Women are more likely than men to view diet as important to skin health, according to a survey of 490 consumers in the UK and France conducted by ingredient supplier Lycored.
 
The survey also found that physical appearance is an increasingly important goal for men, with 15% of respondents reporting that looking good is more important for men than for women.
 
The research also found that men’s and women’s perceptions diverge on what contributes to healthy skin. When asked which factors were most important to their skin health, 39% of women chose healthy diet, compared to 30% of men. Meanwhile, men were almost twice as likely as women to say exercise was important to skin health (30% versus 17%, respectively).
 
Female skin care users were over twice as likely to say anti-aging/ wrinkle reduction was an important goal for them (49%, compared to 21% of men). They were also more likely to seek a healthy glow (47%, compared to 32% of men).
 
“Our research suggests that changing social attitudes have made physical appearance a far more important goal for men than in the past,” said Tristan Schroiff, sales director, health, at Lycored. “However, the positioning and marketing of many skin care products are still gender-based, and it’s useful to understand how the needs and attitudes of men and women can differ.”
 
Fifty-two percent of respondents said it was very important to see visible benefits from the skin care products that they use. This was particularly true of women (63%, compared to 40% of men) and to consumers in the 18-24 age group (68%).
 
The consumer survey came on the heels of a study on Lycored’s Lumenato, a golden tomato-based extract, which was linked to self-reported skin health benefits in a population of participants after 12 weeks.
 
“It’s natural that many consumers expect a visible return on their investment in skin care products,” Schroiff said. “The good news is that there’s a growing body of evidence that supplementation with carotenoids can deliver incredible results for skin health and beauty. In our most recent study, for example, Lumenato passed the ‘seeing is believing’ test with flying colors.”