MEN’S GROOMING
Male grooming products for a new generation
Jordan Erskine - Dynamic Blending, US
There is no doubt that modern men have grown to appreciate looking–and feeling– good. From 2018 to 2019, male-targeted skin care product sales jumped a full seven percent, according to research group NPD. Personal care for men is one of the hottest emerging categories in the beauty industry, and it is growing by the day. We tend to think of this trend as something
new and novel. In reality, men have been highly conscious of their grooming for millennia. Men were removing facial hair with sharpened clam shells as far back as the stone age. Take one look at the monarchs of the middle-ages and you will see carefully coiffed, washed and waxed features, and even makeup on occasion. In ancient Egypt, the unbearable heat
drove men (and women) to remove all body hair. However, appearance was so important to them that they crafted elaborate wigs and false beards to wear in public. Some of the Pharaohs and other wealthy Egyptians even added gold-dust to their facial hair as a symbol of their status. There were also acne treatments as far back
as written history goes. Everything from peach blossoms and sour milk to falling stars and x-rays has been tried by individuals wanting to remove blemishes, regardless of gender, through the decades. The male aesthetic has a practical side,
too. In the fourth century, Alexander the Great ordered his men to shave before an important battle with the Persian army. It was rumoured that soldiers could be pulled by their beards off of horses or from behind, and Alexander wasn’t taking any chances. He was such a popular figure that nearly everyone in Macedonia soon adopted the no-beard trend. Fast-forward to the early 1900s, when the
rise of Hollywood put everyday people on display. Stars like Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino and Buster Keaton helped to shape the style of the day, with carefully slicked hair and styled moustaches. Natural oils and French-imported products were in high- demand to achieve this look. In 1918, the Influenza Pandemic prompted better hygiene routines and contributed to the popularity of fully clean-shaven faces, due to a claim (later found to be erroneous) that facial hair was a germ magnet. In short, male grooming has not changed as much as we think. Every era in human history
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showcases distinct fashions for both women and men. Achieving these unique styles almost always requires specialised products: waxes, oils, soaps, razors, brushes, dyes and more. What has changed is the way we distinguish and advertise products. It takes more than trending products to capture the attention of today’s discerning male consumers, but with unprecedented access to information and data, savvy brands are elevating men’s personal care products to the next level. More than ever before, there is an opportunity to create a tailor-made experience for consumers, and men are responding enthusiastically to that.
The wrong way to brand for men The cosmetic industry is well-known for selling women things they do not necessarily need. Beauty for females is all about flair and flash––they typically want to stand out and make an impact. In general, women are looking to enhance their best features and downplay what they do not love about themselves. So, marketing to the female audience is about fantasy, in a way. Show them a possibility, and they will gravitate towards that. This is so effective (in the US alone,
feminine cosmetics is a nearly $50 billion market) that many companies are seeing dollar signs in the unrealised potential of male
grooming products, as well. Some launches are more effective than others, as corporations realise that building a brand around men’s care has to be about more than just repackaging feminine products and crossing your fingers. The meaning of masculinity is evolving, but
for better or worse, men and women as general groups still behave differently. By the numbers, men do not react to the idea of making a bold statement with personal care items in a positive way. So, building a men’s grooming line starts with understanding the men you envision buying the product. One mistake we see commonly among
entrepreneurs in the personal care industry is a lack of foundational research. They have thought of a new ingredient or delivery method for products, and want to jump right into the manufacturing phase, bypassing market analysis completely. It is not a sexy thing to spend money on focus groups and economic reports, but these mechanisms make a huge difference in the planning, development, packaging, marketing and ultimate success of any product. For the most part, men are looking for a
clear solution to a specific problem. Whether this is due to cultural influences or neurological patterns is difficult to say, but the reality is that statistically, men are inclined to focus on “problem solving” as a coping mechanism for whatever obstacle is in their path. They choose
September 2021 PERSONAL CARE
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