Sensitive Skin: It is a Growing Problem and We Should Create Products to Help Customers Combat the Issue
Have you ever tried a product for the first time and had some type of reaction to it? Well on average, 4 out of 10 women do have a reaction to new skin care or cosmetic products (Kligman, 2006). As one of the world leaders in the beauty industry, we should provide products for all skin types, even the most sensitive. Recent studies have shown that customers are worrying more about what they put on their skin and the possible reactions they will have. Customers want to know the products are made for their sensitive skin, but will also give them the type of results they come to expect from our brand. One of our competitors, Clinique, offers products that are gentle on the skin and do not contain some of the more popular irritants (Why Clinique, 2013). We need to figure out a way to gain the customers of our competitors and have them enjoy our products for what they offer to their skin.
This study will help us understand the exact customer we want to reach as well as what they are looking for in their products. We will then be able to determine if we can move into the production phase and when the products are finished, where they should be sold.
Problem Statement As more and more consumers are becoming health conscious, they are worry about their skin. In order to have healthy skin, you should wash, tone, and moisturize daily. For those with sensitive skin, it could be easier said than done. As a world leader in the cosmetic industry, Lancôme should develop a line of products that caters to customers that have such worries. Since they currently don’t offer any products that are gentle, they are losing major sales to Clinique, a major competitor that offers fragrance free and gentle items. The new products they need to have should be gentle on the skin with no harsh chemicals or irritants, yet be just as effective for the customers anti-aging needs.
Rational for Research
This study will help us determine if our company, Lancôme, should create a line for those customers with more sensitive skin. Since we currently do not have such a line, we are losing sales to our competitors that do cater to these customers. With over 50% of men and women from other surveys saying they have sensitive skin issues, there is a need for us to provide the high quality product people come accustom to with our brand yet gentle for their skin.
During the study, we need to decide what type of products we should offer for this new line, including basic skin care and cosmetic items. We will greatly benefit from adding these items to our current product lines by increasing out sales and gaining new customers to the Lancôme family.
Statement of Research Objectives
The purpose of this research study is to identify those within society that have sensitive skin and see what products they are currently using as well as why they decided upon those specific ones to use. Once we figure out the amount of potential customers for the new product, we can move forward on production of our own lines that will be geared towards the type of customer we questioned for the study.

Hypothesis
There is a need for another company to come out with skin care and cosmetics that are formulated for sensitive skin. Those that worry about possible irritants in products still want anti-aging skin care and cosmetics that have fun colors and make them feel even more beautiful. With the need out there, we will see an increase in sales by at least 30% and secure our spot as the #1 beauty company in the world.
Definition of Terms
For the purpose of this study, the following definition of terms will apply:
• Sensitive skin – defined as having a moderate to severe reaction to irritants in a product
• Irritants – defined as chemicals or fragrances in products that cause a reaction
• Lancôme – defined as a world leader in the beauty industry under the L’Oreal umbrella of brands that offer luxury skin care and cosmetics
• Clinique – defined as a skin care and beauty company that offers fragrance free products.
• Anti-aging products – defined as products that provide anti-wrinkle and/or firming benefits
• Sebum – defined as an oily substance that is secreted from glands to keep skin soft and supple.
• Potential customers – defined as those that are of a certain age, including 16 – 100+, that use beauty products, but do not currently use our brand.
Summary
The purpose of this research study is to identify the amount of potential customers that have sensitive skin. By understanding the percentage of these potential customers, we can determine if we should start production on our own cosmetic and skin care lines that are formulated for their skin types. We then need to decide what products we will create and how we will make them safe, including taking out harsher chemicals and making them fragrance free.
Literature Review
Introduction
As more people become aware of the need for skin care products to help with anti-aging products, many are realizing they have reactions to certain products they are using. In examination of recent literature on the topic of what it means to have sensitive skin and things to look for in products, the possible reasons behind the problem are found in studies previously conducted.
What is Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin is generally described as a skin type that shows reactions to certain ingredients in products. The type of reactions include itchiness, dryness, redness and sensitivity. According to Kilgman (2006), during his groups research they found that approximately 40% - 50% of women questioned reported they have sensitive skin issues. They also found that many people are confused about their skin type and what causes their reactions. With so many stating they have problems, there have been studies done to see what they major causes for irritations are.
Possible Reasons According to Dell’Acqua (2008), one major reason for all of the skin reactions is due to damage to the skin barrier. If someone has a strong skin barrier, they will have high levels of hydration and sebum, which is an oily substance that is secreted from glands to keep skin soft and supple. When someone has lower levels of hydration or sebum, they are more prone to experiencing a reaction since irritants can be absorbed into the skin.
Inamadar (2013) also feels that the skin barrier being weak is the cause for sensitive skin issues. As the skin barrier weakens from loss of essential ingredients, more things can cause irritations including heat or cold, stress, and various beauty/cosmetic items (Inamadar, 2013). The weaker the barrier is, the more irritation these other factors can cause.
Possible Irritations Besides a weakened skin barrier, people have problems with specific items due to the ingredients of the products. More focus is being placed on the types of chemicals that are in various beauty/cosmetic products. When looking for products that will be gentle enough for sensitive skin, there are many ingredients to avoid. According to Paula Begoun, things to look out for are Alcohol, Fragrances, Menthol, Sulfates, Witch Hazel and Ylang-Ylang (Begoun, 2013). There are many other ingredients as well that can cause issues for people with sensitive skin. The reason these and other ingredients cause problems, is they tend to dry out the skin or people have an allergy to them.
Ingredients that Help Even though there is a long list of ingredients that can harm sensitive skin, there are products that can help calm and sooth the skin. Aloe, Oatmeal, Green Tea and Cucumber Extract are some of the more popular ingredients you want to see in sensitive skin products, according to Dr. Baumann (Baumann, 2012). As with any trial and error process, she suggest trying one ingredient or product at a time to see what reaction, if any, will occur.
Dermatologists and cosmetic research companies will continue to study what causes sensitive skin and the best ways to combat the issues. Currently, many products available are not made for someone with sensitive skin. As more and more women start using cosmetic items, the number of those with reactions will continue to grow. In order for customers to be able to use any beauty items, top brands need to create products more suited for their sensitive skin
Method
The research that I am proposing for this study should be developed using both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect the necessary data. Various techniques will be used including observing the habits of the customers, using focus groups and conducting surveys. This study will help to show what the customers we are trying to reach are actually buying as well as what they think about our product and the addition of a line of products for sensitive skin.
Participants
Participants in the study will be broken up into two groups and then subgroups to get responses equaled to a representation of all consumers. We want women ages 18-45 that are currently using Lancôme products or Clinique, one of our competitors with products for sensitive skin. We will use multiple locations to gain the best results. The locations include New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, and Denver. The total amount of consumers we are trying to reach will be about 10% of skin care users, which equals 100,000 participants.

Research Design The research study will be designed using both qualitative and quantitative approaches to get into the minds of the consumer. The qualitative portion of the study will consist of observing the potential participants to see where they go to purchase their products, either Lancôme or Clinique counters. We also want to make sure they appear to be in the age range we are looking for. We will also conduct focus groups with the women selected to participate. These focus groups will give them a chance to talk about the specific products they use and why. We then want them to discuss possible reactions they have had to products. The participants should also discuss their knowledge of Lancôme and if they would try new products made for those with sensitive skin.
The quantitative portion of the study will consist of a questionnaire given out to the participants before the focus group. Questions will include name, age, and location as well as background on the products they use and how they describe their skin. The results will then be placed in a spreadsheet so the averages can be found and inserted in a computer program to help see the similarities and differences between the participants and the type of results we are searching for.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation that will be used in the qualitative portion of this study will be a general guide to selecting the participants. It will include what to look for and where to find the participants based upon the researchers area. There will also be a form to keep the questions on track for the focus group. The form will include the questions noted earlier about product usage and reactions to beauty products. The instrumentation that will be used for the quantitative portion of the study will be multiple questions that include basic information (age, location), questions on skin type (normal, oily, combo, dry), and product usage (brand, frequency). Other questions include any reactions to products and if they have any issues with sensitivity. The type of questions asked will include yes & no answers as well as short response. We will also want to use the Likert scale to express if they agree to a statement or how satisfied they are (1 highly dissatisfied – 5 highly satisfied).
Data Collection Plan Data from the qualitative portion of the study will come from the participants found at the department stores and agree to be part of the study. The data from the quantitative portion of the study will come from the questionnaire the participants answer before they enter the focus group. All of the information from both portions will be kept confidential and only viewed by those involved in the study. Once the data is collected, it will be used to develop a spreadsheet to compare the averages and results to the many questions asked during the study.
Proposed Analysis of the Data
Variables
Dependent Variables The dependent variables that will be examined at the end of the study will be the amount of women that use either Lancôme or Clinique, number of those with the various skin types, and how many participants actually have sensitive skin. Other dependent might be found while looking over the final research. Independent Variables The independent variables that will be used in the analysis of this study will be the age of the participants, the participants using skin care items, and the locations the participants are from. Other independent variables might be used to narrow down population like putting participants in groups based upon their age and marital status.
Validity
Criterion Validity The criterion validity will depend on the amount of participants that say they have sensitive skin and those that would actually want to try the new products. If there is a high amount of those that are willing to try the product, then the sales results will be high. If the participants would be unwilling to try new items, then the production shouldn’t happen. Construct Validity The construct validity will be based upon defining those with the sensitive skin issues. Having sensitive skin is proving to be a serious problem for those that suffer with it. They deserve products that will give them the relief they are looking for but will also give them results they want.
Implications
Trying to understand the differences between normal skin types and sensitive skin can help us see the need for new products to be created. As dermatologist and researchers dig deeper to the main causes of reactions and learn how to prevent them, they are seeing just how many people are being affected. The implications for this research study are as follows:
• The proposed sample of 100,000 women represents about 10% of all skin care users; there is an assumption that this will represent a large enough amount of the target audience to give the results needed.
• The instruments used in this study, including the questionnaire and focus group answers, are proposed to give complete results based upon the responses given, which may or may not be truthful.
• Since participants will be asked to answer all questions truthfully and to the best of their knowledge, there is an assumption that all answers will have a high amount of validity.
Limitations
The following are limitations that are recognized as having a moderate impact on the study and its validity:
• Results will be limited to those participants that agree to be included in the study. They may or may not be a full representation of the population we are looking for.
• In order to try to gain a good representation of the population a large sample size is proposed. Since it is so large, there will be limited time constraints to interview each participant.
• Since this is the first study of its kind for our company, we are limited to compare results of this study to previous ones.
• Measurement of results will be limited to the answers the participants give, which may or may not be factual.

Time Schedule
The proposed length of time that will be needed to conduct this research is one year. The first month will be used to find the space needed in each of the selected cities. We will need rooms to hold the focus group meetings and a lobby area for participants to fill out questionnaires. We will also need to find department stores that will allow us to question their shoppers and get them to participate in our research study. The next nine months will be used to question the participants and gather the responses. We will find them in the department stores and then schedule appointments for them to come down and fill out the questionnaire and be involved in the focus groups. The last two months will be used to enter the information into the computer systems. By having all of the data in one type of system shared over all the cities participating, we can view data by various ages as well as where the customer is from.
Personnel
In order for this research to even start, we need assistance from the department stores to let us inside and talk to their customers. The decision to let us talk to the customers is up to the store manager. We will also need assistance to get the buildings and supplies (computers, paper for the questionnaire, tables and chairs) needed in order to conduct the research.
Resources
The resources that will be used during this study includes many different items. First is the department stores, which will help us to find those willing to be participants of this study. Second, is the rental space we will use to hold the focus group meetings. Third, is the questionnaire the participants fill out before they enter the focus groups. Lastly, is the computer program, which will link up the results of all participants in every city.
References
Baumann, L. (2012).The Best Soothing Ingredients for Sensitive Skin. Retrieved from http://skintypesolutions.com/index.php?option=com_article&view=article&id=452
Begoun, P. (2013) Irritation: Your Skins Worst Enemy. Retrieved from http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/sensitive-skin/_/skin-irritation-your-worst-enemy
Dell’Acqua, G (2008). Sensitive Skin and Skin Barrier. Cosmetics and Toiletries. http://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/formulating/category/skincare/35137379.html
Discover Lancôme (2013) Retrieved October 20th, 2013 from http://www.lancome-usa.com/discover-lancome/discover-lancome,default,sc.html
Inamadar AC, Palit A. (2013) Sensitive skin: An overview. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol,79:9-16 DOI: 10.4103/0378-6323.104664
Johnson, A. W. (2004), Overview: fundamental skin care—protecting the barrier. Dermatologic Therapy, 17: 1–5. Doi: 10.1111/j.1396-0296.2004.04S1000.x
Kligman, A. M., Sadiq, I., Zhen, Y. and Crosby, M. (2006), Experimental studies on the nature of sensitive skin. Skin Research and Technology, 12: 217–222. DOI: 10.1111/j.0909-752X.2006.00206.x
Simple (2013) Retrieved October 21st, 2013 from http://www.simpleskincare.com/about-us/our-philosophy
Stenenton, K (2013). The Professional Face of Skin Care. Cosmetics and Toiletries. Retrieved from http://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/research/biology/ Professional-Skin-Care-Career-209676871.html
Why Clinique (2013). Retrieved October 20th, 2013from http://www.clinique.com/cms/why_ Clinique/index.tmpl
World of Kiehl’s (2013) Retrieved October 21st 2013 from http://www.kiehls.com/About-Kiehl%27s---Ingredients/about-us-ingredients,default,pg.html