Factors Influencing the Consumer Behavior of University of the East

ABM Students Towards Facial Care Products

A Research Study Submitted to the Senior High School Department

College of Education
University of the East
Manila

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Research Project

Agustin, Czarina Yzette A.

Fabro, Camila Joy R.
Gabini, Kristan Lance C.
Galicto, Khayle Cedric E.
Nacional, Justine Gayle C.
Pello, Janelle Marie J.
Reyes, Cylin Louise C.
Rosario, Pauline Venaiah D.
Salazar, Julianne Raya D.
Violeta, Pola Marie R.

March 2020
1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Cosmetics, derived from the Greek word kosmetikes, were used
by different civilizations for centuries to represent their own culture,
traditions, and religious practices. It was mentioned by
Cosmeticsinfo.org that cosmetics began with the Ancient Egyptians.
Countries like Egypt, Greece, China, and Japan in ancient times normally
used different chemicals and minerals such as white lead to add color to
their faces. It was also stated that they commonly use organic
ingredients such as berries, sesame oil, aloe vera, honey, fresh berries,
and rice powder for purpose of whitening, rejuvenating, and
moisturizing their skin. In 1400-1500, European women mostly used
white lead paint in attempt to lighten their skin. Soon, makeup becomes
thicker and more difficult for them to get rid of. As a result, they used
different substances such as rain water, donkey’s milk, red wine, and
urine to remove makeup. During 19th and early 20th century, people
found out that white lead causes health problems such as facial tremors
and muscle paralysis, that is why they started using zinc oxide as facial
powder. As the word makeup began to prosper, products like blushes,
powder compact, lipstick, and nail polishes also began to thrive.
Skincare products including cleansers, toners, sunscreen, and
moisturizers are also introduced.
In the early 2000s, consumers’ life at work and home are more
stressful and hectic. Cosmetics and personal care companies now
emphasize relaxation and produced products which can be used quickly.
Through the help of research and innovation, people created new
formulas and came up with different skincare products. As a result,
these products have a huge variety which are further classified by how
they work and what they do. Some of the products purposes are to

1
improve the look and feel of skin, to get rid of wrinkles, to modify the
color of the skin, to treat skin conditions, and to help remove dirt from
the skin.
Today, technology plays a vital role in everyone’s life. Through
this innovation, comes great improvement in education and beauty
which provided people a better way of living. However, due to the
excessive use of social media, more people have become more
conscious towards their physical appearances, hygiene, and lifestyle.
This leads to why skincare products play a significant role in the society
as they not just help someone look presentable, but it also boosts one’s
self confidence.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
This study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of Accountancy, Business and
Management (ABM) students of the University of the East-Manila
(UE) in terms of:
1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
2. What is the influence of social media, purchasing power, and peer
group on the consumer behavior of UE Manila ABM students?
3. Which factor has the greatest influence on the consumer behavior
of UE Manila ABM female students aged 15 to 19?
4. Which factor has the greatest influence on the consumer behavior
of UE Manila ABM male students aged 15 to 19?
1.3 Significance of the Study
To the Consumers. A consumer is a king in the kingdom of
market and is the focus of all marketing activities (Kumar, 2017). This
study provides valuable insights into consumer behavior regarding facial
care products. Consumer behavior studies, which examines the factors

2
that influence consumers’ intention to purchase, make consumers aware
of the influences that motivate their decision-making and purchase
intention towards a product.
To the Businesses. There are many factors that affect how
consumers behave. As a result, consumer behavior does not remain
constant, making it difficult for businesses to predict consumer
behavior. Studies that reveal the relationship between such factors and
consumer behavior help businesses to make educated guesses as to
how their consumers may take their products. This study will also
benefit them to mitigate risk, create an effective marketing strategy,
and know their strengths and weaknesses as an organization.
To the Marketers. Marketing starts and ends with the consumers
(Kumar, 2017). This study will help the marketers to determine the main
factors that contribute to the consumers’ buying behavior and to
improve their understanding about it. This will also benefit them to
ensure customer satisfaction. Marketers decide on the product’s
packaging, price, distribution channel, and promotion method. That is
why learning how their consumers behave and make purchase decisions
enable them to make products that will satisfy their target market’s
needs and wants.
To the Government. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
can benefit from this study since regulating consumption of goods is
important to maintain economic stability.
To the Future Researchers. This study was only conducted in
University of the East - Manila with the participation of its ABM students,
thus, it was only conducted in a short period of time and with a limited
sample. This research suggests them to make it broader and study a
larger population to be able to see if there are any variations that may
arise in the behavior of the consumers in buying facial care products.

3
This study only focuses on four factors which are; social media,
purchasing power, and peer group that may hugely affect the consumers
buying behavior towards facial care products. The researchers suggest
improving this study in a way to think more other than these or any
correlations of these factors to companies in improving their marketing
strategies.
1.4 Scope and Delimitation
This study focuses in understanding the relationship of certain
factors and consumer behavior towards facial care products. Teenagers
(ages 15 to 19) are usually the consumers of these products that is why
the researchers chose Senior High School ABM students of University of
the East – Manila as its respondents. In addition, the factors that will
only be included in this study are: social media, purchasing power, and
peer group. The researchers wanted to study these factors to prove and
to know if it actually impacts one’s consumer behavior towards facial
care products. Moreover, this study will only discuss facial care products
such as face masks, facial cleansers, moisturizers, and more.
1.5 Operational Definition of Terms
In order for the readers to have a better understanding, the
researchers define the following terminologies according to how it is
used in this study:
Consumer Behavior. The basis of most marketers to identify what
products or services they need to improve to satisfy the needs and
wants of their customers including different factors that may affect their
choices.
Cosmetics and Skincare Products. Products used for enhancing one’s
physical appearance including its skin texture. These may include
foundation, body lotion, moisturizer, lip balm, and many more.

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Facial Care Products. Skincare products which are used only for the
face. An example of such products are toner, facial cleanser, and face
masks.
Peer Group. Both a social group of people who have the same interests,
age, background, or social status. Its members are likely to influence
the each other's beliefs and behavior.
Social Media. Websites and applications that enable the creation or
dissemination of the users’ information and ideas.
1.6 Literature Review
Age
Since technology continues to advance, demographics reshape
lifestyle and purchasing decisions of each individual. According to
Holmes (2017), an example of company targeting the younger
consumers is Lush which produces environment-friendly products.
Animal cruelty-free products are desired by young people aged 15 to 29
while people aged 33 to 44 favor products with all organic ingredients
or components. This shows the preferences of different age groups on
green products.
To further understand the younger generation's purchasing
behavior, Cosmetics Europe (2017) expanded that people who
consumes cosmetic products between ages 16 to 24 posed a significant
role in emphasizing their hygiene and valuing good health manners.
Through the accessibility of different social networking sites, the study
has reveals that the websites provided in the internet is mostly used by
the people aged 16 to 24 in reviewing information.
Moreover, a study conducted by Shin, Fowler, and Lee (2013) also
focused on the financial capability of teens. The researchers proved that
teens aged 11 to 17 actually have a larger spending power and more
discretionary income than the college-aged individuals (ages 18 to 30).

5
The study also found out that 35% of teens and 34% of college students
are influenced by their friends, while others depend on their own
decisions when shopping for denim jeans. This indicates that teens and
college students almost have similar characteristics of purchasing
behavior.
Gender
Gender has a significant role in consumer practices. As claimed in
the study of Bakshi (2012), the decision making of men and women are
entirely different from one another. Both genders also assess
advertisements’ messages differently. Any promotional strategy which
emphasize beauty and youth are preferred by women whereas that
which focuses on determination and physical strength are preferred by
men (Vijaya Lakshmi, Aparanjini Niharika, & Lahari, 2017).
Vijaya Lakshmi et al. (2017) stated that the perception of
purchasing and using a product differs from one gender to another.
When selecting products, women are more personal, intuitive, and
comprehensive while men are more rational, analytical, and selective.
These characteristics are due to the differences in their upbringing and
socialization. Moreover, females are internally focused while males are
externally focused. Females also tend to feel delightful and contented
when shopping whereas males seem to dislike the said activity (Bakshi,
2012).
Social Media
The growth of internet in the previous years has made new
systems available for business purposes (Hajli, 2013). It has led easier
ways of seeking and obtaining information about the goods and services
in the market. In addition, it is a powerful marketing tool since it is being
used widely as means of connection between customers and businesses
(Kyriakopoulou & Kitsios, 2018).

6
 As stated by Jashari and Rrustemi (2017), social media
progressively affects consumer behavior. Additionally, the use of social
media influences consumer satisfaction especially in the stages of
information search and evaluation of alternatives (Voramontri & Klieb,
2018). On the other hand, Hajli (2013) showed how social media
facilitates the social connections of consumers, which lead to gaining
trust and intention to buy. The results confirmed that trust has a
significant effect on one’s purchase intention.
Purchasing Power
Purchasing power is defined as one's financial ability to spend
money and buy products. It affects one's consumer behavior towards
products. According to Luong, Vo, and Le (2017), a person’s purchasing
power is determined by the product’s price, country of origin, and brand.
Consumers perceive price as a guideline to evaluate a product’s quality.
Usually, the quality of materials and components used to create a
product reveals its value. People depend on their financial capacity in
purchasing products most of the time. Consumers also consider the
country of origin of a product. They evaluate the quality of the products
based on where it was manufactured. In addition, consumers use brand
name, logo, and taglines to distinguish different brands from one
another. If a consumer has no idea about the product, they tend to
depend on the brand to make a purchase decision.
The study of Muniady, Al-Mamun, Permarupan, and Zainol (2014)
described that the spending pattern of a person depends on their
financial capacity and gender. Women are more patient when it comes
to purchasing goods since they are the ones who often purchase the
basic necessities of a family while men only have minimal considerations
on the price and product specifications.

7
Peer Group
One strong factor that determines a consumer’s purchasing
choices is peer pressure (Durmaz & Durmaz, 2014). It is defined as a
group’s influence on their members’ behaviors which everyone else
tends to follow (Chang and Nguyen, 2018). Consumers influence one
another by sharing their opinions, information, and personal
experiences with a product (Chatterjee, Chollet, & Trendel, 2017). A
study of Silva, Machado, and Cruz (2017) stated that family members
have a strong influence on consumer behavior. A family is a group of
people living together as a result of marriage or kinship, it includes
parents, spouse, and children (Durmaz & Durmaz, 2014). Additionally,
Muniaty (2015), peer group positively affects consumers’ purchase
decision on halal-labeled cosmetics. The influential behavior of an
individual is becoming a factor in decision-making as a whole.
Consumer Behavior
Due to the reason that a person’s consumer behavior is dynamic,
it will never be easy for the marketers to predict (Gajjar, 2013). Rani
(2014) explained that it is influenced by many factors such as cultural,
social, personal, and psychological factors. However, Dr. Rakesh Kumar
(2017) only pointed out three factors (demographic, geographic, and
psychological factors) that affect one’s consumer behavior.
An article of Qazzafi (2019) stated that the consumer buying
decision process has five stages which are problem recognition,
information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and
post-purchase behavior. The buyer can either use all five stages or skip
some during the process towards a product. However, when a person
wants to buy something new or where involvement is high, he or she
cannot skip any stages.

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 Moreover, consumer behavior can be classified into three types:
Routine Response that refers to purchasing such items that does not
really involve decision making; Limited Decision Making which refers to
availing products that one does not usually purchase on a daily basis
and knows the classification of goods but not the brand itself; Extensive
Decision Making that occurs when consumer considers the influences
that are involved before purchasing; and Impulsive Buying (Rani, 2014).
1.7 Theoretical Framework

Figure 1
Theory of Reasoned Action Framework
Consumer behavior determines how and why a person purchases
goods and services. This aims to understand how can a company create
effective marketing campaign and in satisfying their customers. Martin
Fishbein and Icek Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action implies that the
behavior of a person is influenced by his or her attitude and subjective
norms. The theory also stated that being specific is critical in the
decision-making process of a person. The researchers used the Theory
of Reasoned Action for it defines how a consumer makes decision on
purchasing or choosing a product in accordance of a certain intention
with himself or herself. There are reasons or factors on why a consumer
decides to choose or not to choose a certain product. This theory is

9
concerned with the behavior of a person. Reasoned Action theory
believes that the behavioral intent of a person is caused by two factors
which are: attitudes and subjective norms. If a person wants to do
something that is caused by his or her attitude, but the norms imply to
do something else, both factors influence the behavioral intent.
Attitudes have two components which are the evaluation and strength
of a belief. The subjective norms also have two components which are
the normative beliefs which means what a person thinks how others
would want him or her to do something, and the motivation which
answers the question of “Is it essential for me to do what I think others
expect?”. However, there is also a given limit that influences the attitude
on a behavior. Attitudes and behavior add up a new variable which is
the behavioral intent, while the behavior is related in the behavioral
intent of a person. They must be measured in the same level always.
With all that being said, a consumer only decides on what he or
she will buy if the product or service meets his or her expected results.
The demand of skincare products, in the present time, is gradually
increasing, which creates bigger competition among the companies that
are selling such products. Applying the theory of reasoned action, a
skincare company should know its customers' buying behavior in order
to meet the satisfaction and the needs they want to give to their
customers, and it should specify the benefits of the skincare products
that the consumers can get from purchasing them. Consumers expect a
positive result in every purchase of the skincare products they made,
that is why getting to know more about the behavior of the consumers
is a must in establishing and maintaining the loyalty of the consumers.
Lastly, people who use skincare products, and those who sell them
specially the marketers can be aware of how they can improve their

10
marketing strategies in terms of their consumer’s decision-making
process in choosing their product over another.
1.8 Conceptual Framework

Figure 2
Factors affecting Consumer Behavior
As shown in Figure 2, this study aims to understand the
relationship between certain factors and consumer behavior. These
factors are social media, purchasing power, and peer group. Based on
the review of related literature, these independent variables have an
impact on an individual’s consumer behavior.
1.9 Research Hypotheses
Based on the gathered related studies and literature, the
researchers set up the following hypotheses:
Social Media
Ho: There is no significant relationship between social media and
consumer behavior.
Ha: There is a significant relationship between social media and
consumer behavior.
Purchasing Power
Ho: There is no significant relationship between purchasing power
and consumer behavior.

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 Ha: There is a significant relationship between purchasing power
and consumer behavior.
Peer Group
Ho: There is no significant relationship between peer group and
consumer behavior.
Ha: There is a significant relationship between peer group and
consumer behavior.

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2. Methodology
This section discusses the research design, locale, respondents,
and the considered ethical principles of the researchers. It also tackles
the instruments, techniques, data gathering and analysis procedures
used for the study.
2.1 Research Design
A descriptive correlational research was used to explore and
observe the relationship of factors and consumer behavior. The
descriptive design was utilized for the respondents’ demographic profile.
In addition, correlational design was used to know the influence of social
media, purchasing power, and peer group to one’s consumer behavior
towards buying facial care products. The respondents were selected
using purposive sampling technique. In conducting the study, the
researchers provided survey questionnaires to 92 participants from the
ABM strand of UE Senior High School Department.
2.2 Research Locale
This study was conducted in the University of the East. The
institution has two campuses but the researchers only focused on the
Manila campus. The research participants are UE Senior High School
students specifically students under Accountancy, Business and
Management (ABM) strand. The place of implementation was chosen
because it will give the researchers the required information for the
study.
2.3 Population and Sampling
According to the university’s Department of Registration and
Records Management (DRRM), the population of Senior High School
ABM Grade 11 and Grade 12 students is 615 and 561 respectively, with
a total of 1,176 ABM students. Using the Slovin’s formula with 10%
margin of error, the researchers arrived at a sample of 92 students. The

13
selection of the respondents was done using purposive sampling
technique since the researchers only focuses on UE Manila ABM students
who are consumers of facial care products.
2.4 Research Instruments and Techniques
A self-structured questionnaire, which is comprised of two
sections, was provided to the selected participants. The first part
contains demographic questions such as age and gender while the
second part contains a Likert scale survey which will allow the
respondents to express how much they agree or disagree with the given
statement. This approach was utilized to measure how much a factor
influences their consumer behavior through a four-point scale (strongly
disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree). The researchers reviewed
and utilized several studies and literature to construct questions which
will be included in the instrument. The questionnaire was also validated
using pilot testing with 23 respondents. Through ANOVA: Two-Factor
Without Replication, the researchers arrived at a Cronbach’s Alpha of
0.948323.
2.5 Data Gathering Procedure
The data collected was based on the survey questionnaire
conducted on ABM students from the University of the East – Manila.
The researchers prepared a self-structured paper questionnaire which
was given to the selected participants in-person. The respondents were
given 5 minutes to answer the questionnaire and were instructed to
accomplish it by filling out the needed personal information for the first
section and by rating their agreement about the given statements
through a 4-point Likert scale survey for the second section.
2.6 Data Analysis Procedure
The demographic data gathered from the respondents were
summarized, tallied, and treated using frequency distribution technique.

14
In addition, the researchers utilized the Pearson Correlation Coefficient
to determine the strength of relationship between the four factors (social
media, purchasing power, and peer group) and the consumer behavior
of UE Manila ABM students towards facial care products. This technique
measures the statistical relationship or the strength of the association
between the factors and consumer behavior, and this allows the
researchers to easily understand the relationship of each variables.
The relationship is drawn to a scatter plot to check for linearity. If
the variables are not linear, then the correlation strength of the
coefficient does not adequately represent the relationship between two
variables. According to Healy (2011), the strength of Pearson’s r can be
interpreted using the table shown below. Moreover, if the value of r has
a plus sign (or if there is no sign), the relationship is positive. On the
contrary, the relationship is negative if r has a minus sign. Furthermore,
the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected if the two-tailed p-value is less than
the specified alpha of 0.05, therefore the relationship is significant. If
not, the null hypothesis (Ho) is accepted which means the relationship
is not significant.
Table 1
Strength of Pearson’s R
Value Strength
If the value is The strength of the relationship is
between 0.00 and 0.30 Weak
between 0.31 and 0.60 Moderate
greater than 0.60 Strong

2.7 Ethical Considerations

To align the study being conducted to ethical considerations, the
researchers, with the help of their research adviser, gave a letter to the
university’s Department of Registration and Records Management
(DRRM) to acquire the population of UE Manila Senior High School

15
students and to proceed with the distribution of the questionnaires
provided to accomplish the research being held. This was also done to
ensure the credibility of the researchers.
In addition, the selected respondents' approval was sought to
proceed accordingly to conduct the survey. All relevant data included in
the study which was generated from the participants were approved
through the consent form along with the questionnaire. This procedure
intends to protect the privacy of the respondents, and the data gathered
from them will be kept fully confidential.

16
3. Results
This section presents the results and the analysis and
interpretation of the data gathered from the respondents.
3.1 Demographics

6 2 6

35

43

15 16 17 18 19

Figure 3
Frequency Distribution of the Respondents’ Age
Figure 3 presents the demographic profile of the respondents in
terms of their age. It also shows that the youngest students who
participated in this study are 15 years old and the oldest students are
19 years old. Additionally, out of the 92 participants (100%), the age
with the greatest frequency is 17 years old (46.74%) with 43
respondents and the age with the least frequency is 15 years old
(2.17%) with only 2 respondents. This result establishes the fact that
most users of facial care products from ABM strand of UE Manila are 17-
year-old students.

17
 32

60

Female Male

Figure 4
Frequency Distribution of the Respondents’ Gender
Furthermore, Figure 4 presents the demographic profile of the
respondents in terms of their gender. There are 60 females (65.22%)
and 32 males (34.78%) who participated in this study with a total of 92
respondents (100%). Provided that the number of females is greater
than the number of males, it can be interpreted that most users of facial
care products from UE Manila ABM strand are female students.

16
21
Female
5
18

9
8
Male
4
11

0 5 10 15 20 25

Social Media Purchasing Power Peer Group Undecided

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 Figure 5
Most Influential Factors on the Consumer Behavior of UE Manila
ABM Female and Male Students
Figure 5 indicates the factors that the respondents considered
most influential on their consumer behavior. For female students,
purchasing power has the greatest frequency with 21 respondents while
peer group has the least frequency with only 5 respondents. For male
students, majority are undecided with 11 respondents. Similarly, peer
group has the least frequency with only 4 male respondents. With the
data provided, it can be interpreted that most ABM male students from
UE Manila believe that the influence of social media, purchasing power,
and peer group on their consumer behavior towards purchasing facial
care products are equally significant. Moreover, it is also revealed that
UE Manila ABM female students prioritize their financial capacity first
when purchasing facial care products.
3.2 Correlations
Table 2
Correlation of Factors that Influence the Consumer Behavior of
UE Manila ABM Students
Purchasing
Social Media Peer Group
Power
Consumer Pearson .674* .451* .432*
Behavior Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000
N 92 92 92
* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed)
3.2.1 Social Media
As per the table displayed above, the Pearson Correlation value
resulted between social media and consumer Behavior is 0.674. This can
be interpreted that there is a strong positive correlation between the
two variables. Defining that as consumers use social media more often,

19
the more it affects their behavior to purchase a product. It can be
explained through the study conducted by Voramontri and Klieb (2018),
that the use of social media plays an important role in looking for
relevant data. This includes the different stages of a consumer in
assessing the information about their desired product/s. In addition,
Kyriakopoulou and Kitsios (2018) clarified that social networking sites
are widely used to create rapport and to gain trust between the
businesses and its potential customers. The two-tailed p-value resulted
to 0.00 which is less than the specified alpha of 0.05, therefore, the
researchers must reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative
hypothesis.
3.2.2 Purchasing Power
Likewise, Table 2 reveals that the Pearson Correlation value
between purchasing power and consumer behavior is 0.451. Therefore,
purchasing power and the consumer behavior has a moderate positive
correlation with each other. Gajjar (2013) posed similar results which
revealed that a consumer’s buying behavior is greatly influenced by his
or her purchasing power which is directly related with his or her income.
This means that as income increases, purchasing power also increases;
and as income decreases, purchasing power also decreases. Since, the
two-tailed p-value (0.00) is less than the specified alpha of 0.05, the
researchers must reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative
hypothesis.
3.2.3 Peer Group
As reflected in Table 2, the Pearson Correlation value between
peer group and consumer behavior is 0.432. With this, the researchers
developed an impression that there is a moderate positive association
between the two variables. This result is true to the study of Chang and
Nguyen (2018) which states that peer pressure has a significant impact

20
on consumer behavior. The more peer pressure there is, the more
customers are likely to follow their peers to buy certain products. The
two-tailed p-value (0.00) is less than the specified alpha of 0.05 which
indicates that the null hypothesis must be rejected and the alternative
hypothesis must be accepted.

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4. Discussion
This section presents the summary of findings, conclusions, and
the recommendations of the researchers to the beneficiaries of this
study.
The study was executed to determine the relationship between
certain factors and the consumer behavior of UE Manila ABM students
towards facial care products. The only factors included in this study are
social media, purchasing power, and peer group.
A descriptive correlational research design was applied for this
study to properly define the demographic profile of the respondents and
to determine the influence of each factor to their consumer behavior.
Moreover, a self-structured questionnaire was distributed to the
respondents in-person.
From the population of 1,176 ABM students from UE Manila, the
researchers arrived at a sample size of 92 respondents. Since the study
focuses on facial care product consumers only, the participants were
selected using purposive sampling technique based on this
characteristic.
Furthermore, the data gathered were tallied, organized, and
treated using Pearson Correlation Coefficient to measure the statistical
relationship between the four factors and the consumer behavior of the
respondents. The data were also presented in either figures or tables for
easy interpretation.
4.1 Summary of Findings
The following findings were based on the responses of UE Manila ABM
students. The answers to the questions presented in the Statement of
the Problem are as follows:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

22
 1.1 Age. Out of the 92 respondents, 43 were 17 years old which
was equivalent to 46.74%. This age was the most frequent
among the choices. The age of 18 came in second with 35
respondents (38.05%), both 16 and 19 years of age were in
third with 6 respondents each (13.04%), and 2.17% belonged
to the age of 15 with only 2 respondents.
1.2 Gender. Majority (65.22%) of the respondents were females
with 60 respondents. The rest (32 respondents) were males
which is equivalent to 34.78%.
2. What is the influence of social media, purchasing power, and peer
group on the consumer behavior of the respondents?
Through Pearson Correlation Coefficient, the results
revealed the Pearson Correlation value between each factor and
the behavior of the respondents as facial care product consumers.
Social media, purchasing power, and peer group had a Pearson
Correlation value of 0.674, 0.451, and 0.432 respectively. Among
the four factors, only social media had a strong positive correlation
with consumer behavior of the respondents. Purchasing power
and peer group, however, had a moderate positive correlation.
Furthermore, every factor had a two-tailed p-value less than the
0.05 alpha which conveys that each of the mentioned factors was
associated with the consumer behavior of UE Manila ABM students
towards purchasing facial care products significantly.
3. Which factor has the greatest influence on the consumer behavior
of female respondents?
21 out of 60 female respondents (35%) believe that their
financial capacity matters most when it comes to shopping for
facial face products. 18 female respondents (30%) were
undecided, 16 (27%) selected social media, and the rest (8%)

23
 thought that their peers greatly affect their consumer behavior
towards purchasing facial care products.
4. Which factor has the greatest influence on the consumer behavior
of male respondents?
Majority (34.38%) of male respondents were undecided to
which factor has the greatest influence on their consumer
behavior towards facial care products. However, 9 out of 32 male
respondents (28.12%) choose social media, 8 (25%) selected
purchasing power, and the other 4 participants (12.5%) like
females, believe that the most influential factor on their consumer
behavior towards purchasing facial care products is peer group.
4.2 Conclusions
Based on the summary of findings, the researchers have
established the following conclusions:
1. Majority of the UE Manila ABM students that consume facial
care products are females, thus, the researchers conclude that
women are more exposed in using this face enhancing products
compared to men. It was found that alongside with the age range
given in the study, it was simplified that the students in their
prime of adolescent age commonly use facial care products.
2. The use of social media has been playing a huge part in the
society in this generation and it can greatly influence the mindset
of the people using this medium. A lot of business ventures adapt
as the trends change through time and as an example, they
maximize their marketing tools through the use of social media
and reach out to a large number of people to accommodate huge
exposure. The study proved that social media and consumer
behavior are strongly related, thus, the researchers have
established that young consumers are highly dependent in using

24
the said medium to acquire information in looking for facial care
products. Seeing that social media is a huge platform in sharing
different opinions, feedbacks and the like, it can be inferred that
these consumers mostly use this medium to look for substitutes
and assess new products to try.
The researchers have concluded that the way of thinking of
the young consumers is directly related to their purchasing
behavior. Likewise, their assessment of the quality they perceive
to various facial care products is influenced if it came locally or
from a foreign country. Also, being exposed to advertisements
with celebrities as advocates of the product, to which businesses
take advantage of, in order to increase awareness among these
consumers and attain trust and familiarity. Such past experiences
in utilizing the product is also important that can majorly affect
the decision-making process of the consumer and their intention
to buy.
Considering that the respondents of the study are in their
teens, the researchers concluded that purchasing power is
moderately correlated to the behavior of the consumers. It can be
explained that the price of the facial care products affects their
decision to purchase. Whereas, they evaluate the utility of the
different choices of facial care products and its price. Similarly, as
young consumers, it is posed that their capacity to buy according
to their financial capability to avail the products is also significant
and it impacts their behavior to buy as well.
This research heavily highlighted as well at how peer group
is related to consumer behavior, as the norms and belief between
the people surrounding them can persuade the young consumers
to feel connected and retain information about facial care

25
 products. Such behavior is caused by the recommendation of their
trusted friends or people that can easily convince them to buy and
apply the said product.
A consumer's intention to buy is an ever-changing process
and a dynamic activity that makes businesses to continue to look
after in order to improve their promotion strategies and earn more
customers. The factors being subject in the study resulted a direct
relationship with consumer behavior and can significantly help the
marketers to monitor their habits and adjust to the industry trends
of facial care products.
3. The researchers have expanded that UE Manila ABM female
students are a lot more conscious of their capacity to avail facial
care products. It was shown that they are more patient in
assessing the products and weighs which is more prominent in
terms of usage. On the contrary, the influence of their friends and
family did not take much effect to the behavioral intent of the
students. It can be explained, according to the data, female
students are more likely to be influenced by the promotional
strategies of the companies in attracting consumers based on
discounts and sales imposed. In fact, price checking and
considering the limitation of their capability as a student to buy
facial care products motivates them more to choose among
different brands.
4. The study has shown that UE Manila ABM male students are
also becoming self-conscious in terms of their skin conditions and
appearances, making them interested in purchasing facial care
products. It is also indicated that male students do not rely much
to their family and friends’ opinions and recommendations.
However, the data proved that they are mostly influenced by

26
 media marketing and advertisements for the reason that the
online connection between consumers and sellers are accessible
and convenient. Having said this, male students’ ability to avail
such facial care products depends on their financial capability to
choose among what certain product are their considering to
purchase.
4.3 Recommendations
In the extent of the conclusions and the summary of findings, the
following recommendations are hereby made:
1. The entirety of the factors that are discussed in this study
heavily relies on how the consumers perceive value in their
purchases and taking in mind their capacity to buy. The
researchers would like to advise to not overlook the influence of
the people around and how this affects their intention to buy as a
consumer. Likewise, before the initial purchase, the reviews of the
product and its advertisements as well are being considered. A
customer’s experience with the facial care product should also
show positive results to encourage their re-purchase intention.
Thus, it would be suggested to the consumers to be more
responsible how would these factors may affect their buying
behaviors.
2. The researchers would like to recommend entrepreneurs and
different business ventures that are in line with facial care
products to maximize the usage of social media in collecting
important information such as reviews and feedbacks from the
customers. As well as providing significant information regarding
their products such as its features, benefits, and use in relation to
its purpose. Social media has always been playing a meaningful
role in inquiring for information and the like, also taking the

27
 suggestions above into consideration, this will help to strengthen
the trust of the consumers and their intention to buy. Companies
should correspondingly look into the financial capacity of the
consumers if they are capable in availing their products.
Concerning this, businesses should produce budget-friendly
products or sachet packs of existing products to increase its
affordability, therefore its sales.
3. The behavior of consumers is dynamic as there are many
factors that affects their actions. The researchers recommend the
marketers to monitor the consumers' behavior in purchasing facial
care products through the three factors provided for this study.
The marketers should look into their pricing and promotional
strategies as it hugely affects the consumer's intention to buy.
Furthermore, as majority of the participants in this study are
teenagers, their purchasing power is limited. It is suggested that
the packaging, advertisements, and other means of promotion
must reflect the target market's interests.
4. The researchers suggest that the government, specifically
the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), should strictly monitor
and regulate the production of facial care products to ensure its
quality, efficiency, safety, and security to provide protection for
the consumers.
5. The researchers recommend to elaborate and investigate
more regarding the factors influencing the consumer behavior of
the ABM students of University of the East – Manila towards facial
care products in a longer period. Moreover, it would be best to
have a greater number of participants to ensure accuracy of the
results. The research may have a wider scope for further
justifications and advanced information throughout this study.

28
Social media sites can be included to evaluate what is more useful
when it comes to purchasing facial care products. However, the
factors may change in the course of time due to the changing
needs and preferences of the consumers in using facial care
products.

29
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