When most people think of skin care products, they think of a vast array of items marketed towards women. While not meant to be gender exclusive, it just so happens that women tend to be the target audience when it comes to the beauty industry.
However, the beauty range that has boomed with skin care sales has not just been for women. Men, too, want to have their own options in the skin care category when it comes to personal care.
Because, yes, men also buy skin care products.
In fact, this has nothing to do with sexual orientation. More than ever, men want to take care of themselves, whether that be from dark circles with answers in product info or to have that ideal guy-liner or eyebrow pencil that’s included in specific cosmetic products.
There have been more trends catered towards men’s focus on cosmeceuticals and even the ideal male aesthetic. More men are now incorporating a skin care regimen into their daily routine mainly in pursuit of a “youthful appearance.” There has even been a growing demand for topical personal care products capable of preventing aging or delivering cosmetic improvement to the male skin.
Regardless, beauty products and skin care products are for anyone who wants or needs them for their skin type because the approach to beauty is not a one-size-fits-all.
If you would like your beauty brand to dip into the male personal care and beauty market, there is so much to be discovered and cultivated when it comes to marketing skin care to men.
Male Personal Care Marketing and its Worth
If you are going to have men as your target audience when it comes to basic skin care products, you have to, of course, make sure your marketing caters to the product range that you will offer appeals to men.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to market stereotypical “manliness” at all. It’s important, instead, to promote the benefits men will see if they use your skin care products. Think about what problems could occur that men tend to worry about when it comes to their skin health needs, and offer that solution in a straightforward and simple way:
In, “Social Trends Drive Men’s Market,” the article states, “Men’s decision-making process is far simpler than women’s. They are problem/solution-oriented; however, more and more, men are asking about ingredients.”
If this is the case, then men’s attitudes and behaviors towards their health appeals to them because it’s more about what they are putting in and on their body.
Take sunscreen for instance. Most women know that this is an essential part of their skin health. However, men experience higher rates of skin cancer more than women. That’s because men are less likely to use sunscreen than women. But if more men are realizing this, you can highlight this issue, or at least, make them more aware that this is a serious concern.
Therefore, if you are to aim your beauty brand’s marketing towards men and their health, especially as they get older and age, you are creating a resonance to what men realize they need for their own health. This can boost your skin care sales because there is that trend of men wanting to look out for their skin health to live long and happy lives with the goal to look younger and more vibrant.
Plus, many men, similar to women, are looking for clean beauty products. If they are into health when it comes to their lifestyle, then it would make logical sense that they would be on the hunt for healthy basic skincare products as well.
There are even brands that are making makeup with skin benefits for men—such as concealer for dark spots or anti-aging retinol eye cream—because most men are self-conscious about how tired and worn out they look, just like women. Again, the beauty range, especially when it comes to makeup, is not just for women.
More importantly, men may want or need direction in how to apply certain products, which in turn could boost your skin care sales because you are providing the “how” with the “what” to achieve their desired goals.
There is still that stigma when it comes to men’s skin care, in that they are alone in having to figure it out. Many men may feel that their issues are their own, when in fact, that is not the case. Now, more than ever, brands are showing that no matter what, we all have skin that needs to be taken care of, it’s just that some skin is different from others.
In this way, more men are more willing to reach out and take care of their skin health and body health all together.
If you choose to sell skin care products for a male consumer base, remember to research and understand the main reason as to why most men are looking for these types of products in the first place.
Grooming Beauty Products for Men (Makeup, Hair Care and Beard Products)
A huge part of the male aesthetic involves male grooming. The grooming market for hair and beards has been the ultimate standard for the male beauty regimen because these are what men are seeing as a sophisticated and mature look.
It’s not even that taboo to wear specific kinds of makeup either. It may be just another step to their daily grooming routine. Again, it’s all about how beauty care is perceived, not necessarily about how it’s being used.
The idea is that most men want their skin and body to feel hydrated, moisturized, and healthy. If they had a terrible night’s sleep, they may want to be able to cover that up with a foundation that evens out their skin tone. Therefore, the grooming market and beauty niche is no longer about the “manliness” of it, but rather the “self-care” aspects of what it means to take care of the human body.
More importantly, men are becoming more self-aware when it comes to self-grooming, body image, and hygiene. Many men are wanting to be well-groomed because it gives them that greater self-confidence from looking good from their hair to their toes.
Entrepreneur magazine even states, “No longer limiting themselves to just musky shaving products & deodorants, more men are unabashedly becoming habitual users of products like face masks, scrubs, eye serums, facial cleansers, moisturizers and even bronzers which are specially designed for them.”
This also involves wanting to “do good” as well.
Entrepreneur continues, “The organic and vegan beauty movement especially played a large role to build consumer awareness about beauty and wellness products helping to bring the male customer base in its fold. Growing conversations around environment-friendly, ethically produced and cruelty-free skin-care products is finding greater resonance with young men who are choosing to align themselves with brands whose ethos they identify with.”
This realization is huge for the clean beauty products movement, especially since more people are becoming more cognizant of how they approach beauty and personal care in their everyday lives.
Male Visibility in Beauty = Marketing Skin Care to Men
The beauty market is no longer a place for women to pile on makeup to hide their flaws or “keep their man” in order for women to be socially accepted in the public eye. The beauty industry has made way for a wide range of beauty and makeup products that appeal to anyone in any age and any gender.
The approach to beauty is multifold and always reinventing itself. That’s why, as a beauty brand business, there are so many niche markets to tap into and grow exponentially in.
And the male skin care and personal care market may be the place to start. Especially since the men’s personal care market is expected to hit $166 billion in 2022, according to Allied Market Research.
In looking farther ahead, the men’s skin care market could be worth $18.92 billion by 2027. And more importantly, this goes for products packaged using sustainable sourced materials because they are likely to gain in popularity, Grand View Research reports.
Making sure that your brand is inclusive and open to all expressions of beauty and health is how you can stand out above other beauty brands in the industry.
With marketing skin care and beauty to the male audience now a forefront in a vast industry, who knows where the trends will go from here.
The best part remains this: all people can be taken care of in their beauty and their health.
And that’s what the beauty industry should be all about.