Multitasking skin care and color cosmetics have become the norm. 67% percent of the 3,900 U.S. beauty-buying females surveyed in The Benchmarking Company’s January 2025 beauty habits study say they regularly buy beauty products that perform more than one function or solve multiple problems. Whether it’s skin care products that contain SPF, or makeup providing added anti-aging skin benefits, buyers expect strong multifunctional performers that are as effective as single-benefit products—and have proof to back up those claims.
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Multitasking skin care and color cosmetics have become the norm. 67% percent of the 3,900 U.S. beauty-buying females surveyed in The Benchmarking Company’s January 2025 beauty habits study say they regularly buy beauty products that perform more than one function or solve multiple problems. Whether it’s skin care products that contain SPF, or makeup providing added anti-aging skin benefits, buyers expect strong multifunctional performers that are as effective as single-benefit products—and have proof to back up those claims.
The Basics—Beauty Usage and Routine
Facial skin care is the most common category of general beauty and wellness products used by U.S. beauty consumers (96%), followed by hair care products (95%), body skin care (89%) and color cosmetics (78%). Of those categories, facial skin care is used most often, with 49% saying they use it daily, and 46% use/apply multiple times per day. Body skin care comes in as a close second, with 59% saying they use body skin care products each day, and 28% using body skin care multiple times daily (T-1).
T-1. Daily time spent by consumers across categoriesThe Benchmarking Company
F1. Expected Benefits of Multi-Tasking ProductsThe Benchmarking Company
Applying body skin care products takes the least time in their routine, with 32% saying they get it done in less than 5 minutes. Most users of each product take between 6 minutes and 20 minutes to apply products on a typical day, with more time devoted to the precision involved in applying color cosmetics or perfecting their hair style. Most consumers (92%) are looking to simplify their beauty routines without compromising outcomes if possible (F-1).
The chief concern (T-2) about multitaskers is doubt that each component of the multitasking benefit would be as strong as it would be as if it was an individual product (35%). As an example, whether an SPF moisturizer will have enough SPF for their needs or be as moisturizing as a standalone non-SPF moisturizer.
Other concerns center around the strength of each ingredient (30%), ingredient interactions (24%), and whether the product could be personalized to their needs (21%), as top concerns. Twenty percent of respondents, however, have no concerns about multifunctional beauty or personal care products. 
T-2. Shopper concerns about beauty multitaskersThe Benchmarking Company
Skin Care Specifics
Female consumers are buying facial cleansers (60%), anti-aging treatments (57%), eye creams (52%), serums (52%), daily anti-aging moisturizers (45%), and cleansing/makeup remover wipes (44%) most often in the past 6 months, along with many other individual skin care products (T-3).
T3. Skincare Products Female Consumers Have Purchased in Past 6 MonthsThe Benchmarking Company
What’s Important When Buying Skin Care:
- 93%: Products suitable for my skin type
- 89%: Ingredients are proven to deliver specific benefits
- 89%: Product says it will solve a problem that I have
- 78%: Product reviews/consumer claims as proof that the product works
- 70%: Price
- 64%: Products formulated to be “clean”
- 57%: Customized/personalized formula for me
- 38%: Product is a multitasker
Although only 38% say multitasking skin care is important to her purchase decision, most skin care buyers (94%) say they have bought a multitasking skin care product in the past year, including facial serums promising multiple benefits (49%), lip balms with SPF and/or tint (47%), cleansers that exfoliate (46%), and tinted moisturizers with SPF (43%), among many others.
Favorite formats for multitasking skin care products include lotions (69%), serums (68%), balms (48%), masks (46%), sprays (45%), and patches (30%) (T-4).
Consumers who have yet to buy specific skin care multitaskers are very interested in trying them, representing a strong brand opportunity to introduce multitasking skin care concepts that appeal to their needs.
T-4. Top multitasking purchases, plus the products shoppers would most like to tryThe Benchmarking Company
Let’s Talk Color
In the past 6 months, U.S. female consumers have purchased mascara (80%), foundation (72%), eyeliner (62%), concealer (60%), lip gloss and blush (58% each), lipstick (57%), eye shadow palettes (56%), eye shadow (53%), and nail polish (50%) most often (T-5).
T-5. Shoppers’ color cosmetic purchases in the previous 6 monthsThe Benchmarking CompanyWhen considering what’s most important when making a color cosmetic purchase (F-2), 93% said shade match was most important, followed by the product’s finish and texture (88%), long-wear (83%), type of coverage (82%), the applicator/application method (67%), ingredient profile (60%), and ability to multitask (59%).
F-2. Top color cosmetic priorities among shoppersThe Benchmarking Company
Makeup products marketed as cruelty-free continue to be important purchase cues, with 64% of shoppers saying they look for that message when buying color cosmetics. Other makeup attributes that have encouraged consumers to purchase in the past 6 months include makeup products that indicate they are waterproof (54%), clean (48%), Made in the USA (45%), non-toxic and natural (tied at 42%) (F-3).
F-3. Preferred color cosmetic attributes among shoppersThe Benchmarking Company
In addition, 89% percent of color cosmetics buyers say they have bought a multitasking color cosmetic product in the past 12 months.
Consumers who have yet to buy specific makeup multitaskers are interested in trying them, again representing another strong brand opportunity to introduce multitasking makeup concepts that appeal to their needs.
T-6. Color cosmetic purchases in the previous 12 months, alongside products shoppers would like to tryThe Benchmarking Company
The form factors that are most appealing when buying a multitasking color cosmetic product include (T-6):
- 58% Multi-use sticks
- 57% Dual-ended products
- 55% Creams
- 54% All-in-one palettes
Building Your Brand’s Multitasking Buyer Base
Consumers clearly see value in buying skin care and makeup products with multiple benefits. Two-thirds of buyers actively seek out skin care, color cosmetics, and hair care products that can provide more than one benefit now. Consumers appreciate the time savings, potential money savings, and convenience of multitaskers.
To overcome purchase barriers when marketing multitasking beauty products, consumers need assurance that the multitasking product will be as effective as if they were purchasing single-tasking products separately. Providing the proof that consumers seek—in the form of consumer claims from independent third-party research, as well as positive product reviews from consumers like them—will give them permission to explore the many multi-benefit beauty products that have piqued their interest.
About the Author
Based in sun-seared San Diego, Denise Herich is co-founder and managing partner at The Benchmarking Company (www.benchmarkingcompany.com). The Benchmarking Company provides marketing and strategy professionals in the beauty and personal care industries with need-to-know information about its customers and prospects through custom consumer research studies through its 250,000+ female PinkPanel database, focus group, and consumer in-home use testing (IHUTs) for claims substantiation and risk mitigation.
