Latinas are a significant force in the beauty industry! Growing up most Latinas and Latinos are exposed to at least one beauty regime or product that has passed from generation to generation.

According to previous Nielsen data, Latina consumers make up 18.5% of the revenue in the U.S. beauty industry. This growing segment of the self-care market outspends non-Hispanic consumers.

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To reaffirm these statements, hair experts at All Things Hair (a publication by Unilever) conducted a survey targeting U.S.-based women of different ethnicities above the age of 16 to investigate hair inequality.

Although there is a wave of companies diversifying their products for people of color, industry experts assure their offerings still need to catch up to the variances in Latina skin and hair. The new survey reveals that Latinas are “the most likely to experience pain points when shopping for hair products in the US, while Caucasian women are the least likely.”

Only 8% of Hispanics and Latinas said they have “no pain points” when buying hair products compared to 21% of Caucasian women. The remaining 92% of Latinas face problems or pay more attention to the price, lack of variety, and availability.

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“In a society where we have progressed so much, hair inequality remains a huge issue. Our goal is to shed light on the inequalities that women of color face in the hair care space and the many strides that are being made to combat this issue,” said Nelly Ghansah, Natural Hair Editor at All Things Hair.

These consumers also experience difficulty finding hair products when shopping. According to the data, 80% of Latinas struggle to find hair products that suit their hair, with only 20% saying that they experience “no difficulty” finding hair products, compared to 41% of US consumers.

Hair care costs

It’s no secret that there’s been a notable surge in demand for beauty products tailored to the Hispanic and Latino communities in recent years. As a result, Latinas are outspending non-Latino consumers regarding hair care products over the past few years.

For example, since 2015, Latinas of all age groups have spent, on average, $35-50 more per year on personal care items, such as lipstick and hair care products, than others.

According to the survey, Latinas in the US allocate a larger portion of their monthly budget toward hair care than other women.

Hair Salon Experiences

The limited availability of hair and beauty products and services designed for women of color is why nearly a quarter (23%) of Latinas opt out of visiting hair salons. Despite this, when Latinas go to salons, they tend to spend more than the average American woman: 27% of Latinas spend more than 100 dollars every time they go to a hair salon (slightly higher than the national average of 24%).