A new study looking at attitudes to personal grooming among more than 1,000 British adults. Most Britons believe women still face more pressure to be well groomed, new Ipsos MORI research published today finds. Whilst 85% of women and 78% of men agree women should be equal to men in society, nearly all women (90%) and 77% of men think that that society puts more pressure on women than men to look groomed, the findings show.

1. Unisex or mind the gender gap?
Attitudes to personal care
Ipsos MORI

2. 81% 14% 4%2%All
Strongly / Tend to Agree Neither Agree nor disagree Strongly / tend to disagree Don't know
Traditional gender roles are becoming less relevant, most people
Women should have the same rights and power as men in society...
think women should be equal to men in society
Q7. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with the following statements. - Women should
have the same rights and power as men in society
76%
85%
18%
10%
4%
3%
2%
1%
What men think
What women think
B=559
B=560
B=1119

3. …But widespread agreement that there is still greater pressure
on women to look well groomed
77%
10%
Women Men
90%
4%
Women Men
What men think… What women think…
68% 70%
84% 82% 78%
15% 11%
3% 9% 11%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-75
More pressure on women More pressure on men
97% 92% 90% 91% 85%
1% 3% 3% 4% 7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-75
More pressure on women More pressure on men
Base =560 Base =559
Q6a. Do you think there is more pressure on men or women to look well-groomed nowadays.:
On a scale of 1-10. Codes 1-4 = more pressure on men, codes 6-10 = more pressure on women

4. Is it not socially acceptable for women to apply their make-up on public
transport?
Significant numbers think it is acceptable to apply make up in
public…but men slightly more ambivalent
Q7. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with the following statements. - It is not socially
acceptable for women to apply their make-up on public transport
22%
32%
41%
5%
What men think
Strongly / Tend to Agree Neither Agree nor disagree
Strongly / tend to disagree Don't know
26%
29%
42%
3%
What women think
Strongly / Tend to Agree Neither Agree nor disagree
Strongly / tend to disagree Don't know
Base =560 Base =559

5. 15%
6%
23%
15%
58%
77%
4% 1%
What men think What women think
Strongly / Tend to Agree
Neither Agree nor disagree
Strongly / tend to disagree
While prescriptive dress codes for men and women may have
It is fine to require female staff to
wear high heels as part of a
uniform code
What men think… What women think…
It is fine to forbid male
employees from growing beards
under an office uniform code
16% 12%
22%
19%
58%
65%
4% 4%
What men think What women think
Strongly / Tend to Agree
Neither Agree nor disagree
Strongly / tend to disagree
B=560 B=559
What men think… What women think…
been accepted in the past, views are now changing…
Q7. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or
disagree with the following statements. - It is fine to
require female staff to wear high heels as part of a
uniform code
B=560 B=559
Q7. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or
disagree with the following statements. - It is fine to
forbid male employees from growing beards under
an office uniform code

6. 52%
40% 40% 38% 36%
Oral health Body odour Wrinkles Dry skin Hair condition
39% 38%
34%
21% 21%
Body odour Oral health Bad breath Dry skin Dandruff
Women worry more about personal care issues than men
…but we all worry about similar things
Average issues : 3.5
Average issues : 4.3
What men worry about…
What women worry about…
Base =559
Q5. Please tell us which of the following personal care issues you worry about.
Base =560

7. Women spend longer on their personal care routines than men
How much time is spent on personal care routines per year…
Men spend an
average of
192 hours
on personal care
activities per year
Q3. Thinking of an average week, how often do you usually perform the following personal care activities?
Q4. On each occasion, how much time on average do you spend on completing each activity?
Base =560 Base =559
Women spend an
average of
241 hours, 22 minutes
on personal care
activities per year

8. Women are using far more personal care products than men
How many products have you ever tried/currently use?
Men use an
average of
6.4
Personal care
products
Q1. Which of the following products have you ever tried and do you currently use?
Base =560 Base =559
Women use an
average of
10.2
Personal care
products
Although men do also have a full bathroom cabinet

9. Both men and women use care products designed for
the opposite gender
And there is an overlap in usage of some products for the other gender…
18%
27%
15%
21%
48%
39%
34%
13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
S H A V ING R A Z ORS
A N TIPE RSP IRANT/ DEODORANT
/ B ODY S P R AY S H A V ING F O AM S/ GE LS B O D Y M O I STURI SERS/ CRE AMS
Men using women's products Women using men's products
Q2a. Which of the following products, that were bought for FEMALE/MALE household members, have you
ever used?
Base= 442
(Males who have more than 1 person in
the household)
Base= 457
(Females who have more than
1 person in the household)
In total…79% of men have tried products for women and 82% of women have tried products for men

10. The most common reason to use products for the opposite gender is convenience
Availability is the second most common reason for men, while for women, it’s the product’s
effectiveness
Why men use
women’s products…
Why women use
men’s products…
47% 47%
50% 51%
27% 26% 25% 27%
20%
15%
21%
25%
12%
20%
11% 9%7% 5%
9% 9%7%
12%
6% 8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Convenience Easily available More effective Better quality More variety Cheaper
46%
49%
55%
37%
21%
26%
22%
30%
22%
18%
23%
33%
21%
16%
13%
22%
4% 4%
9% 9%
20%
16%
7%
10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Shaving razors Shaving foams/gels
Antiperspirant/
Deodorant/Body spray
Body moisturisers
Q2b. Why did/do you use these products? *indicates low base size (<80)
B= 170B= 219 B= 156 B= 59*
B= 120B= 83 B= 66* B= 95

11. There is consensus that products will be more gender specific
in future
62%
16%,
Gender Targeted Unisex
In future personal care products will be more…
What men think… What women think…
75%
10%
Gender Targeted Unisex
58% 58%
65% 65% 62%
16% 14% 11% 17% 18%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-75
More gender targeted More unisex
81% 80% 80% 75%
66%
4% 8% 10% 11% 16%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-75
More gender targeted More unisex
Base =560 Base =559
Q6b. In the future more personal care products will be
On a scale of 1-10. Codes 1-4 = more unisex, codes 6-10 = more gender targeted

12. In the future men wearing make-up will be the norm/ unremarkable
21%
30%
36%
32%
36%
31%
8%
8%
What men think
What women think
Strongly / Tend to Agree Neither Agree nor disagree Strongly / tend to disagree Don't know
A fifth of men think men wearing make up will be the norm
Q7. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or
disagree with the following statements. - In the
future men wearing make-up will be the
norm/unremarkable
B=560
B=559

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