Vaseline Good Skin Day Survey Release
Toronto, ON (October 2010) – Canadian women say that dry skin can have a widespread emotional and social impact on their lives, affecting everything from their self-confidence and mood to their intimacy with loved ones, according to the Vaseline Good Skin Day Survey.
The survey of 1,000 women, with dry or very dry skin, found that dry skin is much more than a passing concern. Three-in-five women surveyed (60%) claim to think about their dry skin at least once a week and one-in-five (20%) claim to think about it at least once a day. Dry skin is negatively affecting how women approach routine activities, how they interact with others and even how they feel about themselves.
“The survey findings reflect the challenges women face trying to manage the impact of our environment and daily activities on our skin, including keeping it moisturized,” says Toronto-based dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll. “It’s tough to ignore the effects of dry skin when we can see and feel them every day.“
More than a ‘Routine’ Problem
Three quarters of women surveyed (76%) say that their dry skin can make them feel physically uncomfortable at least some of the time, including itchiness, tightness and cracking. Women say that the physical effects of dry skin can interfere with a range of every day activities including sleeping, getting dressed and working:
• More than one-in-five women interviewed (22%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of a good night’s sleep
• A quarter of women (26%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of them getting dressed (because it snags on their clothing)
• Half of women (50%) admit to wearing clothing to deliberately cover up dry skin (including wearing sweaters, long pants) at least some of the time
• One-in-ten women (11%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of work
The effects of dry skin can also pose a barrier to physical contact with others both privately and socially:
• More than one-in-five women (22%) say dry skin has interfered with them being intimate with a loved one
• More than one-in-five women (22%) say dry skin can cause them to avoid physical contact with others at least some of the time
• More than one-in-five women (22%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of shaking hands
A Mood Killer
Beyond its physical effects, the survey found that dry skin can even put a damper on how Canadian women feel emotionally, by affecting a number of things that impact their overall outlook on life:
• Two-in-five women (40%) say dry skin makes them feel less attractive
• Two-in-five (43%) of women say dry skin affects their self-confidence
• One-in-ten women (13%) say having dry skin puts them in a bad mood
Desperately Seeking a Solution
The overall impact of dry skin has led women to seek a number of solutions to address the problem:
• On average, women claim to have tried more than eight (8.6) different types of lotions or treatments in an effort to manage the effects of dry skin. Nearly one-in-ten women (9%) have tried at least 20 different types of lotions or treatments to deal with the problem
Beyond the more obvious solutions, women say they would even give up some of their most basic pleasures to make ‘every day a good skin day’:
• More than a third (35%) of women would give up their favourite dessert and nearly a quarter (22%) would give up their morning coffee just to make ‘every day a good skin day’
A Mission to Rescue Dry Skin:
While the survey revealed a number of issues related to dry skin it also found that more than eight-in-ten women (85%) agree that their quality of life improves when their skin looks and feels healthy. The good news is that women can get immediate help for their dry skin from dermatologist-tested Vaseline® Intensive Rescue® products, which contain a unique balance of key ingredients that instantly boost skin’s moisture levels and lock in moisture to accelerate healing with a non-greasy feel.
The line includes Extra Strength Lotion, in fragranced and unfragranced, plus Clinical Therapy Lotion, which helps to restore extremely dry skin in five days.
Vaseline® Intensive Rescue® also offers women additional support for their skincare needs, including insights from a dermatologist, skincare tips and a short survey that lets women see how their skincare challenges compare to those of other women at this Facebook page.
About the survey:
The Vaseline Good Skin Day Survey was commissioned by Vaseline and conducted by Vision Critical (Angus Reid) between August 12 and August 16, 2010. The sample for the study included 1,000 Canadian women, aged 18-55, who claim to have dry or very dry skin. Results are accurate to +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About Vaseline:
Vaseline products are manufactured by Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer products companies. With a 138-year heritage as North America’s most trusted skin expert and more than 30 years as a leading hand and body lotion, the Vaseline brand delivers products that meet the specific needs of consumers, no matter their life stage or lifestyle. All Vaseline products can be purchased at drug stores and mass retailers nationwide.