There was a study released that showed the average American woman spends $877 on her appearance every year and the average American man spends $592. The study factored in the cost of things like hair products, skincare, shaving products, lotion, haircuts, supplements/protein powders, makeup, hair color, gym memberships, and hair removal.
I gotta be honest with you. That number seems low.
Hair
1) I get my hair cut roughly every 8 weeks. So let's say that's 6 times a year. $55 an appointment. That's $330.
2) I buy shampoo and conditioner that costs $20 a bottle. Let's say I buy that three times a year. I wash my hair every 2-3 days. $120.
3) I buy dry shampoo, volumizer, and heat protectant for blow drying my hair. Even if I buy these things once a year and I suspect that I probably buy them twice a year, that's $87 (quick perusal of looking up prices online)
1) I get my hair cut roughly every 8 weeks. So let's say that's 6 times a year. $55 an appointment. That's $330.
2) I buy shampoo and conditioner that costs $20 a bottle. Let's say I buy that three times a year. I wash my hair every 2-3 days. $120.
3) I buy dry shampoo, volumizer, and heat protectant for blow drying my hair. Even if I buy these things once a year and I suspect that I probably buy them twice a year, that's $87 (quick perusal of looking up prices online)
Skin
1) I buy Cerave products for face lotion. These are drug store brands, but it's still probably at least $80 a year.
2) Sunscreen. I mean, yeah. I use a lot of it. $100.
3) I have severe eczema on my hands. I probably spend $50 a year on my prescription ointment.
4) Body lotion. We are a Cetaphil/Vanicream household. We buy in bulk at Costco, but it's still about $80 a year.
5) Ordinary - I buy a handful of ordinary products to use to supplement my face lotion. They're pretty inexpensive, though, so let's say $60 a year.
6) Eye cream - I buy Cerave eye repair cream, but it's still $13 for a tiny bottle. Let's say $39 a year.
1) I buy Cerave products for face lotion. These are drug store brands, but it's still probably at least $80 a year.
2) Sunscreen. I mean, yeah. I use a lot of it. $100.
3) I have severe eczema on my hands. I probably spend $50 a year on my prescription ointment.
4) Body lotion. We are a Cetaphil/Vanicream household. We buy in bulk at Costco, but it's still about $80 a year.
5) Ordinary - I buy a handful of ordinary products to use to supplement my face lotion. They're pretty inexpensive, though, so let's say $60 a year.
6) Eye cream - I buy Cerave eye repair cream, but it's still $13 for a tiny bottle. Let's say $39 a year.
7) Face wash - I buy Philosophy. It's probably too expensive for what it is, but I do wash my face every day. I buy this at least twice a year. $68.
Makeup
Honestly, I don't know where to start with this.
1) Primer - The kind of primer I use has recently been reformulated, so I'm looking for a new one that is more like how it was before. $84 a year
2) Foundation - I buy a mid-tier brand that provides coverage and does not irritate my skin. $48 a year.
3) Mascara - My mascara tip is to buy 3-packs of travel-size mascaras because I never go through a whole tube before the three months it is recommended you use mascara for. $72 a year
4) Eyeshadow - The current palette I'm using was $45.
5) Blush - $17 for a tiny palette that will last me all year.
6) Lip stain - The kind I use I can get for $33. I'm not sure that lasts a full year, but let's say it does.
I'm not even going to breakdown the costs for things like brushes and sponges. Or makeup remover. Or eyeliner.
Honestly, I don't know where to start with this.
1) Primer - The kind of primer I use has recently been reformulated, so I'm looking for a new one that is more like how it was before. $84 a year
2) Foundation - I buy a mid-tier brand that provides coverage and does not irritate my skin. $48 a year.
3) Mascara - My mascara tip is to buy 3-packs of travel-size mascaras because I never go through a whole tube before the three months it is recommended you use mascara for. $72 a year
4) Eyeshadow - The current palette I'm using was $45.
5) Blush - $17 for a tiny palette that will last me all year.
6) Lip stain - The kind I use I can get for $33. I'm not sure that lasts a full year, but let's say it does.
I'm not even going to breakdown the costs for things like brushes and sponges. Or makeup remover. Or eyeliner.
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| Daily makeup. |
Shower
1) Shower oil - $100 a year.
2) Razor blades and shave gel - This is a guess, but I'd assume I spend about $40 on blades and $20 on shave gel a year, for a total of $60.
1) Shower oil - $100 a year.
2) Razor blades and shave gel - This is a guess, but I'd assume I spend about $40 on blades and $20 on shave gel a year, for a total of $60.
Fitness classes
I do not have a gym membership, but I just added it up and I spent about $450 on virtual or in-person fitness classes this year.
My (conservative) total for the year is $1923. This doesn't include clothing, shoes, or workout gear (like weights or new yoga mats). I also did not factor in the millions of lip balms and random things I buy for personal care (period products! Vitamin B and D supplements!). I also didn't include anything having to do with my dental care or eyeglasses/contacts. I haven't had a manicure or pedicure this year, but maybe next year I'll splurge a few times? I spend more than twice as much as the average woman!! Why don't look better than the average woman?!?! (Just kidding. We're all beautiful. Some of us just work harder at it than others.)
I have a lot of questions about the average number the study found. I suspect there's a big difference between people who exercise regularly and those who don't, people who have to go in to an office and those who don't, and people who have Sephora memberships and those who don't. LOL.
Am I high maintenance? What do you think your estimate for costs for your appearance over the course of a year is?
This is SO FASCINATING. I love this post and read it twice. I don't think you're high maintenance at all! I think most women would spend FAR more than this. That said...I'm very, very low maintenance.
ReplyDeleteI think I’m an anomaly in that I would *generally* spend less than that average. It’s also a bit appalling how long some of my products – especially hair things – have been sitting in my drawer. I think I don't always do enough to care about how I present myself to the world?
Hair – I get my hair cut 1.5 times a year (I know that’s not possible, but I generally get my hair cut 3 times in a 2-year span). It’s about $45 each time with the tip. So in a typical year it would about $90 on haircuts.
This year was an anomaly because I had a keratin treatment – but the $249 included a wash, cut, dry, style and the keratin and that’s my only haircut in 2023!
Shampoo: $75 a year? Hard to know because we all use the same shampoo, so that $75 would be covering four people. I'd say $40 of that is likely used by me?
Hair products. I spent $2.99 on a new bottle of mousse this month. Everything else is at LEAST 3 years old that’s in my hair-care drawer.
Skin: This year? One bottle of Cereve with sunscreen. $15. I use coconut oil to remove makeup and moisturize and I’m still using the $10 bottle of organic stuff I bought last year.
Deodrant - $10-15/year? I also use coconut oil to moisurize my skin, and I have a giant bottle of lotion I've owned for AT LEAST 5 years (this is not a good thing, it means I do not moisturize my skin nearly enough).
Makeup:
I use water, coconut oil, and microfiber makeup remover clothes to wash my face. That’s it. I spend about $10 in buying new reusable makeup remover clothes once a year.
Foundation sticks – 2x$10 = $20
Lipstick (which I use as blush) - $3.50
Eye shadow/eye liner - $10/year
Mascara – 3x$12 = $34
Shower:
We all use the same soap and body wash so it’s hard to distinguish who’s spending what. Total for our family I’d say we spend about $50 on these things? We typically use whatever bar soap is on sale and soap seems to last…quite a while (longer than body wash). I likely use $20 of that?
I shave my legs with bar soap, and buy my razors at the DollarStore. $3 of razors for the year?
Fitness Classes: Zero
Wow! I am definitely spending more than this. *Sigh* Some of it I don't understand, though. Are you not using sunscreen every day? I guess I'm just puzzled because I wear it every day and I go through it super quickly. Where are you buying $3.50 lipstick? Even the drugstore lipstick is $6-7 here. I have so many questions!
DeleteI'll be honest with you, the coconut oil thing is a great hack for you. I just think the smell is a no-go for me and if you don't use hot enough water, it can clog your drains and that is not something I want to happen on my watch!
I don't wear sunscreen everyday. I rarely wear sunscreen except in the absolute dead of summer. I know. This is horrible. I'm not making goals, but I need to get better about this in 2024.
DeleteI don't use much coconut oil at all (like less than 1/4 teaspoon and I usually don't put it on until after I've washed my face with just water and the makeup remover cloths - since I don't wear much makeup. So generally I am not washing any oil down the drain since a tiny bit goes on my face and is absorbed in by the end of the day when I wash my face (I put a tiny bit of coconut oil on before I add my makeup, and then a tiny bit on at night after I've washed my face). I buy organic cold pressed oil that DOES NOT SMELL LIKE COCONUT. I HATE the smell of coconut oil that has a "scent" on my face. This is completely and utterly scentless.
And I buy the drugstore (Essence) brand lipstick. Maybe it's $4 now? But I think the last time I bought it, it was $3.50. I bought my eyebrow brush on Saturday and it was $2.49. I LOVE my Essence brand makeup. It's cheap, not tested on animals, and works just fine for my limited needs.
Oooohhhh...I credit my sunscreen wearing with why my skin looks okayish. I suspect I would have more wrinkles and freckles without it. I'm outside so much.
DeleteWe have coconut oil for making popcorn and it has a scent! It's labeled "unscented," but there's a scent. What brand are you using?
Everland. Expeller cold-pressed. I can't smell ANYTHING coconuty about it (but maybe you would smell something?).
DeleteMy immediate thought was that number seems low, and I consider myself low maintenance as well. But just my supplements, protein powder and gym member ship probably cost more than $877! I can't even imagine what my total would be if I were spending a lot of money on hair and makeup.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I consider myself low maintenance, I think Elisabeth may be the winner in that category!
Yes but Jenny, you're getting all of those great miles from your spending! My point to Engie is that some of her "maintenace" is stuff that brings her joy and you can't put a price tag on that.
DeleteYes, we just bought a $65 bag of whey protein today and I thought about how we're just adding more and more to my list of high maintenance items. LOL. Birchie's right, though, you need to fuel your exercise!
DeleteI consider myself low maintenance but after reading your list and Elisabeth's I might be more like no maintenance! Here is my list:
ReplyDeleteHair - one cut per year at the beauty college ~ $30 with tip
Shampoo/Conditioner - I do like Biolage, it probably lasts me one year. No other hair products used. ~$30
Body - Jergens, have had for about 5 years ~ $1 per year
Face - Aveno, one per year, ~$10
Gym - N/A but I do spend about $200/year on running races if that counts. (also last year I bought a bike, not sure how/where that fits in)
Sunscreen - $30 per year
Makeup - mascara that I have had for a few years ~$1 per year
Shaving - bar soap, also doubles as body soap, bought a 24 pack of razor heads about 5 years ago ~ $5 per year
Protein powder/supplements - Costco PP and vitamins (both last for a few years) ~ $10 per year
If I am not forgetting something, this is about $317. I am probably forgetting something. Regardless, I feel that $800 is a lot, but it would be easy to add up if I had a gym membership, which around here is about $30-$300 per month depending on where you go!
How are you getting away with one bottle of shampoo a year?! How? Am I just a wasteful shampoo user?! How are you only buying one bottle of face soap a year?! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS.
DeleteYou don't list body lotion here. Are you using bar soap and not lotion? How is your skin not flaking off? (Or - this is probably the answer - is my skin so special that I can't just use bar soap and not get super dry skin?)
My bottle is a 32 oz one (I think) and I have thin hair and I only wash my hair 2-3 times per week. I use about a quarter sized dollop. Conditioner lasts even longer as I just need a tad for the ends really. As far as lotion goes I have a Jergens 32ish oz bottle that I have had for maybe 3-5 years, and I probably only use it 2-3 times a month. We are very humid here (currently 62% but can get into the 90s on a foggy/rainy day) and so my skin does not get that dry. When I go home to my parents in the mountains, I definitely need more lotion. I also sometimes use coconut oil, which I bought at Costco years ago in a huge tub, but that is probably only a few times a year as like a special treat.
DeleteI LOVE THIS POST!!! I'm higher maintenance than Kyria and lower than you and Elisabeth.
ReplyDeleteHair - I go to Great Clips which is like $15 with tip. In a perfect world I'd go quarterly but I'm closer to every 6 months and sometimes I go a year without a cut.
Shampoo - mine costs $8 a bottle and then x2 for shampoo and conditioner. I'm really hazy about how many I use each year. I think a bottle lasts more than 2 months???
Moisturizer - $60 face moisturizer, I think I use 3 a year. I slather Gold Bond on my hands and feet every day, I probably use a $6 bottle per month, maybe more.
Gym - $99 annual fitness app, TBD if this is an annual or just a one time purchase, a few odds and ends and 1-2 pairs of shoes each year. Let's say $400 annual.
Sunscreen - I think I bought a bottle this year? I don't use nearly enough.
Makeup - I hardly ever wear it, but that's mostly b/c of eye sensitivity. I'm kind of stuck with the natural look. I buy a new bottle of foundation every year or so.
Shaving - I buy a pack of Costco razors less than once a year and use one a month for my legs. I just use our regular shower gel. I use an epliator for underarms and bikini area that I've had for one million years and it's still going strong.
Supplements - I take a pricey multivitamin for $60 for 180 days, omega 3 supplements for my eyes that are $20 for a 90 day supply, and cheaper iron and vitamin D.
Anyway whatever this costs is what I spend. I don't think that you spend too much because these are products that work for you - some of them you have to use and others you like/love to use and they bring you joy. Personally I would love to drop a ton of money on makeup but I can't because it would mess up my eyes.
All of you once a year haircut people astound me! I could not do that!
DeleteWow. I AM high maintenance. That's the lesson learned from this.
Aaaieee!! I thought I was kinda low maintenance because I go to Supercuts for my hair about twice a year and buy drugstore makeup and products. BUT I spend a lot on my physical wellbeing: massages, fitness subscriptions, facials, and so on. They make me feel good and are treats I look forward to--if they make me look good, that's definitely an added bonus.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, we are opposites in this regard. I do not do massages, facials, subscriptions, etc. because I am broke after I buy all my fancy makeup! But, you're right, if they make us feel better and we can afford it, why not?
DeleteThat number seems really low. I would like to know who is spending so little, especially when they include supplements? That shit is expensive. My supplements and protein powders alone are a lot more than that, and let's not get started on skin care. And I buy all my skin care and makeup and such at drugstores or Sephora. I don't even want to add it up (maybe I will someday but sheesh). I know for a fact that before the pandemic I was spending $$$ on getting my hair professionally coloured every 5-6 weeks, and now I just use a box colour every 3-4 weeks. Oh and then I just thought of the Peloton, that's a monthly fee, although it's technically a family subscription. I don't even have a ballpark, I am a pretty high maintenance gal but I also shop for deals and sales and I love me some Maybelline.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't know. If I started adding up my supplements and vitamins, it could easily add hundreds of dollars to this. I guess some people don't do any of that. And that's great if they can get away with it!
DeletePre-pandemic, I got my hair colored every 16 weeks (every other hair appointment). I am pleased I no longer have to do any color in my hair, but the silver brings with it added maintenance. (At my most recent appointment, I actually bought some purple shampoo and conditioner that I use like once a month. I am hopeful that it will last at least 6-8 months.)
This is FASCINATING. I am very curious what my own expenditures would be, but I'm a little afraid to find out??? While I don't wear much makeup (eyeliner, occasionally; mascara; eyebrow mascara), I have a prescription face wash and I go through hand lotion like nobody's business. Also, I color my hair 3-4 times a year, so my hair expenses alone are more than the "average woman" spends. YIKES.
ReplyDeleteI do not think you are high maintenance. I do not think I am high maintenance. But I do sometimes think about how little my husband spends compared to me and it makes me FEEL high maintenance. He hasn't complained (so far), so I suppose I should just chill out.
My husband cuts his own hair. Talk about low maintenance! On the other hand, he does have about a million beard care products, so maybe it all evens out in the wash. Our husbands married us knowing about our personal care habits, so I guess that means they have to accept them!
DeleteI feel like I'm not the Target Audience for this post. My expenditures are meagre compared to everyone else. I use drugstore products and wear only mascara. I am greying naturally. I'm past menopause, so no fh products. I'm often startled to see what people pay for products.
ReplyDeleteWow! You and Elisabeth are definitely responsible for some of that low number, I guess. I just can't imagine only mascara on a regular basis! Go you!
DeleteThat's me too. Soap and shampoo in shower, occasional moisturizer hands, and haircut once a year? No make up or hair products. Probably some small things too, but nothing regular. Probably less than $100 a year.
Delete$877 seems low to me too. I think I'm pretty low maintenance in a lot of ways - I don't wear make -up or have a skin care regime (I'm sure I will pay for that later). I do get a very expensive hair cut ($90 + tip - that's just for a cut, I don't colour my hair or anything) twice a year, though my last visit i had such sticker shock that I'm considering just going to a barber even though I've been with my stylist for over ten years. I shower like three times a week so the soap and shampoo expense isn't too bad. I do go through periods of time when I tend to spend a lot of money on clothes (I mean women's clothes vs. men's clothes -- definitely a racket.)
ReplyDeleteI do feel like I'm spending a small fortune in hair ties and Aquaphor, though. (Though the small fortune in hair ties is still cheaper than going to get that expensive hair cut that I've been putting off. Aquaphor for my lips and it's what I put on my hands for the eczema unless it's really bad and then I use a prescription as well.)
And period products! Oh my gosh - why are period products so expensive yet still so terrible?
I am definitely learning here that I *AM* high maintenance. That's not a bad thing, just an observation. So many people with no makeup, no skin care products, and who shampoo way less often than me with less expensive product. I guess there's a lesson in that "normal" for one person is often very strange to others.
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ReplyDeleteI think that many of us females experience unwarranted societal guilt when it comes to taking care of ourselves. Therefore, we don't always feel comfortable when we fill out surveys like this. (This may result in inaccurate reporting or numbers)
I also don't think you're high maintenance. I think we discussed this before. You're taking the necessary steps to care for your human body. Being a human is hard. Rock on. 😘
After these comments, I do think that I am high maintenance, but I don't see it as a bad thing. I have a very regimented self-care routine that includes lots of skin care and makeup and if that starts failing, it means that my mental health is suffering and I need to attend to it. It's just a different sort of measuring stick for me than it is for others. Also, I like to think that someday my skin care/sunscreen regimen will pay off.
DeleteOmggggggggggggg. I spend a lot on products-- Amamzon subscriptions for lotion, shower gel, face wash, exfoliator, razor blades, and Neutrogena eye cream; hers shampoo and conditioner subscription; Aveda shampoo and conditioner; Kerastase hair mask; Aveda hair spray, thickening tonic, heat protector, mousse; Clinique day and night cream; Lancome eye and face serum; Ordinary caffeine cream; Lancome night eye cream; Tarte BB cream and concealer; department store eyeliners, mascaras, eye shadows, blushers, and one million lipsticks. PLUS hair cuts 4X a year at $100 a pop and the occasional $30 box of color. And massages! And accupuncture! TOOTH WHITENING! I AM BRINGING UP THE AVERAGE, apparently.
ReplyDeleteI forgot the foot lotion I subscribe to! And the cuticle cream! And the pedicures and manicures every 3-4 weeks. Plus I always bring my own nail polish and usually buy a new OPI color every 8 weeks or so. **it's me. hi. i'm the problem. it's me**
DeleteIt's *US*, Sarah! We're over here raising the average up from $100 for soap and one bottle of shampoo a year. I don't have any of these Amazon subscriptions because I'm mostly too hoity toity for that (who knows if they're dupes for the real thing? or when they expire?), but what's shocking to me is that not everyone does all this. Sure, I knew some women skipped out on makeup, but I had no idea that sunscreen, regular haircuts, and five types of skin products were OPTIONAL for some people! I just assumed that because I did it (and my skin still doesn't look GREAT) everyone did it. The lesson I learned from this is that I am high maintenance and am jealous of people with better genes than me.
DeleteYes— re: amazon. I only subscribe to the drugstore stuff— Aveeno and O’Keefe’s. The salon stuff I get at the actual salon. Also!! I forgot sunscreen! My face stuff has it, but the body sunscreen for summer! That’s at least $25/week because I am covering a lot of area. Freaking patriarchy.
DeleteI consider myself pretty low maintenance; but yeah - that number definitely seems low to me. I'm kind of afraid to run a tally on what I spend but I know for sure that the majority of that probably goes to hair product (and I use drugstore products).
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I stopped using drugstore hair care products when my hair started falling out. My stylist recommended a mid-tier shampoo/conditioner and my hair thickened slightly and I never went back. I don't know how people do it without spending a little bit of money on slightly higher quality products. (And, if I'm being 100% honest, my shampoo isn't THAT much more expensive than Pantene, although it's lots more than Head & Shoulders or whatever.) Hair product is expensive!!
DeleteI find this discussion between who is high maintenance vs who is low maintenance fascinating! What qualifies as high maintenance and why does that matter? If you enjoy what you're buying/doing, that's the important thing!
ReplyDeleteI know I spend WAY MORE than $877 a year. My hair appointments alone can be VERY expensive since I go to a fancy salon. It's usually $250ish three times a year. So right there, I'm almost at the average, haha. Add in all of my skincare products (probably spend $100 on that once a quarter), makeup (prob $50ish once a quarter since I mainly buy drugstore products), and then all the other stuff like vitamins, tampons, shampoo/conditioner, BODY WASH, etc. But, like, I don't care if I'm high maintenance? This is what I like and what I choose to spend my money on, so I'm fine with it!
Oh, I only mentioned the high maintenance thing in the first place because I assumed that what I did was NORMAL and AVERAGE and was SHOCKED to learn that what I do is definitely not normal/average. I still am not certain how people aren't spending at least $100 a year on sunscreen (just shampoo and bar soap - honestly, I'm so jealous that they can get away with that!)!
DeleteI am not going to change anything about the way I handle personal care (although I did just buy a purple shampoo and conditioner for the first time and have been told to use it once every three or four weeks, so that's EVEN MORE PRODUCT) because it is all stuff that I can afford and makes me feel better about living in my body.
Loved this post. It made me think. Hair: supercuts twice a year, if that. Soap in the shower, lotions afterwards. I do spend a lot of face: since I shop at Sephora and like certain brands. My day cream was $60 but I feel it's worth it. It makes me feel good, and it makes my face look good, I think. Make up: concealer+ a little foundation, blush, eye stuff. But the Armani concealer that I love lasts a very long time- two years. Foundation- also Armani- same. Once day I will calculate it all ;)
ReplyDeleteI love this topic. I didn't realize it would create such fodder for discussion. I seem to prioritize hair and face, but some people just don't care if they don't get regular hair cuts! I didn't even know that was an option! I'm learning so much.
DeleteWell, this is certainly interesting! I don't think I spend that much, but... shorter hair = more frequent hair cuts (~5-6x/year @ $50 with tip), I use lotion and sunscreen like they're going out of style, and I wash my hair every day. That said, I have all drugstore/Amazon products and I don't wear makeup, so... I imagine I'm closer to $1000 but not too much over? Interesting to think about, though, for sure. How many times a year DO I buy big bottles/tubs of moisturizer?
ReplyDeleteRight!?! I'm going to track this in 2024. Maybe I'm not as much of a spendthrift as I think I am. (No, I think it's going to turn out I spend MORE than I estimated here.) I'm surprised at the number of people who don't use crazy amounts of lotion and sunscreen, but I guess maybe it does depend on climate.
DeleteEngie, what a fascinating post (sorry I am commenting so late). I have never really thought about - or tallied up - what I spend on beauty items but now I am intrigued (and since I am keeping a budget, I can probably look it up really quick). I also think I want to break out beauty items for me and what I buy for Jon (which, as you can guess, is vastly less LOL). I am afraid what it will reveal although I think I am low maintenance in general.
ReplyDeleteHey, if you are lower than the average, that's great for you! I honestly just don't see how I could possibly get my costs lower without sacrificing a lot of quality of life. I'm going to do a much better job of tracking how I spend money this year and maybe I'll update it later.
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