Almost half of women stockpile unused skincare products over a year: Consumer Council

Almost half of women were found to have stockpiled skincare products that remained unopened for over a year, the Consumer Council said. 

In the council's latest study, a total of 1,650 female respondents aged 20 to 60 were interviewed via telephone about their purchasing and usage habits of skincare products, their satisfaction level, cost-effectiveness rating, and the likelihood of re-purchase. 

The survey results revealed that 49 percent of respondents admitted to owning facial products which remained unopened for over a year. Among them, 42 percent stockpiled face masks, followed by moisturizers at 30 percent, facial cleansers at 25 percent, and face serums at 17 percent. 

The data also found that 49 percent of the respondents will discard the expired skincare products, while 38 percent will apply it to other body parts. A quarter of the respondents would even continue to use it on the face. 

The survey also said that Hong Kong women spend HK$3,100 on facial skincare products annually. Those aged between 30 and 39 had the highest spend of around HK$3,500, with over half of the respondents of that age range spending more on higher-priced face serums. 

On the other hand, respondents aged 20 to 29 have the lowest spend of around $2,500. 

As for satisfaction with products of big-name brands, the council discovered inconsistent satisfaction across different product categories from the same brand. The council added satisfaction with a product might not be directly related to its cost-effectiveness or the user's likelihood to re-purchase. 

For example, a big brand facial cleanser received a high satisfaction rating of four points, yet its cost-effectiveness was rated a mere 2.5 points, reflecting that users may consider it relatively less value for money. 

However, the moisturizer from the same brand had the highest satisfaction and cost-effectiveness ratings, both rated at 4.5 points, amongst all brands, while its likelihood to re-purchase was also reasonably high, rated at four points. 

The council advises consumers to shop rationally, understand the product's efficacy, scrutinize the ingredients list, and select skincare suitable for their own skin type. 

At the same time, consumers are advised to only purchase an appropriate quantity to avoid stockpiling of products resulting in wastage.