Multi-duty skincare and color cosmetics have become the norm. Two-thirds (67%) of the 3,900 US beauty-buying females surveyed in The Benchmarking Company’s January 2025 beauty habits study say they regularly buy beauty products that perform more than one function or solve multiple problems. Whether it’s skincare products that contain SPF, or makeup providing added anti-aging skin benefits, the expectation from buyers is a plethora of strong multi-functional performers that are as efficacious as single-benefit products and have proof to back up those claims.
The Basics – Beauty Usage and Routine
Facial skincare is the most common category of general beauty and wellness products used by US beauty consumers (96%), followed by hair care products (95%), body skincare (89%) and color cosmetics (78%). Of those categories, facial skincare is used most often, with 49% saying they use it daily and 46% are using/applying multiple times per day. Body skincare comes in as a close second, with 59% saying they use body skincare products each day and 28% using body skincare multiple times daily.
Hair care and color cosmetic/makeup usage is nearly identical in this regard. At least 1 color cosmetic/makeup product is used daily by 56% of respondents, but only 10% reapply throughout the day. For hair care, 57% of respondents said they use at least one hair product each day with 10% reapplying that product throughout the day.
Applying body skincare products takes the least amount of time in their routine, with 32% saying they get it done in less than 5 minutes. The majority of users of each product take be-tween 6 and 20 minutes to apply products on a typical day, with more time devoted to the precision involved in applying color cosmetics or perfecting their hair style.
More than half of respondents (60%) say they use between 4 and 10 beauty and personal care products daily, with 18% saying they use 11-15 products daily, and another 13% using more than 15.
The number of products and time spent on their routine is worth it to the consumer. When asked to choose 5 attributes that describe their routine, more than half (54%) called the routine “self-care”, with 36% saying consistent/necessary (tied), 34% simple, 27% refreshing, 24% habitual, and 19% effective/calming (tied).
Multi-Tasking Beauty Attitudes
Convenience is important to 94% of respondents’ beauty routines, with 93% saying they value time-saving hacks. Most consumers (92%) are looking to simplify their beauty routines without compromising outcomes if possible.
More than three quarters (77%) of buyers, who agree that they want convenience, time-savings, and simplicity in their routines, believe multi-tasking cosmetics and skincare can be just as effective as products designed for one specific benefit. More than two-thirds (69%) of buyers actively seek out multi-tasking color cosmetics, with 63% also saying they actively seek out multi-tasking skincare and hair care products.
While time savings and simplicity are expected benefits of using multi-tasking beauty products, saving money is another expectation for 57% of consumers. Buyers also expect multi-tasking products to be space-saving (56%), reduce waste (44%), give her greater versatility of use (43%), are made with highly effective ingredients (30%) that contain less harmful chemicals (28%) and are more sustainable for the environment (25%).
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