Personal Care Product Usage on the Rise in U.S.

Annual consumption of personal care products has jumped to 40.5 packages per person in 2000, up from 38.4 packages per person in 1990, and according to a new study by Kline & Company, changes in the demographic composition of the U.S. are largely responsible for this growth. According to the study, Demographic Series for the Personal Care Industry, while the U.S. population grew by 13.2% from 1990 to 2000, the unit volume sales of cosmetics and toiletries expanded by 19.3% during the same period.

“These numbers indicate that, on average, each American is using 5.4% more personal care products now than in 1990,” said Lenka Contreras, manager of consumer products at Kline & Company, a market research and consulting firm based in Little Falls, NJ.

Skin care product usage, for example, rose 22% over 1990 levels to reach 4.8 skin care products per person in 2000. The category was driven by the ongoing search by aging baby boomers for products that will help them maintain a youthful appearance. Another contributing factor to growth in this category is the large population of teenagers purchasing skin care products for the first time to address their concerns for oil-free skin and pore size.

Another category that registered high consumption growth is hair color products. On average, Americans used 70% more hair coloring products per person in 2000 than in 1990. This surge is attributed in part to trend-setting teens entering the user base and aging boomers covering gray hair. Also fueling the increase is higher usage among ethnic groups, particularly Hispanics. According to the Kline study, more than 55% of Hispanics purchased hair-coloring products in 2000-the highest percentage of any race or ethnic group. Compounding this tendency with a 58% jump in the U.S. Hispanic population during the past decade has contributed significantly to the sharp rise in hair coloring product consumption.

But not every category experienced such robust growth during the 1990s, according to the Kline study. In fact, several categories reported stagnant or declining per capita usage from 1990 to 2000, including fragrances, nail care products, and bar and liquid soaps. “Marketers will need to better understand how shifts in diversity, household structure, and population distribution will affect consumer demand for these and other personal care products in order to gain an accurate perspective of the market,” warned Ms. Contreras.