“I thought lotions and bath stuff was for girls…”

The skincare industry has historically taken a sexist and exclusive stand with their branding and marketing. The sickeningly sweet smelling floral perfumed products in their pretty pink packaging sold a lot of cold creams in the 1950’s. Every housewife used it, sold it and swore by it.

It’s now 2019, and as we dispel sexist gender stereotypes in our society, can we not also kill the conventional skincare marketing scheme that women must love pink and flowers to be considered feminine, while men are only masculine if they smell like pipe tobacco and lumberjacks?

Throughout my career, I have treated many men who were sent to see me by their sisters, mothers, wives, girlfriends, etc. It never ceases to amaze me just how limited their skincare knowledge is. Upon meeting a new client, I ask them questions regarding their skincare routine at home, what skin conditions they may have, any allergies to ingredients, and so on. Most of the first-time male clients do not have a skincare routine beyond soap and deodorant! They also lack the knowledge of what proper skincare is and what they can do to correct their issues.

Common responses when asked basic skincare questions are

“I thought that stuff was just for girls.”

“Yes, I do exfoliate actually…with SOAP!”

“I tried my wife’s facial products before, but they smell so feminine.”

Who can blame them? Until recently, the only male skincare products were just for shaving, but that is all changing now. In a 2018 study, Forbes found that skincare sales are growing fastest among men’s grooming products. From the men polled, 95% use deodorant, 87% use a form of body cleansing product, and 70% use a sunscreen. However, not much is being created or consumed beyond that. Most brand name companies have created lines exclusively for male consumers, but the same gender barriers apply with the overly masculine packaging and scents.

My thought as a consumer, skincare therapist, mother of two males and wife of a male, is simple.

We don’t need gender-specific skincare!

You can be a “real woman” without smelling like a rose garden, just like “real men” don’t have to walk around smelling like axel grease! Since we’re on the subject of “real”, real ingredients found in real skincare should not have fragrance added period!

The main skin issues that I have found male clients are plagued with are:

sun damage
folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles, usually from shaving)
acne
clogged pores
lack of exfoliation

These are not exclusively male issues; THESE ARE SKIN ISSUES! So, again, why gender-specific product lines? You typically see this type of branding and marketing in the commercial skincare lines because they are cashing in on the myth that we need gender-specific skincare products.

True, natural, organic lines focus on inclusion rather than exclusion. They understand that skin is skin, and the product should only smell like the ingredients they contain.

The Holistic Skin was founded on this unisex and inclusive approach to packaging and marketing as well. Our shaving soap is formulated to be neither feminine or masculine, but rather herbal and soothing for everyone to enjoy. So, do not continue to buy into and perpetuate these myths and stereotypes with gender-specific skincare products. Men are plagued with the same skin annoyances as women and vice versa. Crow’s feet, stretch marks, sun damage, body hair, ingrown hairs and dead skin are not male or female problems; they are humans with skin problems.