The male grooming products market is booming but do these creams, shampoos and deodorants really differ that much from their counterparts intended for females? Can they be used by both men and women?
Can men and women use the same grooming products?
It’s a fact of life that male and female skins do differ. Not only are male skins thicker by about 25% but they also tend to be more oily (and therefore more acne-prone). This makes the male skin less sensitive to the detergents in body and face wash products for men. Unfortunately, a women’s skin is thinner, tends to lose moisture faster and get photo (sun) damage at an earlier age. Most men’s grooming products are not safe for delicate female skin.
To further complicate matters, it is also true that, when it comes to skin care, skin type and specific skin problems that are being targeted and not only gender!
Although a lot of men’s and women’s beauty products don’t actually differ that much, well-formulated moisturisers, cleansers and scrubs should have significant differences for both sexes.
Does that rule out the possibility of unisex products?
Not at all! Apart from facial skin care products that should be chosen with care, there are definitely beauty and grooming products out there that can be used by both sexes.
Other than packaging, the main difference between some body and hair products is fragrance; more musky (masculine) versus more floral (feminine) scents. Hair styling products, however, are one and the same.
Marketing and advertising influences will always try to persuade us to buy products, so ignore the obvious male versus female frills and cautiously check out the grooming products for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.
Sources
Can men use women’s facial care products? Retrieved from: https://www.quora.com/Can-men-use-womens-facial-care-products
Nkosi, M. 2014. The new African: male beauty industry hits South Africa. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30194489
Tunell, A. 2015. Beauty school: the difference between men’s versus women’s skin care lines. Retrieved from: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/skin-care/a12182/men-versus-women-skin-care/
Yong, S. What’s the difference between women’s and men’s products? Retrieved from: http://stylecaster.com/beauty/whats-the-difference-between-womens-and-mens-products/