Typically, most men grew up watching their fathers apply some Oldspice aftershave, deodorant, and maybe some lotion as the complete skincare regime every morning. If any men incorporated things like face wash or moisturizers, it was probably something they kept in secret because their significant other made them try it and they liked it.
Today’s modern man is not your daddy’s stubborn and tough façade that was once the expectation just a decade or so ago. Now, most men not only are comfortable with trying products to improve their skin’s softness, suppleness, and complexion: they embrace it! The demand for men’s skincare products has skyrocketed over the past few years, nearly doubling every year for some companies.
Demand for Healthier Skin
Vanity is of course something that exists in all of us to some degree. Men, even before this emerging trend of skincare popularity, have always loved grooming to best their competition and get the girl. It’s just human nature. With that said, though, this evolution of man’s skincare regimen really owes a lot to a higher demand for healthier skin.
Health and self-care is becoming normalized, especially for the youth, who normally worry about taking care of what they have when they start to see it fade away. There are various theories as to why health has taken on more of a key role in our lives, but one thing is for sure: our skin is our greatest asset for both maintaining a healthy physical appearance, as well as a mental one.
Look good, Feel good
One way that men can boost their confidence is by turning back the clock and reversing some of the abuse they often put their skin through. Hands and feet are definitely the biggest casualties, but faces are what potential mates focus on, so that’s why it has become so easy for men to simply pick up all the new and wonderful man-centric facial creams and rejuvenation products.
In the past, part of the reason why more progressive or “metrosexual” men got so much flak from their guy friends is because the only products they could use to take care of their skin at the time were those made for women; pink bottles and all. Now, we have a whole section in the skin care aisles dedicated to men’s products that are more than just marketing gimmicks, they are actually formulated to better serve men with oily, rough, or damaged faces.
The Future of ‘Manly’
Modern man’s skin care is all about getting results and less about the ritual of it all. Men’s skincare lines are proverbial Swiss Army Knives, including all the moisturizing, conditioning, exfoliating, and healing agents in convenient packages. They can get their sunscreen with their moisturizer and their face masks with rejuvenating compounds. This stuff exists with women’s skin care lines, but it’s more common with how the men’s industry is headed.
Essentially, all men will eventually incorporate 1 or 2 skin care products that are used specifically to enhance the health of their skin, not just as a byproduct of shaving or beard grooming. Growing up, men had to rely on their immediate family for beauty tips, now it’s all about global trends and, ultimately, competition. Men will need to think outside the toolbox if they want to woo the ladies of this millennium.