What has caused a hike in men's skincare products?

Last week, I had a refreshing conversation with my Gen Z brother, over his new purchase of multiple potions and serums to add to his five-step night-time skincare routine. Now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.

The conversation stemmed from his pure curiosity about the impact of hydration, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide on his early twenties’ acne, and also about how most of his peers are increasingly becoming so called “skintellectuals” who are more in line with their care and beauty needs, than ever. Seriously, how did my brother know the word niacinamide? “TikTok”, he replied. “Everyone is talking about it,” he added.

Given the very limiting portrayals of gender perpetrated by the beauty and advertising industry for well over a century, it’s easy to see why the men of older generations had a harder time accepting that they desperately needed to care, groom and value their wellbeing. The hyper-gendered Old Spice and AXE deo ads that shaped the standards for testosterone-y alpha males, taught us that men could get away with using the same bar of soap for their face and body because a spritz of a musky concentrate is all they need to thrive and be loved in society.

According to Euromonitor, men’s skincare products are projected to grow 24 per cent in the next years and will emerge as the fastest growing sector in beauty and wellness. Dig deeper into current studies, and you realise that most of the new-age products are sold to the digitally omnipresent and savvy customer base of 14- to 25-year-olds, who are more empowered today than ever, with the knowledge, exposure and sensitivity towards male identities.

One of the core strategies opted by industry front runners such as Gillette, Garnier and L’Oréal was to sustain growth by increasingly targeting male consumers on social media and developing content that can destigmatise the usage of men’s beauty products at a time when gender roles are blurring.

Few catalysts come to mind for this massive change. The strong influence of social media is one reason why male beauty and grooming has gained such strong momentum globally. Being increasingly exposed to K-pop stars, generation Z males have grown up with the idea of men showing off their skincare routines and selling grooming products.

A Euromonitor survey reported that, “Masculinity is primarily associated with ‘confidence’,” according to millennial male buyers. This is a message that had been adulterated for too many years and had confused confidence with virility and supremacy. Today, confidence has taken on a new meaning, as brands are now actively detoxifying their messages, and enabling men to be vulnerable, address their issues publicly, and feel “beautiful” without feeling like their sexuality is being threatened. We can see an increasing number of brands also refraining from gendered marketing. Take the Ordinary, or Milk makeup, for example, who steer clear from gendered colours, such as manly blues or girly pinks and focus on product functionality instead of identity.

Another interesting survey by Mintel reported recently that 45 per cent of Gen Z male consumers were more encouraged to use certain products versus 23 per cent who were driven to buy products endorsed by celebrities. They are more driven by reviews than ravings. What an interesting thought that in the age of influencers, consumers of the future are more driven by value and less by influence? They pore over ingredient labels and want to know what they’re putting on their skin and what it’s doing for them.

In the words of my brother, who now has an acne-free skin, “Who has time for all that? It’s 2021 and there is a pandemic at-large. Leave me alone.”

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai