Rising concerns over unpredictable US tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty have reignited national pride, sparking a powerful “buy local” movement. Consumers are increasingly turning to local and national businesses, placing a premium on homegrown products. Notably, 66% of facial skincare shoppers view Canadian-made products as more trustworthy. For brands with Canadian roots, this presents a unique opportunity to foster loyalty, build trust, and deepen their connection with audiences.
While inflation has eased significantly from its peak, consumers still grapple with the high cost of living. This has led to reduced spending on non-essential items, including supplementary skincare products. However, during times of economic uncertainty, affordable luxuries like skincare offer a simple yet meaningful way for people to indulge themselves. As consumers increasingly prioritize wellness, skincare has become deeply intertwined with self-care, providing both a comforting ritual amidst challenging times and justification for further investment.
Seventy-five percent of consumers believe affordable facial skincare products are just as effective as premium options. With most consumers struggling to see a clear advantage in efficacy, premium products need to justify their higher price tag by demonstrating tangible value and results.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Market factors impacting the facial skincare market
- Self-assessed skin type
- Facial product category usage
- Facial skincare routines and motivations
- Past 12 month facial skincare behaviours
- Important purchase factors when shopping for facial skincare products
Consumers continue to show strong interest in skincare but are adopting a more thoughtful approach to their purchases. They are gravitating toward simplified routines that prioritize personalized solutions and powerful, effective ingredients.
Meghan Ross, Senior Research Analyst – Home & Beauty
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has focused on the following facial skincare product categories:
- Anti-aging facial products (can include cleansers, moisturizers and treatments)
- Facial cleansers including scrubs and toners
- Facial moisturizers
- Facial sunscreens
- Eye creams
- Acne treatments
- Lip balm
This Report covers only the at-home facial skincare market and does not include professional services or body care products such as body wash or hand and body lotion.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
- What consumers want & why
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THE MARKET
- Market context
- Economic snapshot
- Market drivers
- Inflation continues to cool, but Canadians are still struggling
- Graph 1: Consumer Price Index, 2020-25
- National pride drives interest in the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement
- Budget concerns may limit Canadian-made purchases
- Canadian-made product interest is expected to continue
- Graph 2: plans to shop or do research in the next 12 months based on brand’s country of origin, 2025
- Emphasizing Canadian roots
- South Asian consumers represent a strong opportunity
- Graph 3: distribution of foreign-born population, by region of birth, 1996-2036
- Older men are least involved in the category
- Graph 4: population aged 0-14 and 65+, 1988-2068*
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Self-assessed skin type
- Understanding skin type encourages higher repertoire size
- Graph 5: number of facial products used at home, by skin type, 2025
- More education is needed to help men understand their skin type
- Graph 6: self-assessed skin type, men vs women, 2025
- Beyond biology, education impacts skin type assessments among older consumers
- Graph 7: self-assessed skin type, by age, 2025
- Products must be designed with multicultural needs in mind
- Graph 8: self-assessed skin type, by racial background, 2025
- Skincare products used
- The majority of consumers use facial skincare products
- Graph 9: facial skincare products used at home, 2025
- Streamlined routines lead to more limited repertoires
- Graph 10: facial skincare products used at home, 2020-25
- Streamlined routines lead to more limited repertoires
- Graph 11: ‘I have reduced the number of steps in my facial skincare routine in the last 12 months’ (% agree), by change in time spent on facial skincare since last year, 2025
- Four in 10 consumers rely on only one to two products
- Graph 12: facial skincare product repertoire size, 2025
- Facial skincare usage skews heavily towards women
- Graph 13: facial skincare products used at home, men vs women, 2025
- Facial skincare product use declines with age
- Graph 14: facial skincare products used at home, by age, 2025
- Older men are least involved in the category
- Graph 15: those who use facial skincare products (any), by age and gender, 2025
- Asian consumers are more engaged with facial skincare
- Graph 16: facial skincare products used at home (select), by racial background, 2025
- Higher income shoppers are more likely to indulge in discretionary categories
- Graph 17: facial skincare products used at home (select), by household income, 2025
- Representation matters in facial skincare marketing
- Graph 18: facial skincare products used at home (select), LGBTQ+ vs non-LGBTQ+, 2025
- Skincare routines and motivations
- Almost a quarter of consumers are devoting more time to skincare
- Results and relaxation help boost facial skincare usage
- Graph 19: reasons for increasing amount of time spent on facial skincare routine since last year, 2025
- Time and money constraints limit category engagement
- Graph 20: reasons for decreasing amount of time spent on facial skincare routine since last year, 2025
- Convenient solutions can offer alternatives for time-strapped consumers
- Encouraging small habits to break time constraint barriers
- Versatility builds value
- Motivations for increased skincare focus differ somewhat between the sexes
- Graph 21: reasons for increasing amount of time spent on facial skincare routine since last year, men vs women, 2025
- Established habits are a barrier to expanding routines among older consumers
- Graph 22: change in time spent on facial skincare routine compared to a year ago, by age, 2025
- Increased spending power leads to greater involvement in skincare
- Graph 23: change in time spent on facial skincare routine compared to a year ago, by change in financial situation since last year, 2025
- When budgets allow, consumers treat themselves
- Graph 24: those citing that they have ‘made more room in my budget for facial skincare products’ as a reason for increased time spent on skincare, by change in financial situation since last year, 2025
- Graph 25: ‘I have bought a premium facial skincare product as a way to treat myself in the past six months’ (% agree), by change in financial situation since last year, 2025
- Facial skincare behaviours
- Consumers are willing to trade up or down based on need
- Graph 26: facial skincare product replacement behaviours, 2025
- Budgets are important, but consumers will stretch for trade-ups if they offer value
- Graph 27: replacing products based on price, by perceived financial health, 2025
- Building authentic connections
- Consumers are enthusiastic to share their facial skincare recommendations
- Graph 28: facial skincare sharing behaviours, 2025
- Accessible and transparent information is key to building trust
- Graph 29: ingredient research behaviours, 2025
- South Asian category engagement is evident through their strong interest in ingredient research
- Graph 30: ingredient research behaviours, South Asian vs overall, 2025
- Important purchase factors when shopping for facial skincare
- Tailored solutions that deliver results top shopping lists
- Graph 31: most important facial skincare purchase influences, 2025
- Formulation-focused products capture consumer attention
- One size doesn’t fit all
- Justifying seasonal adjustments with education
- Higher category engagement among women influences priorities
- Graph 32: most important facial skincare purchase influences (select), men vs women, 2025
- Evolving beyond “men’s skincare”
- Supplementary product claim importance varies by age
- Graph 33: most important facial skincare purchase influences (select), by age, 2025
- Asian shoppers seek out tailored solutions
- Graph 34: ‘designed for my skin type’ cited as a top three important facial skincare purchase influence, by racial background, 2025
- Keep BIPOC consumers in mind at all stages of product development or be held accountable
- Ayurvedic skincare with a modern twist
- Building credibility with immigration stories
- Addressing BIPOC consumer concerns with innovation
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Using technology for a tailored routine
- Personalized shopping suggestions powered by AI
- Skin analysis tools are popular among men
- Exosome formulations focus on the science of anti-aging
- Slowing the skin aging cycle at a cellular level
- ‘Expensive’ at home devices are becoming more accessible
- Marketing and advertising
- Transparency and authenticity are required to cut through skepticsm
- Building trust through education
- Differentiating ingredients through education
- Establishing trust through endorsements and thoughtful ingredient selection
- Transparent pricing reinforces consumer trust
- Private label and ‘dupes’ spell trouble for premium brands that don’t defend their position
- Low prices do not necessarily mean low satisfaction
- Versatility claims boost value perceptions, even with low cost brands
- Expert recommendations reassure consumers about budget brands
- Consumers are willing to research sustainability
- Sustainability messaging comes in a variety of forms
- For consumers, skincare is self-care
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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