In recent years, the idea of perfect skin has taken the beauty world by storm. There are countless serums, creams, and toners designed to provide a smooth, flawless finish. But, is the idea of perfect skin even truly attainable? 

As it turns out, 34% of Americans believe perfect skin is a beauty myth, while 27% say it’s a real possibility. In between are the 39% who believe perfect skin rests somewhere between myth and possibility (among those with an opinion).  

While men are five percentage points more likely to say it’s a myth, women are seven percentage points more likely to believe in the grey area between the extremes. Gen Z and middle-income earners lead with their belief in the possibility of perfect skin, while Baby Boomers and low-income outpace with their stance that it’s a beauty myth. 

Of course, this demographic data is just the beginning of what sets perfect skin believers apart from the doubters and the realists. Here’s what the data show: 

Radio Listenership: Those who believe that perfect skin is a beauty myth are the most likely to listen to the radio daily, outpacing all others by a minimum of eight percentage points. 

Plant-Based Meats: While 24% of those who believe perfect skin is a beauty myth have tried and liked plant-based meats, just 16% of those who believe that perfect skin is somewhere between a myth and a possibility say the same. 

Spending Habits: Those who believe perfect skin is a beauty myth are 11 percentage points more likely to be careful spenders than those who believe it’s a real possibility (76% vs 65%).

Video Games: While 43% of those who believe perfect skin is a myth play video games daily, 22% of those who believe perfect skin is somewhere between myth and possibility say the same. 

Purchasing Motivation: When shopping for a car, those who believe perfect skin is a beauty myth are nine percentage points more likely to be motivated by a deal than those who believe perfect skin is a real possibility (38% vs 29%). 

Where do you stand? Take this poll now and see how your preference compares with other Americans:

Clearly, your perspective on perfect skin isn’t just linked to a philosophy on beauty, but to a variety of other consumer behaviors that exist beyond the skincare aisle. 

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.