Blue is for boys; pink is for girls. That’s the general feeling in our society, however it hasn’t always been that way. Skip back a couple of centuries and the gender palette flips. But we grew up in a marketing-heavy world that prescribed dolls and skipping ropes for girls, and marbles and train sets for boys. This conditioning informs our thinking well into adulthood and many industries, including the cosmetics sector which deliberately reinforces this mentality, encouraging us to buy into the masculine versus feminine. Stereotypes are extremely powerful marketing tools.
The colours in women’s products are soft and muted and the fragrance is flowery—roses, lilies, cotton and spring meadows—but men’s products are dark and smouldering with the emphasis on strength and the packaging, and is scattered with adjectives such as ice, glacier, shark and savage to ramp up the tough guy image. Strong, earthy smells are associated with masculinity, but shouldn’t it be up to individuals what type of smells they prefer? Let’s talk skincare.
Different skin in the game
Men’s skin is around 20 – 25 per cent thicker than women’s skin. It contains more collagen and elastin and tends to produce more oil due to the amount of testosterone in the male body. This can make men more prone to breakouts. But women too have certain levels of this hormone, it’s not exclusive to men. Although there are some minor differences, they are not enough to warrant a gender-focused skincare industry.
There have been concerns in the past that male skin would be sensitised due to shaving which has led to products for men being branded as lighter. But it’s unnecessary to differentiate in this way and these traditional views are rapidly disappearing. The American Academy of Dermatology has found there is no medical or scientific reason for products to be divided by gender.
It hasn’t always been this way
Beauty held significant value in ancient Egypt and the possession of an x or y chromosome had no bearing on the products they used for their self-care. Both men and women went to great lengths with their skincare routines with the emphasis on cleanliness. Taking care of the body was necessary for good health and the same products have been found in the graves of both men and women.
In modern society we have tended to view self-care as being just for women and many men haven’t wanted to be seen taking that sort of care for themselves. But that is changing. We need to get away from the idea that taking care of our skin is about preventing wrinkles or focusing on anti-ageing. It’s not about vanity, it’s about nourishing our skin and taking care of ourselves. It’s less about gender and more about being holistic. Today’s men and women are more likely to be focused on greener, cleaner formulas than gender.
Good skincare is good skincare
Just because a product says it is for women or men doesn’t mean both can’t use it. It might be marketed differently but it doesn’t mean it’s not the same. In 2015 the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that women’s skincare products cost up to 13 per cent more than those marketed at men and women tend to buy more skincare products than men.
The focus in any skincare routine should be the needs of your skin and not your gender. Is your skin oily, dry, sensitive or a combination? Your gender doesn’t determine your skin type and by specifying products in this way, many people might be missing out on optimising their skincare routines. Men and women eat the same food after all. They might prefer some different flavours, and some might eat more than others, but many ingredients are the same and enjoyed by both. We don’t market food to feed male and female bodies differently so why do we do it when it comes to feeding our skin?
Here are more skincare tips from My Face Cosmetics.
GlobalData, which provides expert analysis for companies in the world’s biggest industries, reports that rising expectations from consumers are now driving up the transition to gender-neutral products and smart retailers are already re-designing their stores in a shift away from the traditional male and female sections.
Choosing suitable products
When considering skincare products, it’s worth exploring options like natural soaps, which are crafted from simple, eco-friendly ingredients; learn more about what is natural soap made out of and its benefits for various skin types.
Start with products that suit your skin type. Keep it simple. We really don’t need hundreds of different products. Find a routine that works for you and stick with it. The days of husbands and boyfriends having to be coerced into using a face wash or moisturiser are diminishing in our enlightened world, but if men are embracing a skincare routine for the first time it makes sense to look for natural products. Don’t make the leap from never using skincare to suddenly slapping on something with a harsh retinol base. The key ingredients to look out for are products with antioxidants and vitamins, especially A, C, D and E as well as B12 for hydration. The fewer the ingredients the better. A gentle cleanser with milk and honey or an olive oil soap won’t strip away the skin’s natural oils. A high-factor sunscreen in the morning should set you up for the day. Overnight an oil-based moisturiser will calm and nourish. And that is all anyone really needs, with perhaps a serum boost a couple of times a week for added hydration.
Skincare in the future
Society’s perceptions of gender are constantly being changed and blurred and although there has been a sharp rise recently in gender-neutral skincare with some well-stablished brands being joined by newcomers in this market, other brands need to work hard to be a part of this inclusive environment.
In 2021 CosmeticDesign-Europe, a leading online news source for the cosmetics industry has predicted a ‘beauty for all’ trend over the next five years. And Beautystreams, the insight platform for the beauty industry around the globe, says the market is set to move up a further gear from gender-neutral to gender-freedom. It would seem skincare brands now need to focus less on the gender of their customers and more on how their products make people feel. And as customers we need to focus on our skin’s type and needs and ignore the gender-focused hype.
Article written by Randa Zaid, Hayaty Natural
Images courtesy of unsplash.com and pexels.com
