2 min
“Caring for my skin and body is important”
What do French women think about body care and what do they value in skin care?
Attitude toward life
According to the Firmenich survey conducted with 410 French female consumers, aged 18-65, French women place a high importance on house hygiene, family and work-life balance.
“Caring for my body is part of being healthy”
- Over two-thirds strive hard to keep their house and surroundings hygienic
- 67% of French women say their family is the single most important thing to them
- 65% find work-life balance to be truly important
New paradigm of self-acceptance
“My body care routine is more about pampering myself than to look beautiful”
Age acceptance is growing: More than half of French women say they accept that they are getting older, particularly the 46-65-year-olds, 73% of whom agree to this statement. 49% of the 46-65-year-olds also say they accept their body the way it is, compared to 46% of the total sample.
Top skin concerns
In terms of skin concerns, sensitive skin is the biggest concern for about a third of women, with dry skin being a slightly lesser issue. Sensitive skin is the #1 concern for 18-25 -year-olds (45% of respondents). Cellulite is the second biggest skin concern.
Nature and sustainability
French women of all ages are concerned about sustainability. They make an effort to take care of the environment and they expect companies to do the same. When prompted, French women express the highest level of agreement to the following statements about natural products and sustainability:
- I am worried about the state of the earth (58% of respondents)
- I want to use 100% natural skin cleansing products (51% of respondents)
- I make an effort to take care of the environment for future generations (48% of respondents)
- Companies must care more about the environment (45% of respondents)
- Natural products are safer to use than normal products (45% of respondents)
- I want to understand products’ compositions (45% of respondents)
Attitudes toward body care
The body care process is important for over half of women, and nearly the same number say that it is a part of keeping healthy. 40% of respondents say their body care routine is more about pampering themselves than looking beautiful, and 36% like to try new and different products as part of their beauty care regimen.
The most important reason for French women to regularly take a bath or shower is to get rid of dirt and smell. Younger consumers (aged 18 to 25) mention “to get rid of bacteria/germs” as a top reason for regular showering (65% vs 45% of the total sample).
Find out more about the French body care market:
Body care in France: favourite products
Body care in France market analysis: fragrances and benefits
Are you curious about other European markets? We have done a similar survey-based research in Germany.
