Facial Skincare Routine Adherence in the General Population

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic sparked an interest in skincare with the closure of spas and salons. Skincare, one of TikTok's most popular dermatology-related hashtags, received hundreds of millions of views. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) shared facial cleansing recommendations; however,  how many people follow them is unclear. Studies have shown a good daily facial cleansing and moisturizing routine can increase microbiome diversity and skin hydration. This can be beneficial in conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne. Purpose The aim of the study is to assess how well people follow the AAD recommendations and evaluate any differences in this behavior by gender. Methods A 19-question survey was designed and administered utilizing Qualtrics. The questions included demographic information, facial cleansing practices, and motivation for skincare routine. The survey was distributed via Rowan Email and on various social media platforms (GroupMe, Instagram, etc.) to target the general population. The data was analyzed using SPSS. Results One hundred twenty-four responses were collected from 91 female-identifying and 33 male-identifying participants. There were statistically significant differences between genders for the use of non-alcoholic gentle cleanser (p<0.001), use of moisturizer after washing the face (p<0.001), washing the face after sweating (p<0.001), and using warm water (p=0.026). No statistically significant difference was seen for face washing occurrence between genders (p=0.098). Statistically significant differences were seen between genders for motivation: hygiene (p<0.001), beauty/anti-aging (p<0.001), and health (p=0.004).  Conclusion Individuals who identify as female may be more likely to adhere to AAD facial skincare recommendations. This could be a result of self-reported motivations such as hygiene, beauty, and health.