Skin care gets manly
Men’s shaving/grooming and deodorants may continue to dominate the male grooming segment, but there’s no doubt that guys are increasingly taking greater notice of skin care products — a trend that is expected to gain greater momentum going forward.
“While the market is still marginally skewed toward men’s shaving — 51% of the total category in 2011 — the landscape is gradually changing, with men’s toiletries predicted to take over in 2013 and contribute double the revenue of men’s shaving in the period between 2012 and 2016. Deodorants still lead toiletries in absolute value terms, with large reliance on Latin America; however, skin care has proven the most dynamic, putting up double-digit growth in five consecutive years and adding an extra $2 billion to the global beauty market since 2006,” stated Irina Barbalova, global head of beauty and personal care research at Euromonitor International, in a recent article on “Men’s Changing Beauty Habits.”
Echoing the sentiment, research firm the NPD Group, which tracks prestige beauty data, released in late August results on the men’s skin care market and found that men’s skin care sales rose 6% year to date (January through July 2012), compared with the year-ago period, generating $45.5 million. NPD also found that at least 7-out-of-10 men are buying skin care products for themselves.
“The growth in men’s skin care sales echoes the strong performance in the overall prestige beauty market,” stated Karen Grant, NPD Group’s VP and senior global industry analyst, in releasing the data. “As seen in many beauty departments, products like facial moisturizers and eye treatments can be found next to the basic bar soap and shaving cream.”
High-performing subsegments, according to NPD, included facial moisturizers (up 7%); eye treatment (up 16%); all other body, such as deodorants, body supplements and body sprays (up 13%); body cleansers (up 16%); and all other face products, such as face supplements and whitening treatments (up 30%).
Meanwhile, manufacturers are taking note of the trend and further bolstering the segment with innovative launches.
For example, Recipe for Men, a Scandinavian skin care line for men, was recently named the “2012 BeautySage Select” by Dr. Mehmet Oz’s YouBeauty at Cosmoprof Las Vegas. It was singled out among more than 20 emerging brands. The men’s collection includes anti-shine moisturizer, oil-removing facial cleanser and scrub, under-eye patches to lighten dark circles and an under-eye gel.
YouBeauty is a website created by Dr. Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen in July 2011 to explore the link between health and beauty.
In addition, Rex Skin Care is promoting its men’s skin care line, which was developed by medical specialists and formulated to battle the effects of sun damage, stress, age and the environment.
The Rex Skin Care line includes a vitamin C moisturizer, matte finish serum and Instant Impact light concealer, which are packaged in cigar tubes, making them portable and convenient. While each can be used separately, the Elite Collection contains all three products in a vintage-inspired cigar box and a handcrafted black-leather-and-cedar-lined cigar case, which is easy to carry in a briefcase, carry-on or gym bag.
“With substantial growth in a number of smaller categories, it seems that men are stepping out of their comfort zone even further to try the latest skin care innovations,” NPD’s Grant added. “Men are purchasing [everything from] toners and clarifiers to brightening specialists and ‘In Sun’ protection products, making it quite an interesting time for men’s grooming products.”
The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Men's Grooming Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.