“ The poor performance of the body care market is likely due to the prolonged period of economic uncertainty that has consumers adjusting their use of nonessentials ,” says Molly Maier, senior analyst at Mintel. “ Product affordability is the most important attribute right now, therefore keeping products within a medium or low price point will be key in maintaining consumer participation .”

Hand and body lotion are the most common concoctions in the saturated body care market. Some 81% of consumers use body lotion and 89% say they use hand lotion, up from 76% and 84% since 2011. Women are definitely slathering it on more than men as 97% of women use hand lotion and 96% use body lotion versus 80% and 66% among men, respectively.

In an effort to be thrifty, many people are using lotion designed for a specific body part on other areas. While 94% of Mintel respondents say they use hand lotion on their hands, another 28% say they use it on their feet, 43% on their arms and 23% on their legs.

Despite this, there are some areas where people are very specific when it comes to their body care needs. Nearly three-quarters (73%) …