Hispanics Feel Underrepresented in Beauty/Personal Grooming Advertising, Seek More Product Choices, AARP Report Finds

By AIT News Desk On Nov 1, 2019

Despite Spending Nearly Twice As Much on Beauty Products than the General Population, Hispanics 50-Plus Report Feeling Ignored By Beauty Industry Brands

Latinos aged 50 and older spend an average of $46 per month on beauty and personal grooming products, nearly double the $25 spent per month by the general 50-plus population. Despite spending nearly $7 billion in annual U.S. sales, 69 percent of Hispanics report feeling that the beauty and personal grooming industry treats people their age as an afterthought, a new AARP survey has found.

The 2019 national survey, Latinos and Beauty as We Age: A Cultural Reflection, reveals that Hispanics aged 50 and over wish images in advertising and the media were more age-inclusive, and they are more favorable of brands that reflect people their age in advertising. The survey questioned nearly 700 Hispanics age 18 and older in the US as part of a longer-term effort by AARP to shape a new image of aging in advertising, marketing and media.

“Hispanics stay just as involved with beauty and personal grooming as they age, and they want to see themselves at the forefront of product ads, not just as an afterthought,” says Yvette Peña, Vice President, AARP Multicultural Leadership Hispanic/Latino Audiences. “AARP shares these study findings to encourage beauty and personal care brands to be more age-inclusive in their product offerings and advertising.”

Beauty product manufacturers ought to take note. Compared to the 50-plus age cohort in the U.S. general population, Latinos aged 50 and older spend 84% more money and 38% more time and on beauty and personal grooming. Yet an overwhelming majority (88%) of Latina women aged 40 and older want to see more perimenopausal and menopausal beauty and personal grooming products, especially hair and skin care.

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin.