Engagement Up Among Youth Beauty Consumers

Beauty product purchasing among teens and tweens is on the upswing again after a decline in 2009, according to a report by The NPD Group.

Teens’ (ages 13-17) and tweens’ (ages 8-12) regular usage of beauty products stabilized in 2011 after a marked decline in 2009, although the level of engagement in the category today does not appear to be back to pre-recession (2007) levels.

Average monthly beauty spending estimates among tweens and teens show moderate increases relative to 2009, with tweens’ estimated spending up 60 cents and teens’ average spending up $1.50.

The types of products being used have remained consistent with 2009 levels. Top three products for teens continue to be lip moisturizers, body moisturizers and mascara. For tweens the top three products are still lip gloss, body washes and lip moisturizers.

“The overwhelming majority of girls 8- to 12-years-old tell us that they look to their parents and siblings to see what beauty products they are using and that helps them decide what to buy and use,” says Karen Grant, vice president and senior global industry analyst, The NPD Group. “This underscores the importance of brands building strong emotional connections with consumers and staying connected. In some sense love for beauty products and brands can be thought of as family heirlooms, passed on from generation to generation.”