How Can Focus Groups Help Skincare Brands Connect with the Overlooked Demographic of 65+ in Singapore?

Approximately 1 in 4 citizens will be aged 65 and above, up from just 1 in 10 in 2010. The median age of Singapore's resident population reached 43.2 years as of June 2025, rising from 39.6 years just a decade earlier. The proportion of residents aged 65 and over now stands at 18.8%. Anti-aging products dominate advertising, but they're typically pitched at 35-year-olds afraid of looking 45, not 65-year-olds navigating the actual experience of aging skin.

We find this disconnect fascinating. The skincare needs of mature consumers - managing dryness, supporting compromised skin barriers, addressing medication side effects, adapting routines for reduced dexterity - are real and under-served. Understanding them requires more than product testing; it requires genuine conversations about identity, self-perception, and what "looking good" means when the benchmark isn't youth.

Singapore's government has invested heavily in supporting healthy aging. The S$3 billion Action Plan for Successful Ageing, launched by the Ministerial Committee on Ageing in 2015, encompasses over 70 initiatives across health, social welfare, and infrastructure. More recently, the Healthier SG initiative and Age Well SG program aim to empower Singaporeans to age actively within their communities.

This policy attention reflects economic reality. According to the Ministry of Manpower, around 1 in 4 resident workers is aged 55 and older, with the re-employment age extended from 65 to 67. These are consumers still in the workforce, still earning, and increasingly conscious of appearance in professional settings.

The beauty market data tells a complementary story. Singapore's beauty and personal care market saw solid retail current value growth in 2024, with anti-aging remaining a prime focus. According to Euromonitor, consumers are keen to maintain clear, wrinkle-free skin while embracing minimal makeup looks. Product variety is becoming a key differentiator, with face masks evolving from basic single-sheet offerings to multiple formats including overnight masks and reusable options.

The purchasing behavior also suggests opportunity. A Daily Vanity survey found that 33.5% of Singapore consumers spend between SGD 50-99 per skincare shopping trip. The median age of Singapore (40.8 years) means there are more people over 45 than younger workers—and this older cohort holds the disposable income.

The Questions We Believe Are Worth Asking

Marketing research often treats "seniors" as a homogeneous category. Our approach would disaggregate this audience and explore specific tensions:

For the Active Ager (60-70 years):

• How has your relationship with your appearance changed over the past decade? What do you notice in the mirror that you didn't before?

• When you see anti-aging advertising, do you feel spoken to or spoken past?

• Describe your current skincare routine. What works? What frustrates you?

• Have health conditions or medications affected your skin? How have you adapted?

For Caregivers and Adult Children:

• Do you help select or purchase skincare products for an aging parent? How do those conversations go?

• What would make a product feel appropriate to recommend—versus patronizing?

For Healthcare Professionals (Dermatologists, Aesthetic Practitioners):

• What skincare concerns do your older patients raise most frequently?

• What products or ingredients do you find yourself recommending or cautioning against for mature skin?

For Retail Staff:

• How do interactions with older customers differ from younger ones? What questions do they ask? What hesitations do you observe?

The Qualitative Approach

Method Selection

Focus Groups (Mini-Groups of 4-5): For this demographic, we'd use smaller groups rather than traditional 8-person configurations. Smaller groups allow deeper exploration of personal topics—aging, appearance, self-perception—that might feel too vulnerable in larger settings. We'd also ensure peer composition: women in their 60s talking with other women in their 60s, not mixed-age groups where social comparison dynamics muddy the data.

Extended Individual Interviews with Visual Elicitation: We'd supplement groups with in-depth interviews (75-90 minutes) using photo prompts. Participants would be asked to bring images representing "aging well" and "aging poorly"—drawn from magazines, their own photos, or public figures. Discussing these images reveals aesthetic frameworks and underlying anxieties that direct questions might not surface.

Participant Targeting

We'd recruit based on life stage and skincare engagement rather than age alone:

• The Maintenance Minimalist: Long-standing simple routine (cleanser, moisturizer). Skeptical of elaborate regimens. "If it's not broken, don't fix it."

• The Quality Investor: Willingly pays premium for products from reputable brands. Values efficacy claims backed by science.

• The Confused Navigator: Overwhelmed by options. Unsure what's marketing versus what works. May have stopped exploring due to decision fatigue.

• The Medical Skincare User: Skin routine shaped by dermatological conditions, medications, or medical aesthetics (Botox, fillers). Sophisticated but not typical consumer.

Uncovering Insights

In focus group contexts, we'd employ techniques that surface shared frameworks:

The "Ideal Bathroom Shelf" Exercise: Participants collectively design the ideal product lineup for "someone like them"—discussing which products belong, which are unnecessary, and what's missing from the market.

Packaging Reaction Sort: Present 10-15 skincare products spanning different price points, aesthetic styles, and brand origins. Participants sort by "would buy" versus "not for me" and explain their categorizations. Visual design, font choices, and imagery often signal target audience in ways consumers register subconsciously.

Advertising Autopsy: Show 3-4 anti-aging advertisements from different brands. Discuss what feels authentic versus alienating. Who do participants think the ad is actually for?

Actionable Tools

Tool 1: Mature Consumer Needs Hierarchy

Mature Consumer Skincare Needs Hierarchy

Lower needs must be satisfied before higher needs become relevant

Self-Expression

"This product reflects who I am now"

Confidence & Esteem

Feeling put-together, professional, attractive

Sensory Pleasure

Textures that feel good; scents that please; rituals that calm

Functional Efficacy

Managing dryness, texture, spots, sensitivity—visible improvement

Safety & Compatibility

Won't irritate; works with medications; suitable for changing skin

Research Insight: Many mature consumers are stuck at the Safety level because products cause irritation or interact poorly with medications. They cannot access higher-level benefits until this baseline is addressed.

Tool 2: Anti-Aging Messaging Spectrum Assessment

Anti-Aging Messaging Spectrum Assessment

Use in research to test messaging resonance with mature consumers

Alienating Patronizing Neutral Relevant Empowering

❌ Alienating

"Turn back the clock 20 years"

Implies current state is unacceptable. Sets impossible expectation. Most mature consumers have made peace with aging—they want enhancement, not erasure.

⚠️ Patronizing

"Because you've earned those laugh lines"

Attempts positivity but condescends. Suggests acceptance is the only option. Underestimates sophistication of mature consumers.

✓ Relevant

"Formulated for skin that's been through a lot"

Acknowledges reality without judgment. Speaks to lived experience. Suggests specialized understanding.

✓✓ Empowering

"The skincare you know your skin needs now"

Respects consumer expertise. Positions product as tool for informed choice. Doesn't tell consumer what to want.

Tool 3: Focus Group Discussion Guide Framework

Focus Group Discussion Guide: Mature Skincare Consumers

Mini-group format (4-5 participants) | Total: 90 minutes

Warm-Up & Introductions 10 min

Brief introduction: Name, family situation, one word to describe your relationship with skincare

Opening prompt: "When did you last try a new skincare product? Tell us about that experience."

Current Routines & Satisfaction 20 min

"Walk us through your morning skincare routine." Probe: What products? How long? Has it changed in the past 5 years?

"What's the one product you couldn't live without?" Probe: What does it do for you? How did you discover it?

"What skin concern frustrates you most?" Probe: Have you found a solution? What have you tried?

Age, Identity & Appearance 25 min

"How would you describe your approach to aging?" Note: Let participants define their own framework before introducing terms

[Show 3 print ads for anti-aging products] "Who do you think these ads are for?" Probe: Is anyone here the target? Why/why not? How does the ad make you feel?

"What does 'looking good for your age' mean to you?" Probe: Is this a compliment or a backhanded one? What would you prefer?

⚠️ Moderator note: Be alert for performance vs. genuine sentiment. Group dynamics may push toward "I don't care about appearance" scripts that don't reflect private reality.

Product Exploration Activity 25 min

[Present 10 products across price points and styles] "Sort these into 'interested' and 'not for me'" Probe each decision: What made you put it there? First impressions from packaging?

"If you could tell skincare brands one thing they're getting wrong about consumers your age, what would it be?"

Wrap-Up & Wish List 10 min

"If a brand created a skincare line specifically for you, what would it include?" Probe: Products, messaging, where it's sold, how it's priced

Conclusion

The brands that will thrive are those that stop treating mature consumers as an afterthought and start treating them as a primary audience worth genuinely understanding. This means more than larger fonts on packaging; it means developing products, messaging, and retail experiences that reflect how older Singaporeans actually think about skin, self, and aging.

Ready to understand what Singapore's mature consumers really need from skincare? We design focus groups and qualitative research that go beyond demographic checkboxes to uncover genuine insights. Let's start that conversation. If you are ready to uncover more about such insights, let us have a conversation. You can also write to our Research Lead, Felicia at felicia@assembled.sg or give us a call at +65 8118 1048.