In Part One of our two part series, we explored the consumer’s relationship with acne, how long acne has been a concern, where on her face and body she struggles with acne, and what products she uses to address this pesky problem. Now in Part Two, read on for a deeper look at the skincare products and brands she uses and trusts to help her address acne, how much she’s spending on these products, what she likes/dislikes about her favorite acne treatments, her thoughts on acne ingredients and treatments, and more.
Her Acne Specifics
Although most consumers (66%) rate their happiness with their skincare regimen between a three and four (on a five point scale, with 5 being extremely happy), 74% indicate that the acne treatments they are currently using only somewhat work for them, with only 14% saying their products always work. And speaking of products, most consumers use a plethora of different acne-specific products to help keep their skin clear of the telltale signs of breakouts.
Figure 1: Acne Specific Product Usage By Age
| Product | All | 18-29 | 30 – 39 | 40 – 49 | 50 – 59 | 60+ |
| Facial Cleanser | 75% | 79% | 78% | 71% | 63% | 61% |
| Moisturizer | 52% | 59% | 54% | 43% | 40% | 44% |
| Spot treatment | 50% | 47% | 51% | 53% | 49% | 35% |
| Clay/spreadable mask | 49% | 58% | 51% | 41% | 40% | 36% |
| Toner | 39% | 42% | 41% | 33% | 35% | 30% |
| All-over treatment | 33% | 35% | 37% | 29% | 23% | 17% |
| Pore strips | 31% | 31% | 35% | 29% | 23% | 16% |
| Sheet mask | 30% | 31% | 32% | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Sunscreen | 29% | 32% | 31% | 25% | 23% | 24% |
| Body wash/treatment | 27% | 25% | 30% | 28% | 22% | 27% |
| Acne patches/dots | 26% | 31% | 27% | 21% | 17% | 10% |
| Chemical exfoliator | 17% | 22% | 17% | 13% | 10% | 7% |
| Manual exfoliator | 15% | 17% | 15% | 13% | 11% | 10% |
| Peel Pads | 12% | 11% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 6% |
In terms of acne spend, across the board, most consumers are also spending modestly on acne-specific products. Over half of all consumers spend between $6 – $15 on acne-specific facial cleanser, toner, sunscreen, acne patches/dots, pore strips, clay or gel masks, spot treatments, and body washes/acne treatments for the whole body. However, 95% agree they’d be willing to spend more for an acne-specific regimen (or product) that really worked for them.
Figure 2: Overall Spending on Acne-Specific Products Per Year
| Amount | All |
| $1 – $25 | 7% |
| $26 – $50 | 13% |
| $51 – $75 | 12% |
| $76 – $100 | 16% |
| $101 – $150 | 13% |
| $151 – $200 | 12% |
| $201 – $300 | 11% |
| $301 – $400 | 7% |
| $400+ | 10% |
Out of her entire arsenal of skincare that she uses on a regular basis, 76% of consumers say that up to half of those products are acne-specific or created with the intention of treating breakouts in particular, and although 57% use multiple acne products, they don’t use products designed to work together or necessarily sold by the same brand/company. Only 12% of consumers indicate they use an acne-care regimen, with products in a 3-step system for example, that are designed to work together or sold by the same brand. On a brand note, favorite acne brands mentioned include: Neutrogena (43%), Clean & Clear (36%), Biore (33%), Clearasil (25%), Cetaphil (24%), Aveeno (22%), Cera Ve (21%), and that old standby Noxzema (20%).
Acne Products Likes and Dislikes
When on the hunt for new acne products, consumers really rely on other consumers to help them make purchasing decisions, and rank affordability (67%), consumer claims and product reviews (52%), ingredients (46%), percentage/strength of active ingredients (37%), and word-of-mouth recommendations (33%) among their top attributes when shopping for new acne products. Other nice-to-haves include: natural ingredients (26%), doctor recommendation (24%), targeted age of products (tweens/teens, etc.; 21%), and finally, a one-product-does-it-all offering (21%).
What doesn’t she love about her favorite acne products? In a word: slow results. Fifty-eight percent of all consumers say a product not getting rid of acne quickly/immediately is their top complaint/concern about acne products, followed by too expensive (53%); not effective at preventing reoccurrence of outbreaks (51%); too drying on the skin (46%); doesn’t prevent or treat scars associated with acne (40%); too harsh on the skin (36%); just takes too long to work (33%); and finally, doesn’t conceal the appearance of redness or bumps (30%).
Her Acne Savvy
Maybe because many acne consumers repeatedly struggle with breakouts and are drawn to the same products or ingredients that worked for them in the past, they are fairly tepid about trying new ingredients to treat their blemishes,…
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