CosBeauty Magazine #96

PRESSURE FROM BOTH
SOCIAL AND DIGITAL
DRIVERS
Not surprisingly, given the ubiquity of
social media in our lives, alongside the
desire to look unique, a high proportion
of younger people surveyed are feeling
pressure to look good (Gen Z - 83%;
Millennials - 78%; Gen X - 56%; Baby
Boomers - 26%).
Looking through a lens of sexual
orientation, respondents identifying as
bisexual (80%), gay (71%) or lesbian (79%)
also felt pressure to look good compared
with those who identify as heterosexual
(53%). Some 43% of those identifying as
bisexual and 36% of those identifying as
lesbian, feel society expects them to look
‘a certain way’; while 27% of respondents
who identify as gay felt pressure to look
good ‘to find a partner’.
On the age front, Millennials (24%) and
Gen X (25%) surveyed were most likely to
want to look younger than they are. While
74% of all respondents felt conscious of,
or wished they could change something
about their face, younger people were
more likely than older groups to want to
improve their facial features (Gen Z - 73%
and Millennials - 73%) vs (Gen X - 62% and
Baby Boomers - 44%).
Overall, nearly three-quarters of those
surveyed would like to improve specific
aspects of their looks, primarily their
face (61%), where they were most likely
to want to improve skin quality. Those of
Vietnamese or Chinese background were
most likely to prioritise skin quality, with
57% and 42% respectively.
Just one in ten (12%) of respondents felt
being proud of how their look connects
them to their cultural heritage; those of
African, South/Latin America or Middle
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