Brits are set to spend £1.4 billion on health and beauty this summer - Karim Zeroul urges Superdrug shoppers to donate 20p to help end of life care

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The poll was commissioned to launch Superdrug’s new Yellow Pennies fundraising initiative in partnership with Marie Curie. Marie Curie and Superdrug have been longstanding partners, recently celebrating hitting its £12 million fundraising milestone.

They have teamed up with Strictly Come Dancing star and TV presenter Karim Zeroual to urge shoppers to top up their instore purchases with a simple 20p donation, which will go towards funding the vital work of the end of life charity.

The poll revealed 90s makeup looks are set to make a comeback, with pink blusher (29 per cent) and body glitter (16 per cent) at the top of women’s lists along with dark lip liner (15 per cent) and frosted lipstick (14 per cent).

Women across the UK are expected to spend £871 million this season, while nearly two in five men (27 per cent) will spend over £30 over the summer, with some of the most popular items being deodorant (61 per cent), SPF (50 per cent), razors (45 per cent) and perhaps surprisingly, fake tan (6 per cent).

Despite the up and down weather so far this summer, sun safety is high up on the agenda for men (50 per cent) and women (57 per cent) as SPF is the second most popular purchase only to deodorant (66 per cent). A third of Brits may be expecting to burn as they are buying After Sun in anticipation (30 per cent). Just under a third of Brits (28 per cent) will be staying out of the sun altogether, preferring to fake tan over sitting in the sun to prevent ageing and skin damage.

The poll also found that the rise of wellness and beauty social media trends has boosted the nation’s spending habits with 35 per cent admitting social media plays a large role in the products they buy.

With Brits set to spend big over the next couple of months, Superdrug is giving customers an easy way to donate 20p on top of any card or mobile wallet purchase to raise money for Marie Curie.

If just one in five Brits chose to donate 20p on just one Superdrug purchase this summer, it would raise over £2 million for the charity.

Donations are more important than ever as an estimated 150,000 people die every year without the care they need1, with nine in 10 of people that die in the UK today needing palliative care2 – something that can not only have a dramatic effect on those dying, but also on their loved ones of all ages. Without this care and support, people are dying frightened, alone, and in avoidable pain and suffering. Stressed and exhausted families often do not know where to turn to for help.

Karim Zeroual, Strictly Come Dancing finalist, BBC presenter, actor and DJ, said: “As a recent first time dad I’m always finding myself having to stock up on essentials, and it’s brilliant that it’s now so easy for people to donate to Marie Curie when they do so. The work they do to help people at the end of their lives is so valuable – so I encourage everyone to donate their spare change to the charity on their next Superdrug shop. Twenty pence can feel like very little compared to what you’d spend overall, and yet it helps to make a monumental difference to this vital charity.”

Nigel Duxbury, Superdrug Health & Beauty, Property Director, said: “We're thrilled that our fundraising efforts have exceeded the £12million mark, and the journey continues. Pennies is a great initiative that offers a simple and effective way for Superdrug customers to support Marie Curie's vital work and help us go even further with our fundraising efforts."

Sophie Graham, Clinical Nurse Manager at Marie Curie, commented: “This campaign is so much more important than you might think. Every 20p donation will go straight into funding vital hospice and hospice care at home services, and Marie Curie Healthcare Assistants and Nurses like me. It all adds up, and they will allow us to be there for even more people when they need us the most.

“Palliative care is special, because it's personal. We see first-hand the difference good end of life care can make and I'm proud when I see how much that means to our patients and their loved ones. We’re so grateful for the ongoing generosity and support from Superdrug customers over the years of our partnership, and hope they choose to add a little extra on top of their purchases to help more people get the end of life care they desperately need.”

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end of life charity. They provide expert hospice care at home and in their hospices, alongside support over the phone, and a wealth of information online to support people and their families at the end of life.

Superdrug has partnered with Pennies which gives customers an easy way to donate 20p on top of any card or mobile wallet purchase, to raise money for Marie Curie. Head down to Superdrug store to donate 20p on top of any purchase. Donations raised will go to Marie Curie to help with their mission to improve end of life care for all, whatever the illness.