Trends in Male Grooming Across the Globe

TAGS:  Skin Care      Men Grooming Formulations      Toiletries    

One positive outcome arising from the 2020 global pandemic has been the uptick in sales of men’s grooming products in the Middle East and Africa where men have been discovering the convenience of shopping online.

However, shaving products have taken a global hit as men shun their razors during the lockdown, although beard care brands stand to benefit from the growth in specialist products designed to tame and style unruly beards.

Let's explore the changing face of men’s grooming amidst COVID-19.

Surprise Growth for Men’s Grooming in Middle East/Africa

In 2019, global sales of men’s grooming products were valued by Euromonitor International at 51,356.7 million US dollars. Western Europe, Asia Pacific and North America accounted for two-thirds of global sales.

Euromonitor has adjusted its forecast trends to account for the devastating impact of the Coronavirus. It predicts that Brazil, Germany and the UK will see the biggest losses, down by 7.7%, 5.0% and 2.3% respectively. The markets are, however, expected to recover in 2021.

GlobalData has been monitoring the effects of the pandemic on beauty markets in its COVID-19 Recovery Survey Tracker (published July 14), noting that a quarter of men in the Middle East and Africa claim to be purchasing more male toiletries since the start of the pandemic. And over one-third (34%) of men here claim to have been purchasing more personal care products through the online channel over this period.

“While the popularity of this shopping channel saw a spike as a result of lockdown measure, … ‘online shopping’ has the potential to remain post-pandemic as consumers have experienced its convenience in a new light,” maintains Lia Neophytou, Analyst, GlobalData.

» Get practical tips on ingredients selection, market trends to effectively design targeted men care products

Turnaround for Beard Care

According to Mintel, the beard trend has become well established in the West and is now starting to influence NPD in men’s haircare and skincare in Asia (particularly India). In India, 75% of men say they look after their facial hair, rising to 83% among those aged 18-24. In 2019, Mintel began to notice that although long-standing beard/barbershop themes were still driving NPD in the Americas; they were slowing year on year.

Everything changed when the world locked down in Spring 2020. Men were no longer commuting to work and were either working from home or were furloughed. Looking well-groomed and clean-shaven was no longer a necessity, and many have abandoned shaving in favor of a more relaxed unkempt appearance.

“It is yet to be seen whether males will move back to a more clean-shaven look en masse,” observes Neophytou, “though the COVID-19 pandemic may potentially inspire this transition as consumers look to reduce high maintenance routines as well as trips outside the home to barbershops.” GlobalData is seeing an increase in beard upkeep products from simple beard wash products to scented oils and styling products.

Make-up for Men is Trending

Make-up targeted at men is still niche and rejected by those who regard the wearing of color cosmetics to be “feminine”, though this sentiment is slowly changing. According to Mintel, acceptance of men’s make-up is highest in Asia, where the popularity of TV, movie and K-pop boy band make-up wearing stars are breaking down the stigma associated with wearing color.

Rosalie Di Gesu, Global Beauty & Personal Care Analyst comments, “The focus should be on natural-looking, results masking perceived imperfections (e.g. hiding blemishes or sparse hair areas, toning skin), rather than promoting bold make-up results.” For example, in South Korea, where male make-up has some acceptance, younger men are using BB creams and brow shaping products.

Hairline/Head Products – Expansion of Make-up Beyond Face

Another interesting emerging trend is the expansion of male make-up beyond the face to address specific areas linked to men’s needs, such as make-up for the hairline and head. Mintel’s GNPD product examples include:

• Jenny House’s Hair-Fit Cover Cushion – Designed to cover sparse or grey hair and M-shape hairlines.
• A’PIEU’s Volumizing Hair Cushion Bong – Designed to define an uneven hairline, giving it a graduated color.
  
  
  
  Hairline Products by Jenny House (L) and A’PIEU (R)

Female-driven Beauty Brands Shake Hands with Male Models/Influencers

Another route into make-up for men has been to promote products as suitable for all consumers irrespective of gender, age or any other defining factor. Online beauty influencer, Patrick Starr, launched the make-up brand One/Size with the tagline “make-up is a one size fits all.” This approach is often used in advertising campaigns for make-up brands traditionally targeted at women, such as:

• CoverGirl
• Maybelline
• Morphe

These brands have all collaborated with male models and influencers.

In addition, MMUK and Stryx, amongst others, have made ground-breaking steps towards normalizing male make-up in both the marketplace and at a wider societal level. “Men’s make-up has not yet reached its full potential, though these brands are making significant progress in enhancing its accessibility and the diversity of its positioning,” comments Neophytou.

The Future of Men’s Grooming

These days, there are many more product choices available to men, whatever stage they are at in their grooming journey. Make-up may still be a step too far for many men, but the normalization of color products for the face will provide more growth opportunities.

Looking for Customized Men’s Skin Care Products – Stay Alert!

Renew your men’s skincare product strategy! Quit applying the same concepts & ingredients used to formulate women’s skin care. Take the course on "Men’s Skin care: Formulate Better Products via Customized Ingredients Selection" by Giorgio Dell Acqua today!