The average woman endures 84 ‘bad skin days’ a year

The average woman endures 84 ‘bad skin days’ a year, according to a study.

Researchers who polled 2,000 females found they have seven bad skin days a month on average – with wrinkles, acne and dark circles among the biggest anxieties.

Other worries include dry skin, enlarged pores and age spots.

Amid this, women spend in excess of £8,000 in total during their lifetime on products to improve the appearance of their skin.

But they will bin more than £600 worth of those items because the products prove to be ineffective or, worse still, exacerbate the problem.

The research was commissioned by Dermalex® ahead of the launch of its Repair + Restore ultra-hydrating moisturiser for dry and very skin.

It found more than one third of females don’t feel confident about their skin, while six in 10 have never received a compliment about it.

But half said healthy looking skin boosts their overall confidence, 30 per cent feel less self-conscious and 23 per cent feel less stressed.

Around a third of women in the UK suffer from dry skin – while a further 26 per cent endure dry skin AND eczema.

And stress was identified as the biggest cause of these conditions among those polled.

It also emerged one fifth of women have completely avoided leaving the house due to their skin condition.

And 41 per cent have refrained from having their photo taken.

A quarter have stayed away from social media entirely and one third have resorted to wearing long clothing to keep the affected areas away from public gaze.

Despite this, one fifth of dry skin and eczema sufferers don’t use an emollient or dedicated dry skin moisturiser to alleviate or prevent symptoms.

And 25 per cent don’t moisturise daily even though doing so could improve their skin complaints.

Laure De Brauer, from Dermalex said: “It’s concerning to see how much skin worries can impact our overall confidence and yet still many people aren’t regularly using a product that’s designed to help improve their symptoms.

“When your skin looks and feels healthy, you feel better about yourself which is why we’re on a mission to help boost the nation’s confidence.”

Carried out through OnePoll.com, the survey also found women expect to see positive results from new skincare products after about a week.

But four in 10 have thrown away products after just a few uses because they didn’t alleviate specific skin conditions.

When it comes to skincare advice and identifying which products produce results, the internet is the first port of call for women, closely followed by pharmacists and friends.

However 30 per cent don’t know where to turn – and don’t attempt to get tips or support from anywhere.

Laure de Brauer added: “Dermalex is passionate about providing the right product for the right consumer.

“By launching Repair + Restore we are looking to give dry skin and eczema sufferers access to a product that is affordable and effective – even helping to prevent the return of eczema symptoms and reduce the need for flare up treatments.”

Dermalex’s Repair + Restore van is touring the UK this summer, offering confidence-boosting skincare advice, support and free product samples.