What Men Want in Skincare

What men want in skin care may not cross their minds until, a certain point in life, perhaps when the first grey hairs appear, and men start to think they could use a little help looking younger and fresher.

Whether you want to call it a mid-life crisis, evolution or just the light bulb going off that he doesn’t look as young as he used to, more men in their 40’s and 50’s are realizing the importance of skincare.

When choosing skincare products for a man, a woman instinctively knows to keep things simple. Our past top picks for low effort but high results were favorites like Apothekari AHA-Mazing Clean Gel Cleanser that also exfoliates and Anthelios KA SPF 50+ moisturizer with excellent sun filters. These are efficient, multi-tasking, one-step products that do double-duty in half the time.

But what do men look for when choosing skincare products themselves? Industry insiders agree on a few things that men want:

No Fuss: The philosophy of keeping things simple extends beyond a one-step routine. Men tend to gravitate towards products that are either unfragranced or, alternatively, very lightly fragranced with a fresh, outdoorsy smell. The texture of products should be light and easily absorbed. Even the packaging should be unfussy and subtle: dark colors and simple lines that don’t attract attention visually, a real marketing conundrum!

Solutions: Being hard-wired as problem solvers, skincare is easier to accept when seen as a solution to a problem, something that can “fix” an issue like acne, dry skin or wrinkles. That said, men also want to see immediate results. To emphasize the long-term benefits, companies are now tying men’s skincare to overall health and self-care rather than beauty or appearances in hopes of shifting this thinking.

Good Price Points: Male or female, we all want to feel like we are getting good value for our hard-earned money. Although men may not always shop based on sales, bonuses or discounts, you’d be hard-pressed to find them paying the same prices for skin care as women are apparently quite willing to do. Price inequality is not limited to the skincare industry, though: think about dry cleaning, haircuts and clothing.

Purchasing skincare can be an intimidating process for men. Unlike women who tend to enjoy browsing and discovering new things in stores, men treat shopping as a mission: go in, get the job done, get out. To make things easier, the marketing machine has cleverly come up with strategies to make the experience easier than ever like adding the words “FOR MEN” to packaging so that there is absolutely no ambiguity as well as placing men’s skincare within the men’s clothing departments, away from the overwhelming sights and smells of the main cosmetics area.

It’s a great start to getting men to think about taking care of their skin. The sticking point, however, is to get them beyond the basics of just cleansing and moisturizing. A dedicated night cream? A serum twice a day? At this early stage, you may as well be asking for the moon.