Kuluttajatutkimus herkän ihon ominaisuuksista ja tarpeista - Theseus

Laurea University of Applied Sciences Abstract
Tikkurila Unit
Degree Programme in Beauty and Cosmetics
Bachelor of Beauty and Cosmetics
Suvi Oksanen
Consumer research of the features and needs of sensitive skin
Year 2010 Pages 70
The purpose of this Bachelor’s thesis was to gather information on sensitive skin and to
study if grocery stores have enough products available to fulfil the needs that sensitive skin
has. In addition, the purpose was to reveal, among other things, what kind of features consumers
value in sensitive skin products, and other things that impact their purchase decision.
This thesis was done in collaboration with L'Oréal Finland
The goal of the theoretical section was to discuss the structure of skin and the safety of cosmetic
products, examine the phenomenon and features of sensitive skin, gather information
on the causes and symptoms of atopic and allergic skin, discover common cosmetic raw material
causing allergy and hyper reactions, such as fragrances and preservatives, as well as
briefly discuss the aims of Allergy- and Asthma Federation in Finland.
The research was carried out by a quantitative inquiry, and the respondents were Finnish
women between the ages of 15-70 years. The qualitative research was conducted through an
email interview with eight consumers, who considered themselves having sensitive skin. The
results showed that people who have sensitive skin appreciate inexpensive and quality cosmetics,
and the most important feature was that the product feels good on the skin. The
ideal sensitive skin’s product was fragrance free and not containing alcohol or other materials
that dry out the skin. In addition, the family of the products should be broader. There would
be demand for new sensitive skin product lines in the grocery stores, because the competition
between sensitive skin product lines is surprisingly small.
Tutor teachers: Ritva Kurimo, M.Sc. (Chemistry), Auli Hietanen, M.Sc. (Economics).
Keywords: sensitive skin, structure of skin, atopic skin, cosmetic allergy, cosmetic raw material,
preservative, fragrance, Allergy- and Asthma Federation in Finland.