Men and their attitudes to health, wellness, wellbeing, and personal grooming have never been more discussed or debated. Technological advances, female competition, a heightened appreciation for being groomed and a desire to stay younger longer mean more men are investing time and money monitoring, improving and advancing their bodies.
The pressure on men to look younger than their years is increasing. ‘Men across the population are catching up with women in looking after their appearance without any embarrassment. Dedicated high street centres offering grooming advice are opening, while more skin analysis equipment is coming on-line,’ says Sally Penford, education director of the International Dermal Institute. ‘Technology, via nanotechnology, is starting to be applied to creams targeted at men. The big issue for them, however, is aging. The idea that it is acceptable for men to grow old gracefully is slipping. Age-related issues have been a pressure on women for decades and society no longer cuts men any slack. Anti-aging products targeting men will increase massively.’
The male grooming market now outpaces the female beauty market. The International Spa Association predicts that spa use will be equally balanced between the sexes within the next three years. According to Datamonitor the British market for male toiletries was last year worth some £576m, with the Times reporting an 800% increase in the sale of male toiletries over the past seven years.
Male consumer habits have undergone a process of refinement, leading to a less brand-driven outlook, or at least one that is less inclined towards those brands pushed strongly by media and advertising. It is products that mix connoisseurship with technical ability that attract men’s grooming and wellbeing budgets. Opting for the specialist likes of Bumble and Bumble, Refinery, Boots No.7, Dr Sebagh and Anthony Logistics, or professional brands such as Dermalogica, Keihls, Chantecaille, Peter Thomas and Menscience, it is through notions of expertise that men are finding a way to assert their masculinity.
Above: Boots No7 For Men Protect & Perfect Anti-Ageing Serum
(Excerpt from Future Laboratory report for Oral-B)
No comments:
Post a Comment