Abstract
This study investigates soldiers' and civilians' interest in and behaviors toward cosmetics and skin beauty. Responses to a self-administered questionnaire were collected from 150 soldiers and 156 civilians residing in Chung-chung Province, Korea. The mean age of the respondents was $21.9{\pm}1.8$. More than 90% used skin toner and lotion products, and more than 50% used sunblocks and foam cleansers. Soldiers were more likely to use essence (p<.001) and after-shave (p<.01) products than civilians. In addition, soldiers were more likely to use carrier cosmetics than their counterparts (p<.001~p<.05). Soldiers were more likely to be concerned about their skin (p<.01) and unsatisfactory environments for skin care (p<.001), more likely to engage in skin care behaviors (p<.01), and less likely to have skin knowledge than civilians (p<.001). There was a negative relationship between skin knowledge and skin care behaviors (p<.01). The level of interest in appearance was correlated with that in skin (p<.001). The number of skin related concerns was positively correlated with unsatisfactory environments for skin care (p<.001). Concerns over appearance (p<.001), skin (p<.001), and unsatisfactory environments for skin care (p<.05) were positively correlated with skin care behaviors. The results suggest the necessity of providing a diverse and differentiated range of cosmetics to meet the needs of soldiers and men, particularly the former, according to the differences in their environments.
