Skin confidence

is one of the biggest markets in the global beauty industry, but which countries feel most confident about their natural complexions?

According to a new survey by cleansing brand Clarisonic, Canada is the nation that feels most at home in its own skin, with 28% of participants saying they would be “proud to show off their skin without anything on it.” The US was close behind with 27%, followed by the UK (25%), Germany (22%), China and France (20% each). South Korea and Japan reported the lowest rates of confidence at 12% and 10% respectively.

While both women and men reported equal levels of skin confidence at 20%, the survey results highlight the extent to which skin conditions can affect self-esteem. Some 47% of the adults surveyed who suffered from acne or blemishes admitted that they sometimes feel unconfident about their skin – to the extent that 31% of Chinese participants and 24% of South Korean participants said they had cancelled plans with friends in the past when they didn't feel good about their complexion. Chinese respondents were also the most likely to admit feeling embarrassed if caught in public without make-up, at 22%.

Overall, 43% of participants who use social media admitted to using filters and editing apps before posting photos of themselves online, with the most popular reasons being to hide blemishes, acne or uneven skin tone (19%), to remove wrinkles or look younger (14%) and to improve the shape and contours of the face (13%).

When it comes to wishful thinking, 33% of all participants said they would be willing to give up sweets and chocolate if it meant a lifetime of perfect skin, while 24% would forgo social media, 15% would stop vacations, 14% would deprive themselves of shopping and 13% would even relinquish sex.

The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Clarisonic to celebrate Healthy Skin Month. From June 21-27, 2016, 9,675 adults took part across Canada, China, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US. – AFP Relaxnews