The Benchmarking Company surveyed more than 2,900 beauty and personal care buyers on their opinions regarding topics such as products, representation and the Black Lives Matter movement for an August 2020 study.
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Of those surveyed, 83 percent of the female beauty consumers supported the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement with more than half of the consumers saying they supported a brand because of its endorsement to diversity, while 34 percent boycotted a brand due to its position on BLM. Of those who support BLM, 89 percent believe that female-focused brands have an obligation to empower women of all ethnicities and colors.
Participants were asked on a scale of 1-10 how important it is for beauty brands to diversify, hire and promote more Black employees and 71 percent rated an 8 or higher. Reasoning for this ranged from:
- Brands should reflect customers or be more relatable to all
- It's the right thing to do
- It will lead to better products for people of color
As for beauty products in general, 87 percent of Black women feel as though there is a lack of beauty made for Black women, while 59 percent of other women of color, agree. The overall selection in-store is scarce according to 64 percent of Black women, who do not see adequate shelf space dedicated to Black/other consumers of color, and 41 percent of other women of color agree. More than half of all women of color want to see a range of products for all ethnicities offered.
When asked about specific products lacking representation for people of color, these were the highest categories:
- Color Cosmetics
- Hair Care
- Daily Skin Care
- Skin Care treatments
- Hair Styling Products
