Black and Hispanic consumers in the U.S. wear fragrances more often than other ethnicities

Port Washington, N.Y., September 21, 2022 – Fragrance usage in the U.S. remained flat this year, compared to 2021, but it grew among both Black and Hispanic consumers, who wear fragrances more than other consumers. According to The NPD Group, over 85% of Hispanic and Black consumers wear perfume and other fragrance products, compared to 78% of the total U.S. population.

“Compared to other ethnicities, Black and Hispanic consumers are more engaged not only with fragrance products, but across all beauty categories,” said Larissa Jensen, beauty industry advisor at NPD. “Understanding the nuances of how Black and Hispanic shoppers interact with the beauty industry by category can help to uncover the opportunities with these very tuned-in consumers.”

Black and Hispanic consumers are generally more engaged with fragrance products, as they wear them more often than other ethnicities and self-gift more frequently, according to the latest findings from the 2022 “Fragrance Consumer Report” from NPD. Over 60% of Black and Hispanic consumers report they do not leave the house without wearing fragrance and it is part of their daily routines, which is significantly higher than white and Asian users.

Among these two groups, demand is also rising for stronger scents. Black and Hispanic consumers are wearing stronger scents more frequently, a behavior that is in line with a broader shift happening in the U.S. prestige fragrance market. Eau de parfums (EDPs) and parfums, which have a higher percentage of fragrance oils, continue to gain market share in 2022, at the expense of cologne, eau de toilette (EDT), and other products with lower concentrations of fragrance oils.