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Research customers and competitors

Skincare Founder Lab
Module 1 · Become a Skincare Founder About 2 min

BY THE END OF THIS LESSON

Build an evidence-based customer and competitor research plan.

  1. Core concept

    A promising cosmetic market is not proof that a particular first product has buyers. Market research combines interviews about current purchasing behavior, observation of alternatives, customer language and realistic price constraints. Direct competitors, substitutes and DIY alternatives may all compete for the same budget.

  2. Apply the concept

    Interview at least ten potential customers without asking leading questions. Record last purchase, shopping channel, price paid, dissatisfaction, return reasons, fragrance or texture preferences, and evidence of unmet needs. Document competitor promises separately from verified ingredient and safety facts.

  3. Professional decision-making

    Prioritize behavior over stated enthusiasm. A person saying 'I love the idea' is weaker evidence than a preorder or repeated purchases of a similar product. Do not collect health diagnoses as marketing data without a justified privacy and compliance design.

  4. In practice

    • Interview 10 to 15 people who buy products in your category about what they bought last and why.
    • Ask about past behavior ('What did you buy last month?') rather than future wishes ('Would you buy…?').
    • List direct competitors, substitutes and do-it-yourself options your customer might choose instead.
    • Record the exact words customers use; they make better product descriptions than jargon.
    • Note the price range people actually pay today.

  5. Case study

    Prospects say they want 'clean natural products' but buy discounted scented body lotion monthly.

    Think about what you would do, then show the recommended response

    Translate the broad adjective into observed purchasing criteria: scent, price per ounce, texture, convenience and trusted proof. Test whether the proposed product truly improves a valued attribute.

  6. Your practice task

    Research interview guide, ten-anonymized-response summary, and a competitor comparison table. Check yourself: Questions ask about past behavior, not compliments. Claims are labeled as competitor claims, not validated facts. Target segment and price hypothesis are falsifiable.

  7. Common misconception

    Popularity on social media is not equivalent to validated demand or safe product design.

  8. Check yourself

    1. Why ask about past purchases instead of future intentions?
    2. What counts as a competitor besides similar brands?
    3. Customers say they want 'natural' but buy cheap scented lotion. What does that tell you?
    Show the answers

    1) What people did is more reliable than what they say they will do. 2) Substitutes and DIY alternatives competing for the same budget. 3) Price and scent may matter more to them than the label; test what really drives the purchase.

Sources

Checked against the official sources listed below on November 9, 2026. Educational only: not medical, legal or regulatory advice, state-approved training, or certification.

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