Acne, stretch marks and scars are also among women’s biggest worries when it comes to their skin.
A poll of a wide range of UK females found a whopping 47 per cent have anxieties about their skin – with the main concerns being wrinkles, facial hair and dark circles under the eyes.
Of the many different skin conditions out there, 43 per cent have suffered from sunburn, 29 per cent have complained about acne and more than a third have experienced facial hair.
Radha Parmar, a Skin Advisor at the acne treatment brand, Nuva, which commissioned the survey, said:
“There are so many variations of skin conditions that women experience, and it’s not always easy to manage them. No matter how little or small they might be, they can really have an effect on one’s confidence, which could have a big impact on how they live their daily lives.”
More than half admit the way they look is far from perfect, and almost two-thirds wish they had better skin, with 25 per cent admitting they’re jealous of others.
For 37 per cent, their skin anxiety exists because they find it ‘embarrassing’ while more than a fifth feel they always need to wear make-up to feel comfortable with how they look. Of those who suffer from acne, 61 per cent continue to hide it with the likes of concealer and foundation even though they feel it’s not going to help.
It also emerged 32 per cent get nervous when having to show certain parts of their body.
When it comes to a skincare routine, a quarter of women struggle to find the right one, whereas 21 per cent find it hard to know how to care for their skin.
Almost three in 10 regret not starting a facial skincare routine sooner than they did, while 23 per cent don’t think theirs works but continue doing it anyway.
Despite the average woman spending over two hours on their routine each week, a fifth say they are ‘clueless’ about what will help improve it.
Moisturiser (68 per cent), cleanser (45 per cent) and plain water (38 per cent) are the top things women use in their daily skincare routine. And the average amount of money spent on products each month is nearly £20.
The study, conducted via OnePoll, also found 49 per cent started experiencing problems with their skin from a young age.
And a further 28 per cent have only recently started suffering from a certain condition.
Radha Parmar:
“When it comes to a woman’s skincare routine, the amount of information out there is overwhelming, so it can be difficult to make decisions based on this. It also doesn’t help that there are thousands of products that all claim to do the same thing, so it’s no wonder women struggle with what is best for their skin. It’s been really interesting to see the different responses through this research and learn a bit more about how women feel about their skin in general.”
