Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1191176
46 ascp skin deep january/february 2020 Consumers have begun to identify beyond gender, age, and appearance, and they are searching for products that eliminate traditional tags. Consumers have begun to identify beyond gender, age, and appearance, and they are searching for products that eliminate traditional tags (e.g., for men, for women, for specific ethnic and age groups, etc.). Consumers want products and services they can relate to—and trust. The beauty industry is gradually transforming into a cause, rather than just business. Beauty is becoming a part of our society that advocates for human rights, inclusivity, and equality across all genders. Many consumers are challenging the concept of gender bias, and why it even exists— particularly in the beauty profession. INFLUENCERS OF CHANGE According to GlobalData, there is significant overlap among men and women in terms of their current skin care concerns, and they are purchasing products to address them.1 Some of the leading gender-neutral concerns include skin firmness, dehydration, and pigmentation. One example is the tremendous shift toward unisex products. This shift has propelled many beauty brands to use male ambassadors and influencers. Male beauty influencers have become some of our most popular YouTube personalities. The NPD Weekly US Prestige Beauty Data shows that, during one week in late 2018, a setting powder product saw a 40 percent increase in unit sales following a sponsored Instagram post by a male influencer. In fact, this spike in unit sales was higher after the social media post than it was for Black Friday or the rest of the holiday season.2 It's not only men that are influencing change in the skin care and beauty industry—minority groups are causing a major shift too. Minority groups have huge spending power, and they are tightly knit communities with significant influence among their peers on social media. For example, after discovering that ethnic women spend a considerable amount of money INCLUSIVE SKIN CARE