Let's face it, skin care is a funny old business

It's not clear what prompted drug maker Sanofi Aventis to do the survey, but the results are intriguing. More than 500 women aged between 18 and 60 were asked about their perception of different body parts in relation to how much money they spent on each part. The study, conducted by the University of Hong Kong public opinion programme, found spending on skin care for the face by far outweighs that for other parts such as the hands, legs and intimate parts.

In the three months before the survey interview, the women spent an average of HK$890 on facial skin care. This was followed by legs (HK$190), hands (HK$161), intimate parts (HK$112) and the rest of the body (HK$223). Strangely, the survey did not ask about hair, something no doubt many people, and not just women, invest a lot of money in. HKU programme manager Karie Pang Ka-lai said women tended to spend more on taking care of parts most seen by others - which 'therefore need more care'.

Dermatologist Ho Ka-keung agreed. 'Hong Kong women spend a lot of time and money on skin care,' he said. He counselled that the same level of skin care for the face should be applied everywhere. Human skin, he said, is a delicate thing, after all.