The Majority of Men in the U.S. Now Use Skincare Products

Guys without a skincare routine are no longer typical.

Today, 52% of U.S men report using skincare products, according to market research firm Mintel. That’s up from 31% who said the same just two years ago.

Around three in four American women, for comparison, use skincare products.

“Our research shows a growing market for male skincare products as younger men are willing to invest in higher-end products, specifically those touting clean ingredients,” Carson Kitzmiller, a senior analyst at Mintel, said in a statement.

The trend of men getting into skincare has been building for years. Long-standing publications aimed at a male audience, such as Esquire and GQ, post articles on skincare routines and brand recommendations. In March, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson debuted his own skincare line, Papatui.

Earlier this year, L’Oréal skincare brand CeraVe ran its first-ever Super Bowl spot. The campaign featured male actor Michael Cera.

“Men are [a] great growth opportunity and one of the secrets behind the success of dermatological beauty,” Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L’Oréal, said during a June conference hosted by Deutsche Bank. “This is the most unisex category of products. It’s very gender-neutral: packaging, formulas, no fragrance.”

‘Men have distinct skincare needs’

Marketers looking to take advantage of this shift in culture should pause before putting some skin in the game.

“If this is a newer audience for your brand, you will have to do more than plug-and-play your current messaging strategy into content refreshed with male pronouns and images of men,” said Amanda Aldinger, CEO of Antonym, an independent copywriting and verbal identity studio whose clients include beauty brands Cécred, La Mer and Josie Maran.

“Although the beauty industry refreshingly continues evolving beyond the gender binary, men have distinct skincare needs—physiologically and emotionally,” Aldinger added.

Marketers aiming to enter this space will need clear messaging that accounts for nuances in tonality, psychographics, education gaps and cultural influences, among other factors, she noted.

Joon Park, director of cultural strategy at Omnicom’s cultural consultancy Sparks & Honey, encouraged marketers to help men identify signs of distress, such as dry skin or a sudden outbreak, rather than take the preventative approach.

“The best analogy is with ChapStick: You start to feel your lips get chapped, which causes discomfort, motivating you to use ChapStick,” said Park. “This logic is still prevalent among men.”

Consider the retail context

Where men buy skincare products also plays a role in how brands should market to them. Increasingly, that means TikTok Shop, which has become the ninth-largest beauty and wellness ecommerce retailer in the U.S.

“The rise of men using skincare proves once again that social media and youth culture have real business value, and should be viewed as an important audience insight,” said Dory Ellis Garfinkle, CMO of global brand firm Siegel+Gale. “Simplicity is core to a brand that endures, and that must be balanced with a dynamic marketing mix that’s agile and allows for the ability to capture new audiences on short notice.”

Mintel’s Kitzmiller added, “Engaging in communal conversations and encouraging peer recommendations can significantly impact younger men, as these discussions are closely linked to their identity.”

On this note, in July CeraVe introduced a soap opera-inspired campaign and partnered with 40 influencers to better target Gen Z consumers. Additional research from Mintel shows 68% of Gen Z men age 18-27 report using skincare products, up from 42% in 2022.

Gen Z men, explained Park, are less dedicated to gender norms and more open to experimenting with self-expression.

Ingredients also matter. Almost half of men age 18-34 say clean ingredients are a key consideration when deciding which item to purchase, per Mintel.

“A younger audience means it’s increasingly important to make sure products are safe to use on younger skin,” said B Lalanne, vp of data and insights at Stagwell’s ad agency Crispin, who noted that teenage boys age 13-17 are skincare’s fastest-growing consumer segment. “This is where you need to work with product to determine what active ingredients make the most sense.”

Last year, U.S. retail sales of prestige skincare products increased 14% compared to 2022, according to market research firm Circana. The mass market skincare category, meanwhile, climbed around 11%.

Larissa Jensen, a global beauty industry advisor at Circana, noted that despite the beauty industry’s strength, brands shouldn’t get too comfortable.

“Consumers continue to cope with economic pressures, and being in tune with their shifting mindset is a must,” Jensen said in a statement. “Flexibility, creative thinking and effectively harnessing high consumer engagement are all part of the winning formula to drive continued growth.”