Philips Global Beauty Index gives new insights into the future of personalized beauty care

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), today announced the findings of its annual Philips Global Beauty Index, an extensive international study on women’s perceptions on beauty. The 2017 study shows a rise in the number of women globally who find themselves beautiful - a nine percent increase since 2015 (51 percent to 60 percent). The study also revealed that personalization and a strong connection between personal health and beauty will be central to the beauty industry’s future direction. 

For the Philips Global Beauty Index, 11,132 women aged 18 and above were surveyed in 11 countries (USA, UK, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Turkey, China, Japan, Korea, and India). The report provides insights into current beauty industry trends, perceptions and needs across continents. Nearly half of the women who participated (40 percent) believe a more personalized approach to beauty will evolve in the next five years, and almost the same proportion (39 percent) believe that there will be further development of apps and websites that allow them to try out products before they buy.

Philips Lumea Prestige

Supporting these growing demands, Philips recently launched the Philips Lumea Prestige – an intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal solution. Developed to suit the differing shapes, curves and skin tones of women, the device features four tailored attachments for women’s hair removal requirements on their face, legs, bikini line, and armpits. It also includes a new SmartSkin sensor that measures skin tone at the push of a button, and the Lumea Coaching app to guide users through a treatment plan tailored to their individual needs.  

“In a rapidly changing industry like beauty, it is crucial for businesses to understand consumers’ expectations and needs in order to best meet their future demands,” said Jack van Strien, Business Group Leader Personal Care, Philips. “This year’s findings show that globally, women are unified in agreeing on the things that make them feel beautiful - factors that are all personal: from a self-confident mindset to body shape to their social circumstances. The latest technologies allow us to realize a new generation of personalized and adaptive solutions that will help women across the globe feel beautiful, and enjoy life.”

‘Perfectly imperfect’ women

The findings also revealed the welcome demise of old stereotypes, with women from different cultures sharing similar attitudes to what it means to be beautiful. Nearly three quarters of women (70 percent) believe beauty is something you define for yourself and almost nine in ten (89 percent) believe there are lots of ways to be beautiful. Additional Philips research¹ also found that women look to a diverse range of beauty icons for their inspiration; glamourous trend-setting celebrities as well as the ‘perfectly imperfect’ women who are happy in their own skin.

Beauty and health are increasingly connected

Health was another unifying factor, with the research showing that beauty and health are increasingly connected. Wellbeing, physically and emotionally, was also an important factor in feeling beautiful. Over three quarters (82 percent) of women globally agreed that when they feel healthy, they also feel beautiful. When asked for the three most important personal aspects that define beauty, having a positive mind-set (89 percent), feeling emotionally balanced (85 percent), and being physically fit (81 percent) were the top responses. Confidence is also driven by health, with over three quarters saying they feel most confident when they are healthy (77 percent).

Philips Lumea is available in select markets worldwide, for more information visit: https://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-pe/hair-removal/lumea-ipl

¹ Exploring the changing meaning of ‘Beauty’ with women on the Beauty Lounge community, C-Space research for Philips, May 2017