Key stat: 27% of Gen Z adults and 26% of Millennials say skincare and beauty products are a necessity, much higher than Gen X (18%) and Baby boomers (22%), according to an April Credit Karma survey.

Beyond the chart:

• Tariffs are driving US adults to cut back on nonessentials (45%), according to a July Numerator survey.
• If tariffs lead to higher prices, US consumers are almost twice as likely to cut back on full-service restaurants (43%) than beauty and personal care (24%), according to an August CivicScience survey.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to rethink what “essential” means, especially for younger consumers who prioritize beauty and self care despite rising costs.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Navigating the AI-Powered Path to Purchase (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Beauty Ecommerce 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the April 2025 Credit Karma report titled "New Necessities: Young Americans Redefine Essential Spending Amid Economic Uncertainty" conducted by The Harris Poll. 2,074 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed online during April 7–9, 2025. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the data is accurate to within +/-2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. The credible interval may be wider among population subsets. Data weighting and subgroup sample sizes were applied to ensure representativeness and analytical validity.