December 02, 2019Skincare routines

How beauty routines are like drinking wine

Beauty trends: Things that take time are done less frequently

According to a recent report, tasks which are more time-consuming are likely to be carried out weekly, rather than daily. A recent study showed 62% of adults wash their hair weekly, and 46% remove face or body hair weekly. The implication here is a two-speed approach to beauty, where daily tasks are required to be performed quickly, whereas longer tasks are being saved up for a weekly routine.

Beauty is like wine – when you drink less, you drink better

There is an adage among wine drinkers – certainly wine companies – that if you are going to drink less, then drink a better bottle of wine. The same appears true with beauty and grooming. People who shave or wash their hair less frequently are turning to longer, more indulgent routines. They want to spend time on them, take it slowly, and feel the direct and indirect benefits on their health and well-being.

There is a growing trend towards hairlessness, as men gradually move towards manscaping and generally reducing the amount of body hair that they have, whilst the counter-trend among women is remaining a small niche.

However, there is a tension between the desire to be less hairy and the daily demands of tight morning routines. The consequence of this is that the perceived indulgence of activities like wet shaving or washing long hair is pushed into a weekly regime, rather than a daily event.

Young men are spending longer on their routines

The majority of those who already consider themselves to have beauty and grooming routines show limited signs of spending more time on them. However, younger men are spending much longer than they did before. 23% of men aged 16-24 and 22% aged 25-44 have spent longer on their beauty and grooming routines in the last year, as categories such as hair removal and shaving are seeing rapid growth in interest, engagement sales.

The luxury multi-stage beauty routines are set to rise

The luxury segment is therefore likely to rise, with increasing use of bespoke and multi-stage skincare, hair and beauty ranges and products. As people prioritise weekly deep-dive indulgences, so too are they looking for brands, products and ranges which support them in this desire.