Dear Editor,
The skin plays a substantial role in women’s lives, transcending mere aesthetics to encompass broader health, psychological, and social dimensions. It exhibits a remarkable diversity across individuals with varying types and different degrees of sensitivity (1, 2). Self-reported dermatological concerns encompass a wide range of issues that individuals perceive and report regarding their skin health and appearance. Women, in particular, may be more likely to report dermatological concerns due to societal pressures related to beauty standards and skincare practices (3). Hence, an international study was conducted to assess the relation between skin type/sensitivity and self-reported dermatological feminine concerns and their impact on self-confidence. The survey, conducted between February 2022 and June 2023, involved individuals ≥ 18 years old from the USA (n = 1,750), France (n = 1,271), Brazil (n = 1,557), India (n = 2,104), China (n = 1,955), Mexico (n = 1,616), Japan (n = 333), South Africa (n = 2,030), and Indonesia (n = 1,701) (response rate = 100%). In each country, proportional quota sampling was used based on the distribution of the population according to age, sex, environment (large cities, towns, and rural areas), and income, in order to guarantee national representativeness of the sample. Participants were contacted by mail to complete a structured digital questionnaire. Questions included sociodemographic data, skin type, presence/absence of skin sensitivity, presence/absence of 8 dermatological concerns (Table I), lack or not of self-confidence.
Table I.
Proportion of individuals with the 8 studied dermatological concerns and those with lack of self-confidence with regard to the skin type. presence/absence of skin sensitivity, and age
| Skin lack of firmness | Skin feeling tight | Skin tired look | Skin pimple breakout blemishes | Skin redness | Skin loss of elasticity | Skin getting thinner weakened | Skin dark sports | Lack of expressed self-confidence | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobal Population | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensitive Skin | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % |
| Yes | 6603 | 46.1% | 1318 | 20.0% | 842 | 12.8% | 1853 | 28.1% | 1985 | 30.1% | 1128 | 17.1% | 927 | 14.0% | 519 | 7.9% | 1774 | 26.9% | 2988 | 45.3% |
| No | 7714 | 53.9% | 1626 | 21.1% | 588 | 7.6% | 1970 | 25.5% | 1523 | 19.7% | 474 | 6.1% | 942 | 12.2% | 348 | 4.5% | 1958 | 25.4% | 2938 | 38.1% |
| Type of skin | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % |
| Very dry / Dry | 3694 | 25.8% | 782 | 21.2% | 525 | 142% | 1052 | 28.5% | 558 | 15.1% | 403 | 10.9% | 556 | 15.1% | 277 | 7.5% | 956 | 25.9% | 1667 | 45.1% |
| Mixed | 5599 | 39.1% | 1247 | 22.3% | 576 | 10.3% | 1649 | 29.5% | 1711 | 30.6% | 793 | 14.2% | 829 | 14.8% | 378 | 6.8% | 1497 | 26.7% | 2317 | 41.4% |
| Oily / Very oily | 2699 | 18.9% | 346 | 12.8% | 141 | 5.2% | 601 | 22.3% | 920 | 34.1% | 250 | 9.3% | 166 | 6.2% | 94 | 3.5% | 774 | 28.7% | 1077 | 39.9% |
| < 40 years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensitive Skin | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % |
| Yes | 3315 | 49.6% | 417 | 12.6% | 364 | 11.0% | 826 | 24.9% | 1438 | 43.4% | 611 | 18.4% | 224 | 6.8% | 180 | 5.4% | 763 | 23.0% | 1640 | 49.5% |
| No | 3364 | 50.4% | 455 | 13.5% | 252 | 7.5% | 754 | 22.4% | 1049 | 31.2% | 235 | 7.0% | 208 | 6.2% | 102 | 3.0% | 674 | 20.0% | 1398 | 41.6% |
| Type of skin | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % |
| Very dry / Dry | 1505 | 22.5% | 182 | 12.1% | 182 | 12.1% | 364 | 24.2% | 353 | 23.5% | 172 | 11.4% | 99 | 6.6% | 76 | 5.0% | 305 | 20.3% | 754 | 50.1% |
| Mixed | 2786 | 41% | 426 | 15.3% | 295 | 10.6% | 722 | 25.9% | 1228 | 44.1% | 450 | 16.2% | 225 | 8.1% | 137 | 4.9% | 601 | 21.6% | 1280 | 45.9% |
| Oily / Very oily | 1503 | 22.5% | 140 | 9.3% | 63 | 42% | 319 | 21.2% | 691 | 46.0% | 158 | 10.5% | 65 | 4.3% | 39 | 2.6% | 399 | 26.5% | 657 | 43.7% |
| 40 years and more | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensitive Skin | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % |
| Yes | 3288 | 43.0% | 901 | 27.4% | 478 | 14.5% | 1027 | 31.2% | 547 | 16.6% | 517 | 15.7% | 703 | 21.4% | 339 | 10.3% | 1011 | 30.7% | 986 | 30.0% |
| No | 4350 | 57.0% | 1171 | 26.9% | 336 | 7.7% | 1216 | 28.0% | 474 | 10.9% | 239 | 5.5% | 734 | 16.9% | 246 | 5.7% | 1284 | 29.5% | 764 | 17.6% |
| Type of skin | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % |
| Very dry / Dry | 2189 | 28.7% | 600 | 27.4% | 343 | 15.7% | 688 | 31.4% | 205 | 9.4% | 231 | 10.6% | 457 | 20.9% | 201 | 9.2% | 651 | 29.7% | 408 | 18.6% |
| Mixed | 2813 | 36.8% | 821 | 29.2% | 281 | 10.0% | 927 | 33.0% | 483 | 17.2% | 343 | 12.2% | 604 | 21.5% | 241 | 8.6% | 896 | 31.9% | 744 | 26.4% |
| Oily / Very oily | 1196 | 15.7% | 206 | 17.2% | 78 | 6.5% | 282 | 23.6% | 229 | 19.1% | 92 | 7.7% | 101 | 8.4% | 55 | 4.6% | 375 | 31.4% | 381 | 31.9% |
In total, 14,317 women were involved (mean age was 40.49 ± 12.73 years). Table I presents the proportion of individuals with the 8 studied dermatological concerns and those with lack of self-confidence with respect to the skin type, presence/absence of skin sensitivity, and age. Table II presents the logistic regression with univariate and multivariate analysis to determine risk factors for lack of self-confidence.
Table II.
Logistic regression with univariate and multivariate analysis to determine risk factors for lack of self-confidence
| Variable | Univariate |
Multivariate |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds Ratio | SD | P-value | Odds Ratio | SD | P-value | |
| Sensitive skin | 1.34 | 0.03 | < 0.0001 | 1.24 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 |
| Dry skin | 1.23 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 | 1.01 | 1.59e + 06 | 1.00 |
| Mixed skin | 0.81 | 0.05 | < 0.0001 | 0.78 | 1.59e + 06 | 1.00 |
| Oily skin | 0.95 | 0.03 | 0.167 | 0.81 | 1.59e + 06 | 1.00 |
| Skin lack of firmness | 1.05 | 0.04 | 0.241 | 1.01 | 0.05 | 0.89 |
| Skin feeling tight | 1.08 | 0.06 | 0.182 | 0.99 | 0.06 | 0.84 |
| Skin tired look | 1.42 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 | 1.40 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 |
| Skin pimple breakouts blemishes | 1.39 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 | 1.28 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 |
| Skin redness | 1.32 | 0.05 | < 0.0001 | 1.14 | 0.06 | 0.019 |
| Skin loss of elasticity | 1.12 | 0.05 | 0.031 | 1.06 | 0.06 | 0.299 |
| Skin getting thinner weakened | 1.20 | 0.07 | 0.011 | 1.04 | 0.08 | 0.639 |
| Skin dark spots | 1.16 | 0.04 | < 0.0001 | 1.10 | 0.04 | 0.013 |
Understanding the dermatological concerns that are present in different skin types is pivotal in formulating effective skincare strategies and addressing dermatological concerns (4–6). As expected, women with skin sensitivity express more dermatological concerns than those without. Moreover, they are significantly more likely to express lack of self-confidence. This is particularly true in women below 40 years of age, whereby more than 50% of women with skin sensitivity express lack of confidence. Moreover, almost half of women with very dry/dry skin and around 40% of those with oily/very oily skin also express a lack of self-confidence. Multivariate analysis shows that the risk factors for lack of self-confidence are: skin looking tired, presence of skin pimple breakouts/blemishes, skin sensitivity, skin redness, and dark spots. Conversely, dry/oily skin, lack of firmness, skin tightness, loss of elasticity, and skin getting thinner/weakened do not seem to be significantly associated with lack of self-confidence.
In essence, grasping the connections between skin sensitivity, skin type, self-reported dermatological concerns, and self-confidence in women is crucial for creating customized skincare routines that address issues affecting confidence. Comparing these concerns with those in males might help personalize skincare approaches that take individual skin traits and needs of each gender into account (7). In this context, a similar study conducted in males has shown different perceptions. Recognizing the distinctive aspects of female skin compared with male skin, and the factors that may impact their confidence, is key to fostering a comprehensive, healthy appearance, improving quality of life, and empowering women to embrace the many dimensions of femininity.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors acknowledge the technical support of Aurelie Abric, Cecilia Trehin, and Thierry Lageat.
Funding Statement
Funding This project was funded by L’Oréal Research and Innovation.
ID-RCB
2023-A02701-44.
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Conflicts of interest
FF; AM; MB-V; AIL; CD, DA and LL are employees of L’Oréal. CT is sub-contracted for data analysis and writing. CS has no conflict of interest.
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Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.