Use of Beauty Products among U.S. Adolescents: An Exploration of Media Influence

The goal of this study is to 1) identify the types of beautyproduct used and to compare the frequency with whichadolescent boys and girls use them; and 2) determine types ofbeauty product use are significant in relation to the degree ofmedia influence among them in the United States. Whilecosmetic use is among the most common ways to enhance theappearance of adolescent girls, teenage boys in the UnitedStates have emerged as a sector of consumers in the healthand beauty industry as well, which is reflected by theirconcern with personal hygiene and appearance as well as byincreased sales (Shah, 2004).
Consumer socialization research of adolescents has identifiedthe media as a major source of influence (Brittain, 1963;Churchill and Moschis, 1979; Mascarenhas and Higby, 1993;Moore and Moschis, 1981; Robertson, 1979). Adolescents¡¯ useof beauty products can be influenced by how much theseyoung people are exposed to media sources, due to themedia¡¯s significant and pervasive influence on the lives ofadolescents (Taveras, Rifas-Shiman, Field, Frazier, Colditz, andGillman, 2004). Youth-oriented society has created images ofadolescent beauty in magazines, television, the Internet, and onbillboards and other types of advertisements (Labre andWalsh-Childers, 2003). Teenagers are believed to be among theheaviest users of many mass media outlets, particularlyspecialized magazines (Arnett, Larson, and Offer, 1995). Themedia provide information on fashion and beauty, which havethe potential to influence adolescents in the process of theirsocial development and emerging sense of identity.
The data were collected from 357 (155 males, 202 females)middle- and high-school students in the United States betweenthe ages of 11 and 18 years, with an average age of 14.3years. Of those sampled, the majority of them (328; 93.18%)were Caucasian. A pilot study was conducted in order toidentify the beauty products used for the development of thesurvey instrument. Ten product categories were identified forthe instrument development as follows: 1) shampoo and/orconditioner; 2) hairstyling gel/hairspray; 3) hair dye; 4) body products (e.g., body wash, lotion); 5) facial products (e.g.,facial soap, moisturizer); 6) perfume; 7) acne treatmentproducts; 8) hygiene products (e.g., deodorant, toothpaste); 9)cosmetics; and 10) nail products.
The participants were given a cover letter and aquestionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire containedmedia influence items (¦Á=0.79) developed by Bearden et al.
(1989). The second part of the questionnaire contained itemsconcerning beauty product use. The third part of thequestionnaire contained demographic items, which collectedinformation on the age, gender, and ethnicity of the sample.
The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics andMANOVA (Multivariate Analysis of Variance).
Results revealed that adolescent boys reported using avariety of products with varying degrees of frequency. On adaily basis, 84.7% of boys (n=127) used shampoo/conditioner,followed by hygiene products (84.5%; n=125), body products(61.5%; n=91), and facial products (37.2%; n=55). Adolescentboys occasionally used hairstyling gel/spray (43.2%; n=64) andacne treatments (49.0%; n=71). Most of them had never usednail products (87%; n=127), hair dye (84.5%; n=125),cosmetics (83.2%; n=124), or perfume (65%; n=97).
Adolescent girls reported using a variety of products daily.
A total of 93.5% (n=186) used hygiene products, followed byshampoo/conditioner (90.1%; n=181), body products (84.9%;n=169), facial products (74.3%; n=150), perfume (65.8%;n=129), cosmetics (62.2%; n=125), and acne treatments(51.3%; n=101) on a daily basis. Occasionally, 51.2 %(n=103) of adolescent girls used hairstyling gel/spray, hair dye(41.5 %; n=81), as well as nail products (71%; n=142).
Not surprisingly, further analysis indicated that girls tendedto use beauty products more frequently than boys. This genderdifference was especially salient in each of the followingproduct categories: cosmetics, perfume, and nail products.
However, there was no gender difference in the shampoo/conditioner product category.
Media influence had a main effect on the use of beautyproducts. Specifically, participants who were highly susceptibleto media influence tended to use each of the followingproducts more frequently than those in the low mediainfluence group: shampoo/conditioner, hairstyling gels/sprays,hair dye, and hygiene products. There was no interaction effectbetween gender and media influence on the use of beautyproductsThe media do play a role in the decision-making processesby adolescents as to whether they should experiment with oradopt a routine of using the following products: shampoo/ conditioner, hairstyling gel/spray, hair dye, and hygieneproducts. Popular hairstyles of the time are portrayed in themedia. Particularly for boys, images of male models adoptingpopular styles are often portrayed; these same male models arefrequently shown surrounded by women. As a result,adolescent boys are encouraged to think that they will bepopular if they adopt such hairstyles and use products tomaintain them. This also introduces insight-marketingimplications that marketers for hair-care products should bekeep in mind.
For adolescent girls, hairstyling products are seen in somany media outlets for adolescent girls that it is hard foryoung girls not to be influenced by them. Therefore, marketingstrategies for hair products should be differentiated by creatingunique package designs or by applying images that areappealing to those age groups, such as celebrity productendorsements. In particular, adolescent girls probably need toacquire product information through advertisements when suchproducts (i.e., hair dye or hygiene products) are not intendedfor routine consumption.
This overview of adolescents¡¯ beauty product use and themedia as an outside influence provides the basis for futurestudies. It is important to acknowledge that the range of hairproduct use by adolescents is a subject warranting furtherinvestigation, including adolescents¡¯ motives for using thatclass of products, and for ways in which they obtain productinformation.