During the summer season, Japanese consumers cited ultraviolet (UV) exposure as their primary skincare concern. According to recent data released by Japanese beauty platform @cosme, UV care ranked highest among all beauty-related issues encompassing the face, hair, and body. In particular, around 23% of respondents identified UV exposure as a concern in the facial care category. Concerns about UV protection also accounted for approximately 10% in body care, indicating that UV countermeasures are a top priority throughout the summer. This survey was conducted jointly with the women-focused media outlet Woman’s LABO. Moisturization was also a major concern. Issues related to dry, cracked, or rough skin were reported by about 16% of respondents for facial care, 14% for hair, and 9% for body care. These results suggest that the increased use of air conditioning and indoor-outdoor temperature differences during summer elevate the need for skin hydration. In the facial category, “whitening care” ranked fourth at about 7%. This includes concerns about dark spots, freckles, and blemishes, reflecting heightened awareness of external skin stressors during summer, alongside UV exposure. Other concerns included anti-aging care such as wrinkles, sagging, and dullness (6%), oiliness and body hair management (5%), and pore issues (3%). Men-specific concerns such as "makeup not adhering well" or "excessive body hair" were also recorded separately at around 5%. In the hair care category, concerns about “hair loss,” “lack of hair volume,” and “visible scalp” topped the list at around 20%. These were followed by "moisturization" (14%) and "scalp issues" (11%). A notable 10% of respondents also expressed concerns about "scent retention." The high ranking of "scalp care"—including itchiness, odor, and oiliness—suggests heightened awareness of changes in scalp conditions during the summer. Concerns regarding the visual finish of hair, such as "lack of shine" or "lack of curl and volume," were cited by approximately 7% of respondents. Hair damage due to coloring was noted at 6%, and damage from bleaching or dryness also stood at around 6%. “Feminine care” related to hormonal changes such as postpartum hair concerns accounted for about 4%, while concerns about maintaining smooth hair texture (“conditioning”) were also reported at 4%. In the body care category, “feminine care” was the top concern at around 14%. Respondents cited discomfort due to sweat, odor, itching, and dryness in sensitive areas during hot and humid weather. This was followed by “oral care” (including bad breath and tooth discoloration) at approximately 13%, “UV care” at 10%, and “deodorants/antiperspirants” also at 10%. Other body care concerns included rough or flaky skin (5%), body aging care (5%), and appearance-related concerns such as hair removal or whitening (4%). "Inner care" (general health maintenance) and "nail care" (issues like splitting and dryness) were each cited by about 3% of respondents. In summary, the key skincare concerns among Japanese consumers during summer can be categorized into four main areas: UV exposure, moisturization, hair loss, and odor (including body and oral odor). Among these, UV care stood out as the most widely mentioned issue across both facial and body categories, with over 10% of respondents selecting it—making it the single most broadly cited concern(Source: Japanese beauty platform @cosme, June 2025). |
