Differences in skincare and oral hygiene spending in Japan

If you're like me and enjoy having a bit of a stickybeak into people's habits, a new 2026 survey offers a little glimpse into beauty-based spending and where money actually goes. It was a study focused on women in their 30's to 50's, and I'm smack bang in the middle of that age range so it made me extra interested in the results!

The biggest contrast was between skincare and oral care spending. Many of the women surveyed report spending more than ¥5,000 a month on skincare, while oral care items often stayed under ¥1,000. I thought that gap stood out, particularly since around 70% said they include oral care in their daily routine.

I guess while oral care is widely practiced, it's not treated as a major area of spending and is handled more like a basic necessity. Most people stick to brushing, flossing, and mouthwash, keeping their costs low and daily routines simple. I think maybe skincare is seen as an investment because the effects are easier to notice, or at least until you smile, perhaps.

Even though spending on oral hygiene wasn't particularly high, people's concerns about it still were. More than half of respondents mentioned yellowing teeth, and over 40% pointed to bad breath! I was pretty surprised that with people making mention of those things, that they weren't actively trying to do more to improve what was going on in their mouths. 

Do you think you spend more on skincare or oral hygiene month-to-month?