The Male Market

Browsing about lately, I am sure you have noticed the sudden appearance of entire ranges of skin care products specifically “designed” for men, from The Body Shop to Clinique there are small corners filled with no-nonsense packaging and technical sounding names.

For example, one might find “Body Mechanics”, “Lab Series”. “ Surface”, “ Mr. Mountain Man Rugged Scrub”, “ Big Tough Non-Sissy Just Enough to Keep Me From Falling Apart Essentials”.

I would sooner scrub my kitchen floor with these products than use them on my face.

Companies that sell Men Only products like to tell consumers that men have thicker skin and so they need a face wash that works harder, they also like to throw menthol, peppermint, cinnamon and the like into everything. Yes, men do have somewhat thicker skin than women but ten more cells does not warrant the use of irritating and functionless ingredients.

Ingredients like alcohol ( denatured or not ) and witch hazel ( hamemelis virginiana) are often included in toners, they are astringents, meaning they cause tissue to contract and tighten but they are also very drying and irritating and cannot be used anywhere near the delicate eye area.

I prefer solvents like butylene glycol, polysorbate or rosewater. Peppermint oil and menthol have no effect at all in skin care products.

They are volatile substances and so evaporate off the skin leaving it cool but they are also irritating.
Why anyone would want to use irritants on freshly shaven skin is beyond me.

There is absolutely no need to “close the pores” after shaving, your pores are always going to be the same size, unless you apply an irritating astringent which constricts your skin, bad idea. Generally these ranges also include harsh cleansers and standard moisturisers with tiny concentrations of botanical extracts.

Detergents like sodium/ammonium lauryl sulphate are best avoided and often moisturisers contain comedogenic ( black head causing ) humectants like laureth-4, beeswax ( cera alba ), isopropyl myristate, caprylates and candellila wax Don’t even get me started on aftershave…esters dissolved in ethanol, a recipe for a red face and an empty wallet. They may kill a few bacteria and tighten up your pores but it’s not worth the damage. If you must fragrance yourself, put it on your clothes

The motives behind the purchase and marketing of men’s skin care lines are obvious. A man will buy their product if it is scientific sounding or cool looking. Why don’t they just sell construction hats and engine oil?