As an avid beauty fanatic, I admittedly own entirely too many beauty products, and am guilty of not utilizing all of them (or even close to all of them). Still, when I heard how many the average woman owns and uses, I was floored.
A recent survey of 4,000 women commissioned by Poshly and Stowaway Cosmetics found that the average woman owns a whopping 40 makeup products. If this statistic gives you pause, think of all those lipsticks, mascaras, eyeliners, nail polishes, blushes, and powders sitting in your makeup case ... each of those adds up. Even more shocking: On average, women typically only use five of those 40 products, meaning we allow 87% of our collection to go to waste without regular use. Yikes!
If you have too many products on your sink shelves (and armoire, and in your cabinets, and...), then take a bit of time this weekend to go through each one. Ask yourself these questions:
Is this product past its expiration?
Does it smell off? If so, toss it! According to the survey, the most-kept products past their expiration were eye makeup items — even though they expire the most quickly. You don't want that on your face, least of all around your eyes, no matter how expensive it was.
Is this product still useful to me?
If your favorite bronzer broke, you can't fix it, and you rarely find yourself even attempting to use it, just throw it away. Don't hang onto items for nostalgia purposes if you're not using 'em. In that same vein, throw (or give, if it's unused) a product away if you find that you don't have any urge to actually use it. Perhaps you loved the color in the store but find it impractical in real life. It's time to let it go if you don't ever actually reach for it.
Have I used this in the past two weeks?
While some products may be more "sometimes" items — like false eyelashes or an extra bold lipstick — you should be using your standard products on a regular basis if you want to get your money's worth.
The sooner you clear out your collection, the more clutter-free your home will be. Even better: If you only purchase things you plan on really using, your wallet will truly thank you.
[via Stowaway Cosmetics
Sam Escobar
Contributor
Sam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things relating to cats. In their spare time, they enjoy watching scary movies, putting avocado on everything, and seeing how many shades of the rainbow they can dye their hair before 30.
FAQs
A recent survey of 4,000 women commissioned by Poshly and Stowaway Cosmetics found that the average woman owns a whopping 40 makeup products.
How many beauty products does the average woman use? ›
The average woman uses 12 different beauty products every day — cleansers, conditioners, hair dyes, fragrances, skin care products, scented lotions, nail polish, and makeup, to name a few. Take a quick glance at the labels, and you'll see a co*cktail of chemical components.
How many lip products does the average woman own? ›
According to the Cheskin & Masten study, the average woman owns seven lipsticks. Of those, 2.6 are used frequently. Although the study did not focus on specific brands or colors, it can be extrapolated that women buy different brands because respondents mentioned that their lipsticks were of varying sizes and shapes.
How much money does the average woman spend on makeup in a lifetime? ›
Taking into consideration the price of each product, a new survey from SkinStore.com reports that the average woman wears about $8 worth of makeup and skincare products every day. That adds up to almost $250 a month and well over $200,000 in a lifetime.
How much does the average person spend on makeup a year? ›
When it comes to the price of beauty, American women spend an average of $115 for makeup and beauty treatments per month, or $1,380 per year. They also spend an average of $65 per month on creams, lotions, moisturizers, and anti-aging treatments, according to the New York Post.
How many makeup products does the average person own? ›
A recent survey of 4,000 women commissioned by Poshly and Stowaway Cosmetics found that the average woman owns a whopping 40 makeup products. If this statistic gives you pause, think of all those lipsticks, mascaras, eyeliners, nail polishes, blushes, and powders sitting in your makeup case ... each of those adds up.
How many products does the average person use per day? ›
Women use more products than men, and are exposed to more unique ingredients daily, but men use a surprisingly high number of products as well. The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every day. Men, on the other hand, use 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients, on average.
How many makeup products are there? ›
Primer, foundation, CC cream, concealer, blush, setting spray/powder, highlighter, bronzer, moisturizer, and colour correctors are all essential face makeup products. Eye makeup products include eye primers, eyeshadows, mascaras, and eyeliners.
What is the average size female lips? ›
Results: It has been found that there is no significant of lip length in relation to gender and different age groups. Whereas average lip length has been found to be 21.2±2.3mm in male and 19.4±1.9mm in female.
How many lipsticks should a girl have? ›
With three perfect lipsticks, you know that you're always prepared for whatever the day may throw your way. Although owning 3 lipsticks in three different shades is important, having the right shades of lipstick for your face or your look is equally as important.
Overall, Hispanic women are the most likely to use makeup. The number is more than 86 percent across all age groups. "I think it relates to a cultural point of view about femininity and dressing up,” Grant said.
What race spends the most money on cosmetics? ›
Black women, in particular, spend an estimated $7.5 billion annually on beauty products, shelling out 80% more on cosmetics and twice as much on skin care as their non-Black counterparts. Yet, they've been grossly underserved by the cosmetics industry throughout history.
What age group spends the most money on makeup? ›
About 57% of global makeup consumers are aged between 18-34 years. This statistic is significant in the context of a blog post about Makeup Statistics because it reveals the age demographic that is most likely to purchase makeup products.
How much more attractive does makeup make you? ›
We found that, while makeup did make faces more attractive on average, it only accounted for around 2 percent of the entire variation in attractiveness judgments. In other words, when someone makes a judgement of your attractiveness, makeup will only contribute to around 2 percent of that judgement.
Is it worth it to wear makeup Everyday? ›
Many of your daily makeup products contain harsh chemicals that can disrupt functions of the protective barrier of your skin, making it easier for pathogens to enter your skin. Using makeup regularly can cause various side effects, impacting the health and natural glow of your skin.
Do most people wear makeup everyday? ›
According to a survey by CivicScience, in 2019, only 39% of women said they wear makeup daily, which is less than 52% from the same survey conducted in 2015.
How many products are in the average skin care routine? ›
Women use an average of 16 skin care and cosmetic products every day. Over 85% of women surveyed said they apply a minimum of 16 products a day to their face, before they leave the house. This is a combination of skincare and cosmetics, starting from the facial cleansers they use in the morning, to blusher.
How many skincare products do you really need? ›
But most dermatologists agree that you only really need a few products. According to consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite, the building blocks of any skincare routine can be narrowed down to just three products: cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen.
How many products is too many in a skincare routine? ›
While experts seem to agree that 3 - 4 products should suffice for a daily skincare routine, most of us are guilty of using far more. While you might think that the sequence of your skincare favorites doesn't matter, you may want to think again. In fact, the order of application is pretty important.
How many chemicals does the average woman use? ›
The Environmental Working Group Survey found that on average, American women put 168 chemicals on their bodies each day… The group found that chemicals from the products used, were ending up inside their bodies.
