Rise in Hand Hygiene, Fall in Cosmetics Usage: Changes in Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic

People’s daily lives have changed greadly amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the Japanese government has been encouraging residents to avoid the “three Cs” of closed spaces, crowds, and conversations in close proximity. The results of a survey of Japanese women by cosmetic company Kao show that nearly everyone is taking measures to avoid becoming infected with or spreading viruses. The most common measure is regular hand-washing, which 94% of those surveyed have been doing, followed by wearing a mask (84%), gargling (77%), and using hand sanitizer or disinfectant (70%).

Compared to the results of a similar survey conducted in 2018 regarding measures taken to avoid influenza, this most recent survey found a 44% increase in the use of hand sanitizer or disinfectant, as well as a significant increase in the percentage of those wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and circulating air in rooms. These results show how people’s behavior has changed in response to the spread of COVID-19.

Another survey asked married women living in the Tokyo metropolitan area about how their daily lives have changed amid the COVID-19 crisis. The results showed that while they are purchasing more items for cleaning and disinfecting, they are buying fewer cosmetics. With more people working from home and the customary use of masks when running errands, there is a trend toward doing without makeup.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: © Pixta.)