Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: May 26, 2010
Are your girlish looks suddenly changing? Growing old isn’t what it used to be. Women today expect to live healthy and vital lives. As a result of declining estrogen levels, many skin changes become increasingly evident at menopause. Simple steps in skincare, a topic of great importance is top of mind for all women looking to put their best face forward.
Results from the recent web-based survey “How Old Does Your Skin Look”, conducted by Red Hot Mamas®, reveals valuable information about how women feel about treating their aging skin. To our surprise, the majority of women are not seeing dermatologists these days. According to the 437 women who completed the survey, only 15% currently see a dermatologist for anti-aging skin care consultations. Of those surveyed, 27% have seen one in the past but do not now and 58% have never visited one.
The survey revealed that most of the women (62%) rely on over-the-counter skin care products to reduce or reverse the natural and unnatural sings of aging. The women currently using over-the-counter products were asked a series of questions on their opinion about the efficacy of the products. Overall, 55% of the women using over-the-counter products are satisfied or very satisfied with the visible results and overall effectiveness. The remaining 45% of women were neutral, unsatisfied or displeased with their current over-the-counter regimen. They generally feel that way because they don’t see any results (72%). Other reasons for the neutrality or displease with their over-the-counter routine are cost (9%), side effects (4%), ease of use (2%), application/feel (2%) and “other” (11%).
Eight percent of those surveyed use prescription products to reduce or reverse the natural and unnatural signs of aging. The women currently using prescription products were also asked a series of questions on their opinion about the efficacy of the products. Overall, 60% of the women using prescription products are satisfied or very satisfied with the visible results and overall effectiveness. The remaining 40% of women were neutral, unsatisfied or displeased with their current prescription regimen. They generally feel that way because they don’t see any results (64%). Other reasons for the neutrality or displease with their prescription routine are side effects (14%), “other” (14%), and cost (7%).
Clinical proof of efficacy matters to women. In fact, 42% of those surveyed said this was the single most important product attribute when selecting an anti-aging product. Twenty-two percent of women said the second most important attribute they consider when choosing a product is whether it is dermatologist-recommended.
Furthermore, the women were very knowledgeable when it came to answering questions about their products. In fact, 56% were aware of the ingredients in the products in their daily skincare regimen that provide effectiveness. The remaining 44% of the women surveyed did not know or were undecided about knowing the products that provide efficacy.
When it comes to aging and attitudes about aging skin, most women surveyed (92%) are aware that the signs of aging worsen with repeated exposure to the sun. In fact, 40% feel the sun was the number one cause of their wrinkles. Although sun exposure is a natural part of aging, 29% of the women surveyed feel as if it is the number one cause of their wrinkles; more than stress (19%), genetics (8%), and other factors (4%).
The survey clearly demonstrates that skin is a topic of great importance for women. In this day and age, women are not seeking the help of a dermatologist to treat their aging skin. They prefer to manage their skin with over-the-counter products although they are not entirely satisfied with them; mostly due to the fact they aren’t seeing the desired visible results.
Although a small percentage of women use prescription products, the majority are satisfied with the overall effectiveness of these products. Those women who are not satisfied or neutral about the overall effectiveness feel this way because they are not seeing any visible results.
Clinical proof of effectiveness when purchasing a product is the most important attribute for the women surveyed. Women want to see products that work and products that are recommended by professionals (dermatologists).
Although women were well aware of the external factors associated with aging skin (i.e., sun, smoking), many women did not feel the number one reason for their aging skin is genetically predetermined. Women need to recognize all contributing factors and biological processes that affect their skin as they age including, diet, exercise and hormonal changes that occur during menopause.
