Over a Third of Cosmetics Users Willing to Purchase Previously Owned Unopened Beauty or Grooming Items

Only 1 in 5 would be willing to buy used cosmetic items, citing cleanliness concerns

The author(s)
  • Chris Jackson Senior Vice President, US, Public Affairs
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Washington, DC, January 17, 2020 — The latest Ipsos poll, conducted on behalf of Vogue Business, finds that 37% of people who use beauty or grooming products would be willing to purchase these kinds of products that were previously owned but unopened and unused. This is especially true of younger respondents. Among those aged 18 to 34 and 35 to 54, about 2 in 5 would be likely to buy previously owned but unopened products (45% and 40%, respectively). Among those 55 years or older, only one quarter would be likely to make such a purchase (25%). The study also finds that people would be less likely to try these kinds of products if they were previously owned and had already been opened or used (20%).

Among those willing to buy unused secondhand beauty or grooming items, they were most likely to cite good value (49%), lower price (30%), avoiding waste (29%), and protecting the environment (25%), and finding discontinued or difficult to find products (25%) as the reasons for doing so.

The main reason that people say they would be unlikely to buy used beauty products, opened or not, is that they are worried about the hygiene of the products (68%) followed by concerns about safety (37%) and the fact they don’t know who used the product before (34%) or where it came from (32%).

For full results, please refer to the following annotated questionnaire.
Full Annotated Questionnaire:

  1. Do you use beauty/grooming products such as cosmetics for eyes, lips or face, or skin creams and concealers?

 

Total

(N=1005)

Age 18-34

(N=225)

Age 35-54

(N=390)

Age 55+

(N=290)

Always

27%

36%

24%

22%

Sometimes

25%

30%

27%

20%

Rarely

15%

16%

14%

15%

Never

33%

18%

35%

43%

Use (net)

67%

82%

65%

57%

 

2a. [Asked only if answered Q1 as always, sometimes, or rarely] As you may have heard, there is a growing market for re-selling previously owned items, usually at a lower price, and this extends to beauty products as well. How interested, if at all, are you in purchasing previously owned but unused/unopened beauty/grooming products?

 

Total

(N=657)

Age 18-34

(N=189)

Age 35-54

(N=248)

Age 55+

(N=220)

Very likely

14%

21%

11%

7%

Somewhat likely

24%

24%

29%

18%

Not very likely

28%

26%

28%

29%

Not at all likely

35%

28%

33%

46%

Likely (net)

37%

45%

40%

25%

Not likely (net)

63%

55%

60%

75%

 

2b. [Asked only if answered Q1 as always, sometimes, or rarely] And how interested, if at all, are you in purchasing previously owned and opened/used beauty/grooming products?

 

Total

(N=657)

Age 18-34

(N=189)

Age 35-54

(N=248)

Age 55+

(N=220)

Very likely

5%

8%

4%

3%

Somewhat likely

14%

19%

15%

7%

Not very likely

22%

23%

23%

19%

Not at all likely

59%

49%

58%

70%

Likely (net)

20%

28%

19%

10%

Not likely (net)

80%

72%

81%

90%

 

3a. [Asked only if answered Q2a as very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely.] Why would you consider purchasing previously owned but unused/unopened beauty/grooming products? Choose up to 3.

 

Total

(N=426)

Age 18-34

(N=135)

Age 35-54

(N=172)

Age 55+

(N=119)

Good value

49%

46%

48%

58%

Can't afford full retail price

30%

29%

30%

29%

I don't want to be wasteful

29%

31%

27%

28%

I can only find the product this way (it is discontinued, hard to find, etc.)

25%

21%

30%

25%

Good for the environment

25%

32%

25%

12%

I love to experiment

15%

16%

18%

8%

An influencer that I follow has used or sold it

7%

13%

2%

3%

Other

2%

1%

4%

1%

Don’t know

12%

10%

10%

17%

 

3b. [Asked only if answered Q2b as very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely] Why would you consider purchasing any previously owned and opened/used beauty/grooming products? Choose up to 3.

 

Total

(N=264)

Age 18-34

(N=90)

Age 35-54

(N=107)

Age 55+

(N=67)

Good value

40%

41%

34%

45%

Can't afford full retail price

26%

27%

27%

22%

I don't want to be wasteful

25%

20%

30%

29%

I can only find the product this way (it is discontinued, hard to find, etc.)

25%

30%

20%

24%

Good for the environment

22%

24%

22%

21%

I love to experiment

20%

24%

20%

11%

An influencer that I follow has used or sold it

10%

16%

6%

5%

Other

2%

2%

1%

1%

Don’t know

20%

14%

20%

32%

 

  1. [Asked only if answered Q2a or Q2b as not at all likely] And why wouldn’t you consider purchasing previously owned beauty/grooming products? CHOOSE UP TO 3

 

Total

(N=405)

Age 18-34

(N=102)

Age 35-54

(N=146)

Age 55+

(N=157)

Hygiene/bacteria/disease

68%

66%

70%

68%

Safety

37%

38%

37%

35%

Don’t know who used it before

34%

28%

37%

36%

Don't know where it came from

32%

31%

29%

35%

I don’t know the product age/expiration

29%

25%

25%

34%

Can’t verify authenticity/fakes

22%

28%

20%

18%

Not sure I can trust the seller

20%

26%

20%

15%

Quality

12%

18%

12%

7%

Concern about ingredients/allergies

12%

9%

13%

14%

Can’t return item

6%

-

7%

10%

Other

1%

1%

*

2%

Don’t know

2%

4%

2%

1%

 

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between January 7- 8 2019 on behalf of Vogue. For this survey, a sample of roughly 1,005 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S. Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. The sample includes 657 people who use beauty or grooming products, and within that group, 189 people age 18-34, 248 people age 35-54, and 220 people age 55 and older.

The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2016 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Post-hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,005, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-5.0 percentage points).

The poll also has a credibility interval plus or minus 4.4 percentage points for people who use beauty or grooming products, plus or minus 8.1 percentage points for adults age 18-34 who use beauty/grooming products, plus or minus 7.1 percentage points for adults age 35-54 who use beauty/grooming products, and plus or minus 7.5 percentage points for adults age 55+ who use beauty/grooming products.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Chris Jackson
Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
[email protected]

Kate Silverstein
Media Relations Specialist, US
Public Affairs
+1 718 755-8829

[email protected]

About Ipsos

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The author(s)
  • Chris Jackson Senior Vice President, US, Public Affairs

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