Consumer Personal Care Product Usage Survey

The aim of this project is to assess the usage of selected personal care products via an online consumer usage survey and generate an up to date and representative data set examining patterns of use for personal care products in the UK. This will also involve generating a data set examining the difference in use of personal care products between demographic groups.

By undertaking the research, we would be beginning a process that will potentially allow OPSS, the SAG-CS and industry to deliver more accurate chemical risk assessments by improving the accuracy of the exposure assessments used. By measuring demographic characteristics against personal care product usage, it will provide OPSS a clearer picture as to the influence demographic characteristics have on personal care product usage. Diversity and inclusion is core to all the actions we take as regulators. By undertaking this research, it will allow OPSS to better understand consumer behaviour regarding personal care product usage across different groups of consumers and we can consider this evidence in future actions we take on personal care product safety (policy development, campaigns etc). It will also help us to fulfil our mission of protecting people and places through more inclusive assessment of exposure.

What are the precise research questions that will be answered?

Primary research questions:

• What personal care products do consumers use and how are they used?
• How do demographic characteristics influence consumers personal care product usage habits? We are particularly interested in children, adults over 65 and comparisons between ethnic groups.
• The survey questions being asked to answer these questions:
• How often do consumers use a product (multiple times a day/ how many times a day/week/month)?
• Where on the body is a product used?
• How much (amount)?
• How much skin surface area/mouth surface area/hair do consumers apply it to?
• Do consumers use multiple products (of different and similar types)
• How consumers decide on the product they purchase?
• Are there any considerations around the safety or the ingredients of the product consumers have?
• Have they ever experienced negative effects when using the personal care products?

We would like the contractor to familiarise themselves with the methodologies used in (Hall et al., 2007 and Hall et al., 2011) before designing their methodologies, as we wish to be able to compare the results from both surveys.The project will be an online consumer survey in which approximately 8000 people (from a representative range of ethnicities, ages and socioeconomic groups) will record their normal personal care product usage over a 1-month period. This will include details of the product type, an estimate of the amount used, where it was applied and how frequently it was applied, as well as other criteria. In addition to this, demographic data will also be recorded to correlate usage patterns with demographic groups. OPSS would like to use the data generated from the demographic aspect of the survey, to identify trends related to certain groups’ usage of personal care products. This will allow for a more proactive approach to identifying areas for future research and identifying any potential risks. The accuracy of survey respondents' recollection will be validated with an online diary of approximately 200 respondents. Any trends in under or over-estimating use, would add to the interpretation of survey findings. Additional information: If you would interested in bidding for the requirement or finding out more information, please respond to this Prior Information Notice by emailing commercialresearchandconsultancy@businessandtrade.gov.uk by 14:00 on the 29 November 2023. We will be holding market engagements calls with interested suppliers as responses are received.