Italians are cutting back on clothing and footwear, limiting their budgets for trips abroad, and even cutting back on groceries. However, one expense item remains constant: body care, which includes hairdressing, beauty treatments, and cosmetic products. This is according to research conducted by the Italian ecodermatology association, Skineco.

According to the study, in 2023 Italians invested a total of 24 billion euros in beauty and body care, equal to approximately 929 euros per family. In the “cosmetics” segment alone, which includes personal hygiene, face, hair and perfumery products, spending reached 12.5 billion euros. This represents an increase of 31.5% compared to the previous ten years (9.5 billion in 2013), despite an inflation of 10% in the same period for the “Goods and services for personal care” sector, according to Istat data. Projections for 2024 indicate a further increase of up to 13.5 billion euros.

But how are these investments distributed? Analyzing sales in traditional channels, it emerges that 16.4% of the budget allocated to body care (about 1.6 billion euros) is used for facial products such as anti-wrinkle creams or moisturizers. About 1.5 billion (15% of the total) is directed to body products (deodorants and sunscreens), while Italians spend about 1.3 billion euros (14% of the total) on perfumes annually. For personal hygiene, an annual expenditure of about 1.1 billion euros (11%) is estimated.

Particular attention should be paid to hair: in 2023, spending is expected to exceed one billion euros on specific products such as shampoo and gel. In addition, spending on hairdressers amounts to almost 9.8 billion euros overall; this equates to almost 380 euros per year per family.

However, there is a great variability in prices between different Italian cities: according to information from the Mimit Price Observatory provided by Skineco, the average cost of a blow-dry at hairdressers in the main Italian cities is currently around 17.6 euros; a women’s cut costs on average around 22 euros while a men’s cut is around 19.5 euros. Trento holds the record with an average cost of a women’s cut that reaches 32.2 euros; followed by Trieste with 29.7 euros and Bari with 28.4 euros. Naples is the cheapest city with only 12.8 euros.

As for men’s haircuts, Trieste has the highest prices (29.7 euros). Bologna is the most expensive city for blow-drying with an average cost of 22.5 euros; Venice follows with an average price of around 21.8 euros.

Furthermore, Italians are showing an ever-increasing interest in eco-dermocompatible products: