New Study Evaluates American Spending on Beauty, Fitness and Wellness

In a new study, StyleSeat surveyed 1,400 Americans and asked what they buy to maintain their beauty, fitness, and wellness routines. Americans spend an average of $110 a month on these categories and 71% do not plan to cut back on wellness spending despite inflation.

Here are some key findings from the survey:

• Americans spend an average of $110 a month on beauty, fitness, and wellness.
• Haircuts and facial skin care were tied for the biggest beauty expenses (haircuts 23%, facial skin care 23% and hair care 18%).
• Of the three main categories, Americans spend the most on three things: vitamins and supplements, haircuts, and skin care.
• Of all respondents, 60 percent know someone who spends more money on beauty, fitness, and wellness than they can afford.

Spending Habits

Whitle the average respondent spent $110 a month on these categories, they didn't distribute their spending equally across all categories. Instead, Americans spent the most on beauty (46%), followed by fitness ($34, with the lowest monthly investment in wellness ($30) Women and nonbinary individuals spent more ($124 and $114 respectively) than ment ($94) in these overall categories. 

The millennial respndents spent the most of any generation at $115 per month. Millennials spent $20 more montly on beauty fitness and wellness than memebers of Gen Z, amounting to a $240 annual difference. 

The Biggest Expenses

Haircuts and facial skin care were tied for the biggest beauty expenses Nearly 1 in 4 (23 percent) said they spent the most on haircuts, while another 23 percent spent the most on facial skin care. 

Vitamins and supplements were two time more popular than any other fitness expense with nearly 2 in 5 (36%) saying they spent the most on them. Sleep aids and mental health care (both 19 percent) tied for the biggest welnness expenses. 

All of these expenses can add up, and 60 percent of Americans know someone who spends more money than they can reasonable affort on their beauty, fitness and wellness routines. This number is even higher when looking at Gen Z respondents (70 percent) and women (66 percent). Knowing ahead of time what certain services cost can help you stay on budget, while still feeling pampered. 

The Largest Spending Category

The survey provided some insight into what Americans invest in most across beauty, fitness and wellness categories, and where they get the most bang for their buck. 

Respondents expect beauty to remain the largest spending category in self-care this year, with nearly 2 in 5 (39 percent) saying they will spend the most on it. However, this is down from last year, when 45 percent said beauty was their largest spending category. 

Instead, respondents are spending more on the fitness and wellenss categories. Of all respondents, 1 in 3 indecated that fitness will be their largest spending cateegory this year, which increased from 28 percent to 31 percent. 

Respondents were asked to rate which popular service allows them to get the most value for their dollar: hair services, gym or studio memberships, or mental health services. Of respondents who use all three, 38 percent said hair services were most valuable, 34 percent chose gym or studio memberships and 28 percent chose mental health services. 

Inflation Spending Habits

As we navigate a pandemic and inflation, many of us are making changes to our normal routines. The survey asked respondents what this looks like for their beauty, fitness and wellness practices. 

Despite inflation, the majority of Americans indicated they will not cut spending on beauty, fitness or wellness. In fact, 71 percent indicated consistent or increased spending on wellness, while 66 percent said the same for fitness and 58 percent for beauty. 

The world before COVID-19 looked quite different when it came to beauty, fitness and wellness. In the last couple of years, about one in four Americans have increased their spending on wellness. Nearly one in five indicated they are using more fitness products, and one in four Americans are using fewer beauty products overall. 

Check out more results from the survey.