18 MEN’S GROOMING
Men’s grooming and the rise of the individual
n Richard Scott – Editor, Personal Care
One of the problems when tackling the concept of men’s grooming is the fact that ‘men’s grooming’ is considered a concept in its own right in the first place. Whereas there are a multitude of acknowledged subsections within women’s personal care, the whole array is lumped together for men. Although this might be simply a matter of semantics, the result is that it becomes too easy to think one- dimensionally when approaching products for men. There are many complex issues
regarding products for men, not least whether it is men or women who have actually been doing the purchasing, but it is undoubted that the whole market has flipped on its side and turned back to front. The way people learn about and buy new products has changed, as has the way the industry talks to the consumer – and how the consumer communicates with the industry.
These changes make it increasingly unhelpful to approach men as a single, homogeneous mass. There are tribes and trends to consider, but the most important evolution in the market for both men and women is the rise of the ‘individual’. For many experts, this is seen as the logical progression following 70 years of post war social development, along with huge changes in industry, work and social interaction. People feel more able to express themselves as individuals rather than conforming to stereotypes, and men are definitely a part of this. A recent article in the Financial Times
reflected this change: “Male grooming brands such as Unilever’s Axe has broken from its far more conservative approach to lure consumers. It has attempted to reach a more diverse audience by focusing on individuality over gender identification or sexuality. Its “Find your Magic” campaign features men of all shapes, sizes and sexualities and has generated 10m YouTube hits over the past year.”1 As the reference to YouTube in the
previous quote suggests, social media and the internet has had a huge impact on this
PERSONAL CARE ASIA PACIFIC
Internet, which continues to propel the sector forward.”2
The challenge for formulators and finished product manufacturers is to create products that enable and encourage men and women to achieve this, and it will be fascinating to see what new products and technology are revealed in Bangkok this November that fit into this trend. Following is a selection of ingredients
from leading global suppliers that can help formulators develop the next wave of products for men who want to be viewed as individuals, but want to use formulations that suit the particular needs of men’s skin and hair.
Men’s grooming ingredients Skin’s physiology differs between men and women. Signs of ageing may appear later in men but once the changes are underway, they develop more quickly. It leads to a loss of skin elasticity and tonicity in older men which, when combined with bags under the eyes and lax lower eyelids, makes them appear tired. With age, versican accumulates and loses its functionality in men’s elastic fibres. This results in slacker skin, including looser cheeks, leading to under-eye bags and a more prominent nasolabial fold.
area, not only in the way it encourages people to project an enhanced/filtered version of themselves, but also affecting how information is disseminated and trends evolve. Men are therefore increasingly adamant that they want to use personal care products that allow them to express their true identity as opposed to becoming lost in a sea of identikits. The ease of purchasing now also makes it much more straightforward for men to choose and buy products they would either lack the enthusiasm for or be too embarrassed to buy otherwise. Naira Aslanian of market research company Kline, said recently: “The market is driven by increasingly aware male consumers putting more emphasis and effort into the way they look and feel, fueled by the easy accessibility of products through the
BASF developed Speci’Men, a 100% natural and Ecocert approved Baobab leaf extract that reduces the accumulation of nonperforming versican, which contributes specifically to the health of men’s skin. The skin appears refreshed, skin tonicity is improved, signs of fatigue around the eyes and wrinkles are reduced.
The Mirustyle range of polymers from
Croda are all water soluble so they can easily be incorporated into low VOC formulations and can be incorporated into cold mix systems with no neutralisation required. The range includes Mirustyle MFP PE, which in addition to outstanding style retention in benefits in both men and women’s hair products, also significantly reduces frizz and static flyaway. MiruStyle MFP PE is much more than just a styling agent. This innovative quaternary
November 2017
©diego cervo/Fotolia
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
