The EU is currently facing a rise in inflation rates. Pay is falling at the fastest rate ever recorded and inflation rates are at a 40-year high. To help understand the impact this crisis is having on our audience, we conducted a research panel with YouGov to understand how the crisis is changing the UK population's skincare routine.

This research enabled us to come up with five "Cost of Living Commitments" to help our community access skincare during this financially difficult time. You can read more about our five commitments here.  At UpCircle it's our firm belief that everyone should be able to care for their skin because healthy skin is essential for both mental and physical wellbeing.

Our research found that:
1. 1 in 5 people are worried about being able to afford skin care products due to the cost of living crisis
This number rises to 1 in 3 people for those aged 18-25.

2. 1 in 6 people are worried about being able to afford sun protection products due to the rising cost of living
This is a worrying statistic given the serious health implications of not wearing an SPF, especially during the heatwave. We're proud to offer free samples of our SPF on all orders!

3. 20% of people have found their spending on skincare increased since the cost of living crisis
This figure aligns with the RRP increases many skincare brands have had to announce in recent months.

4. 1 in 4 people have either decreased their spending or stopped purchasing skincare products entirely since the cost of living crisis began
Those that identify as male are twice as likely than females to have stopped purchasing skincare products due to the cost of living crisis.

5. Almost a quarter of people are more concerned about the condition of their skin before the cost of living crisis began
Those aged 25-34 are the most concerned of all age groups about the condition of their skin.

6. 1/3 of people have sacrificed or have considered sacrificing their ethics and values when buying skincare due to the cost of living crisis
This means that people are having to sacrifice their values like vegan and cruelty-free in order to purchase essential skincare items.

Here's what our Co-founder Anna had to say: “Normally we're not ones for a doom and gloom headline but the numbers are hard to put a positive spin on. Our research enables us to deeper understand how the cost of living crisis is impacting people in the EU. We’re responding to our findings by implementing five key “cost of living commitments,” including freezing the RRPs of all our products until the end of 2022 and donating £1,200 worth of stock to Toiletries Amnesty. UpCircle was founded on making sustainable skincare at an accessible price point. We want sustainable products to be available to all because price points shouldn’t be a barrier to ethical purchasing. When we found that almost a third of people have sacrificed or are considering sacrificing their values when purchasing skincare, we knew something had to be done.”

For the full press release and statement please see our press release or reach out to Kim at community@upcirclebeauty.com with any questions.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2145 adults of which 1137 were female. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th - 14th July 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).