Driven in a quest for the perfect skin care product, women are often all too ready to shell out on the latest creams and ointments. As a result it seems that up to £964million is spent on potions that will then be left gathering dust. On average, they waste three quarters of the items they buy, a report shows. Women typically own eight products – but use only two. One in seven admits to hoarding products more than three years old.
The research by Vaseline found that on average women waste a massive 75per cent of skincare products bought. They typically own eight products but actually use just two, having tried and discarded the others.
Women are buying a wide range of beauty lotions in their quest for the perfect bottled potion with one in seven (14 per cent) admit to hoarding products over three years old. The biggest wasters are those aged 18 to 34 who buy the most and make the most mistakes by keeping opened bottles and jars of beauty products, which they no longer like or use. More than one in five in this age group admits to owning as many as 20 products.
For some women it seems that money is no object in that elusive search for their ideal skincare product, with a fifth of 25 to 34 year-olds confessing their selection of bottles, sprays and ointments cost an eye-watering £150 or more.
The fear of wrinkles and blemishes becomes apparent by the age of 25 when women start spending more but by the time they are 55 spending falls, hinting they are either happy in their skin, or have found the creams they prefer and stick with them. On a skin deep level at least, with age comes wisdom as the oldest group of women, those aged 65 plus, spend the least on skin care and waste the least.