In April’s issue of Women’s Health Magazine, the editors reveal 15 of the best international beauty picks that are now available stateside. While many of the products listed are a bit too expensive for our tastes ($38 for hand cream?), products like The Face Shop Mung Bean Cleansing Foam ($8 for 6.7 oz, 408-248-3223) from Korea and the Karite Butter Cleo Body Cream ($8 for 8.5 oz, drugstore.com) from Italy, fit right into our budget. 

While I definitely love a good beauty product, I found the global beauty facts contained in the article to be very interesting. For example,  I did not know that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and, although they may not get fat, French women are the women, along with Japanese women, least satitsfied with their looks.

More Global Beauty Facts After the Jump

Beauty By Numbers
$39     The amount per month the average American woman spends on beauty treatments
$71     The amount the average Italian woman spends on beauty treatments
92     The % of British women that rarely or never visit a dermatologist
80     The % of women in South Africa that wear fragrance every day; 80% of Chinese women don’t
38     The % of Indian women that say they own zero skin-care products
73     The % of Australians would choose to shell out for body massages if money were no object
52     The % of Koreans that would spend their cash on skin-lightening treatments
45     The % of women in China that say they can’t live without lipstick
53     The % of Italian women feel they look younger then they are. 
38     The % of people in China that use teeth-whitening treatment (including toothpaste) daily.


Additional Beauty Facts:
-      American and British women are most likely to feel they look stressed and tired
-      Women in Germany and Italy say mascara is their most essential beauty product
-      Argentine and Canadian women are the most satisfied with their looks. 
-      Japanese and French women are least satisfied with their looks.