How different are men’s beauty needs from women’s?
The source of the unspoken partitioning of the beauty cabinet can be traced back to one myth: the belief that men’s skin is diametrically different from women’s. While this may be true in a structural sense, Mumbai-based dermatologist Dr. Madhuri Agarwal believes that the skincare requirements for both genders are the same. “Men’s skin is 20 percent thicker, 70 percent more oily, and 40 percent more sweaty than women’s skin, according to studies. So men’s skin is thicker, seborrheic, and tougher as compared to women's. Environmental exposure, stress levels, and testosterone hormones impacting their skin can also cause variance in women’s skin. However, the ingredients for treating skin problems will be the same for both, men and women, such as salicylic acid for acne. The only difference is men may require a higher percentage or higher frequency of product usage as compared to women,” she explains.
The roadblocks faced by the male beauty industry
On paper, there’s an entire market share of the male population that is waiting to be cashed in on, but somehow mysteriously overlooked by conventional marketing. However, decades’ worth of societal conditioning stands in the way. Beyond the peer pressure of dealing with acne breakouts at puberty, men have been conditioned to not give as much importance to skincare issues. For many men, the simple act of walking into a store to choose products for themselves is loaded with stigma. Woodcox reminisces, “I recall being at a department store and wanting to buy a concealer, but I was so embarrassed that I told the sales associate it was a gift for a friend. Now, I walk into a store and buy exactly what I want, but I know many guys who still order online because they feel the same way.”
The way forward
The final frontier for the beauty industry would, then, be genderless makeup, fuelled largely by Generation Z’s rising disregard for gender binaries. The rationale is simple: a concealer serves as a miracle worker for anyone looking to mask the effects of a late-night—regardless of which gender you identify with. Somaiya further affirms, “Beauty products have to be genderless in order to truly grow because everyone wants to be their own version of beautiful. Today’s man is more than happy to indulge in skincare as self-care. The connotations of whether it makes them less ‘manly’ may not apply as widely because people are now taking pride in looking after themselves.”
Going forward, how can brands look to include men in the conversation? He believes that the quest for a solution needs to delve a little deeper. “The most obvious answer would be to include more male models in photoshoots. But what we need to look at is a shift in the cultural thought process to make everyone comfortable with talking about their skin, regardless of how they define their own gender,” he says. The year is 2020, and the notion that men might want to look their best selves isn't radical any longer. It is just good business.
