer attention and expenditure.

Obsessed hygiene habits

While hand washing and sanitizing have always been important in most people’s everyday hygiene routines, they have become much more so in 2020. According to Euromonitor’s beauty study, virtually all consumers (93 percent) wash their hands at least twice a day, and more than half do so five times or more.

The frequency with which people wash their hands varies by age group, with the youngest cleaning their hands less frequently. They vary by product category, with alcohol-based disinfectants being particularly common outside the house.

Furthermore, rising demand for hand care products, notably lotions and creams to repair dry or chapped skin caused by repeated washing, was fueled by a revived focus on hand cleanliness among worldwide consumers.

Self-care at home

“In 2020, many customers changed their attention from out-of-home luxuries like salon visits to ‘self-care’ activities that can be done in the comfort and safety of their own homes,” says Lisa Holmes.

Many factors have fueled the expansion of self-care at home since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak: the closure of hair salons and beauty parlors, worries about contamination risks, more time available, and the urge to stay healthy.

“Even luxuries like spa treatments will be available at home in 2020. “Hot baths, at-home manicures and pedicures, and self-applied face masks are increasingly commonly linked with self-care in the beauty and personal care space,” Holmes says.

According to Euromonitor statistics, more than half of women (55%) paint their nails at least once a month, while almost two-thirds of women and one-third of men use a face mask at home at least once a month.

Cream-based, gel, and peel-off face masks are the most prevalent forms of at-home face masks, however sheet masks have steadily gained in popularity over the last five years.

“In 2015, just 22% of face mask consumers used sheet masks; by 2017, that number had risen to 27%, and by 2020, it will be at 35%,” Holmes says.

Consumers’ at-home self-care behaviors will endure even if they return to salons and spas, Euromonitor predicts. Many people are increasingly looking for lower-cost, more convenient ways to indulge.

More skin care, less makeup

A total of 10,646 active beauty customers were polled by PowerReviews across the United States. According to the report, the majority of Americans (56%) are more concerned about skincare today than they were before the epidemic. A circumstance that might be connected to people spending more time at home and so having more time to dedicate to properly caring for their skin.

At the same time, many people are reducing their cosmetics usage. In fact, the poll indicated that more than half of customers (54 percent) said they use less makeup now than they did before COVID, owing to the fact that they don’t leave the house as much, but also because wearing a mask is required in public areas. As a result, natural beauty has become a popular trend, with individuals returning to their roots. Even if the epidemic ends, the tendency should persist in the months ahead.

Value proposal first

While price, brand, and quality remain important when it comes to beauty goods, the PowerReviews survey found that beauty customers are increasingly looking for goods and brands that agree with their beliefs. More than three-quarters of customers (76%) indicated they want to purchase environmentally friendly cosmetic items. Millennials (80 percent) and Gen Z buyers (86 percent) are even more inclined to buy sustainably produced goods.

Inclusion and racial justice, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly important to American customers. According to the report, half of customers (50%) want to actively seek out beauty products created by Black-owned beauty firms. This figure is much higher among Generation Z (75%) and Millennials (58 percent ).