Men’s facial skincare category has potential to become billion dollar industry

Men's skincare products represent an untapped store brand opportunity for many retailers. With only one out of five men using facial skincare products, the category has the potential to become a billion dollar industry. However, to be successful, skincare products must be repositioned to male consumers so as to spark interest and engagement.

While the majority of men, 80 percent, use grooming products, only 22 percent of them report using facial skincare products, states The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based information company, in its “2015 Men’s Grooming Consumer” report. However, facial skincare users are most likely to have a more developed grooming routine and use at least a few products every day.

“The great news continues to be that the vast majority of men are into grooming, and add to it the fact that a majority are also dedicated when it comes to their hair care. The proverbial white whale is the potential billion dollar opportunity in mobilizing men to adopt facial skincare,” said Karen Grant, global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group.

The most common reasons men do not use facial skincare products are lack of interest in the category (42 percent) and the perception that their skin is problem-free and does not require special products (42 percent). Another 17 percent are of the attitude that such products are for women, NPD said.

“For most men, facial care is not introduced until they are already adults, and often as a problem-solution type of product,” Grant said. “Part of the process in cracking the code is to reposition the category for men so it is less associated with problem-solving, and to spark interest and engagement in making facial care a seamless integration that is oriented to their particular life stage.”

To that end, NPD found that younger users seek facial products with preventative and aesthetic benefits, while older users look for those that protect and reinvigorate. Benefits including acne prevention/treatment, oil/shine control and pore minimizing are more important to millennials, while moisturizing/hydrating, sun protection/SPF, and anti-aging are among the most important to older facial skincare users.

Additionally, most male facial skincare users agree that samples and trial-size products have somewhat of an influence when deciding on which product to purchase. In particular, Generation X are most strongly impacted by this approach, which could pose an advantageous opportunity to reach older consumers, NPD added.