After a year of staring at our own faces on video calls, beauty priorities are evolving. National survey reveals how the pandemic has impacted beauty & more. 

It’s been a year. We’ve seen dramatic changes to our everyday lives – some temporary, some permanent.  What has it all meant for beauty, self-care and our very perception of ourselves?

StriVectin answers these questions with new research exploring changes and new habits after a year of unprecedented disruption.Its survey of 2,000 US adults has examined the impact living in a largely virtual world has had on how we perceive ourselves, and how we might expect those changes to impact our daily lives as we emerge from pandemic life.

Video calling has become the new normal since public health precautions necessitated time spent apart from family, friends and colleagues. And with 90% expecting to continue video calling even after the crisis abates, we are likely looking more at a shift than a trend.  

Alison Yeh, Chief Marketing Officer at StriVectin says, “As a brand with scientific research at the core of our beliefs, it was important for us to better understand shifting consumer perceptions and priorities. The findings of this survey shed a light on the impact living virtually has had on the way we look at ourselves on many levels, a trend we expect to continue as working from home and video-calling are likely to remain embedded in our everyday lives for months to come.”

Key Findings

• 63% admit to spending at least half their time on video calls staring at their own face. 

•  44% have researched how to look better in video calls.

• 33% have been frustrated to the point of considering cosmetic procedures – for those in the 35-44 age group, that number jumps to 50%.

• 81% feel that the condition of their skin has deteriorated during the pandemic.

Eyes Climb the Beauty Priority (Complaint) List

• Eye concerns are one of the most common “video face” complaints with 1 in 4 saying they notice under eye circles more on video calls. 

• 30% say they have actually turned their camera off during a video call because their eyes looked tired on the screen.

• 71% say they are making an effort to positively accentuate the eye area, mostly by enhancing the skin. 37% have stepped up their efforts with serums, eye creams and devices, while 34% have added products to conceal or diminish dark circles. 31% rely on added definition with color cosmetics.