The media will lead you to believe that women are the ones keeping the beauty industry afloat. After all, according to Mint, we’ll spend a total of $15,000 on beauty over the course of our lifetime. What you don’t hear very much about, however, is that men are into skincare too— like, really into skincare; to the tune of $6 billion annually (according to Racked)—and that’s just in the US. Men are upping their grooming habits and companies are taking notice. Remember when Clarisonic launched the AlphaFit last year? From the looks of it, pretty soon your weekend beauty splurges at Sephora may become more of a co-ed experience.
According to Racked, “The male grooming market is valued at $6 billion in the U.S. alone and $33 billion globally.” And, if you’re thinking that’s all shaving cream, razors and after-shave, think again. The same source noted, “43% of men use skincare products that go way beyond shaving.”
As a beauty editor, I am the go-to person for all things beauty among my male and female friends. It’s not uncommon for guys to Snapchat me asking about skincare or “getting rid of wrinkles.” So this boom in the men’s grooming industry makes complete sense, and there’s science to prove it: men age faster than women. Kiehl’s president, Chris Salgardo weighed in on the topic to break it down for us.
Yes, he should use an anti-aging treatment. Although men have thicker skin than women, their skin actually thins at a much faster rate than ours. Thicker skin also means larger pores and according to Salgardo, “when these large pores lose firmness and elasticity during the aging process, men begin to experience sagging skin and more visible pores.” So if you notice your guy creeping out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to dip into your eye cream, it may be because he’s noticed the first sign of getting crows feet. We recommend cocktailing Kiehl’s Age Defender Power Serum ($50, at kiehls.com) and Age Defender Eye Repair ($30, at kiehls.com)
Face cream isn’t optional. Moisturizing isn’t just for women. In fact, it’s just as important for men. Because their skin is thicker, men also have higher levels of collagen, but as they age they lose collagen, the skin becomes drier at an accelerated rate. “With age, men experience a rapid increase in TEWL (trans-epidermal water loss), and by 50, their skin is less hydrated than women’s,” notes Salgardo. Encourage you man to moisturize morning and night to maintain hydrated, healthy skin. For a nighttime regime that pulls double-duty by exfoliating and hydrating, try Baxter Night Cream AHA ($26, a baxtercalifornia.com)
Men wrinkle differently. According to Salgardo, men wrinkle later than women, but their wrinkles are also deeper, particularly on the forehead. “Higher muscle mass and increased facial movements are one of the contributing factors to these deeper wrinkles.” They also naturally have less fat on their faces, which causes wrinkles to seem more prominent. Consider buying your man a rejuvenating skin cream like Anthony All Purpose Facial Moisturizer ($30, at anthony.com)
SPF is a must. Sunscreen isn’t just for summer time—it’s a year-round deal. Because men are less likely to be sticklers about skincare, they are often more at risk of over exposure to environmental elements like UV rays, pollutants and carcinogens. According to Salgardo, men are also twice as likely to have a smoking habit; and, when combined with the poor skincare regimens, this leads to rapidly aging skin. So, while you guy is dipping in your skin care stash, make sure he applies an SPF, too. For a formula that’s great for both of you, try Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30 ($21, at kiehls.com)
So, next you see bae creeping towards your beauty stash don’t judge him—he cares about keeping up appearances too!
