Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the U.S. Many businesses are discovering that this segment of the population is an important part of the customer base, and since it is growing at a rapid rate, it will be even more important in the future. But for many companies, the Hispanic population is not well understood, making it difficult to market to them.

This report examines the use of personal care products by Hispanics and is based primarily on data from the 2002 Simmons Hispanic Consumer Survey (HCS), which surveyed 10,072 adults aged 18 or older who were identified as being of Hispanic origin. In order to ascertain differences between the total population and the Hispanic population, Mintel has compared the results from the Simmons Hispanic Consumer Survey with the Fall 2002 National Consumer Survey (NCS).

To a large degree, the basic cleansing products examined here are commonly used in most cultures and show high degrees of penetration in both the general population and the Hispanic segment. This means that much of the competition in these industries involves the market share of specific brands or versions of these products. For other products, such as those that enhance appearance, penetration in the Hispanic population differs from the overall population, and there are often differences in the likelihood of product use within sub-segments of the Hispanic population. These differences can be related to demographic differences such as age, or they may be the product of differences in the degree of acculturation.

For purposes of this report, personal care products include the following:

Makeup, including lipstick/lip gloss; foundation makeup; mascara; blush; eye shadow; eyeliner; eyebrow pencil; and nail polish/nail care products

Haircare products, including shampoo, hair conditioner/treatment; hair styling products; hair spray; hair coloring products; home permanents

Shaving products, including razor blades; disposable razors/shavers; shaving cream/gel; after shave lotion/cologne; electric/battery shavers

Skin and body care products, including bar soap; liquid soap; facial cleansers; moisturizers; suntan/sunscreen products

Dental care products including toothpaste; non-electric toothbrushes; mouthwash/dental rinse

Over-the-counter medications and vitamins, including cold/allergy/sinus; headache/pain reliever; indigestion/anti-nausea/diarrhea; laxatives; cough syrups; sore throat; pain relieving rubs/liquids; first aid/topical antibiotic; vitamins/minerals; eye drops/eye wash.

Other reports in Mintel’s Hispanic series include:

Hispanics and Media and the Internet-U.S., consumer intelligence, February 2004

Hispanics Entertainment and Leisure-U.S., consumer intelligence, January 2004

Hispanics and Beverages-U.S., consumer intelligence, December 2003

Hispanics and Food Away from Home-U.S., consumer intelligence,, November 2003

Hispanics and Food: Volume 2-U.S., consumer intelligence, October 2003

Hispanics and Food: Volume 1-U.S., consumer intelligence, September 2003

Hispanic Spending and Shopping Patterns-U.S., consumer intelligence, August 2003

Hispanics and Household Products-U.S., consumer intelligence, July 2003

Hispanics Demographics-U.S., consumer intelligence, May 2003