Male Skincare Market

More and more men are now adopting a daily grooming regimen as part of their lifestyle which has seen the market develop through demand for anti-wrinkle cream, scrubs, or face washes.

Sales of men's facial products still make up only a small fraction of the $97 billion global skincare market, but it's a growing fraction, despite the economic slowdown. In 2011, skincare sales to men rose 17 percent to $2.4 billion, and 83 percent of that growth was in Asia. While much of the increased demand is from China, where men buy mass-market brands, South Korea is driving sales of specialty products.

Male Grooming

The growing popularity of male grooming products in 2012 has taken the category into the mainstream and could see the term “metrosexual” become obsolete. Rising consumer demand for a number of skin and hair care products has stabilized the market and means the term “metrosexual” no longer applies to a certain niche group.

There are regional differences, however. Men’s grooming in Western Europe and North America is growing, but that growth is not significant and remains largely restricted to grooming, particularly within the U.S. With skin moisturizers accounting for most of the new growth in the category, males in these more mature markets often remain focused on the essentials, such as deodorants, shaving products and shampoos.

Meanwhile, in Asian markets, the male personal care industry is booming, largely driven by sales in skin care—in particular, the categories of anti-aging, skin whitening and cosmetics, as well as cosmetic surgery. In China alone, the men’s personal care market overtook the North American market by more than $42 million in 2010, growing to more than $269 million, compared to $227 million for all of North America. This growth is expected to continue, with projected annual growth of more than 29%

from 2009 to 2014, compared to 5.7% for the U.S. and 7.9% in Europe. Sales of men’s skin care products within China are even expected to double the pace of growth of the women’s market.

Across Asia, men are increasingly image-conscious and concerned with attractiveness. Particularly as white-collar, service-oriented jobs increase in prevalence, an attractive, well-groomed appearance can serve as a key differentiator and indicator of social class, even professional experience. In addition, in countries such as China and South Korea, there is less of a cultural resistance to men’s grooming and use of cosmetics.

Cosmetic surgery, recognized as an affordable investment for an individual’s success among younger consumers, has skyrocketed in popularity, particularly for males between the ages of 35 and 55. While South Korea remains the most popular cosmetic surgery market for Asian consumers, cosmetic surgery in China is expected to grow in sophistication in the coming decade

In Asia as well, spouses, girlfriends and mothers take an active role in the beauty routine of their male counterparts, with women still accounting for half of all male beauty purchases. This is a marked difference from shopping patterns exhibited by men in Western Europe and the U.S., who tend to frequent convenience stores and seek efficiency within the shopping experience.

Published on May 21,2021