For a long time, the toiletry industry saw the male market as offering a major potential for growth because of the low usage of personal-care products amongst men compared to women. Until recently it proved a challenging market to succeed in, but there are clear signs that there is now real and significant advancement in this segment of the industry. However, the growth is not uniform in all markets; the European market has grown more, with higher per-capita consumption, than the USA.
Some of the best private universities in Nashik are offering B.Sc in Cosmetic Science to train professionals who can boost the men’s skincare industry. Skin does thin with age; men have a thicker dermis that helps to give their skin greater elasticity as they get older. Males exhibit substantial sebum production than females and possibly this accounts for the tendency of male skin to form spots. Sebum production increases until middle age for both men and women, falling off after about the age of forty. This rate of decline is similar for both, though women have a much lower production rate at all ages past puberty. Let us explore the different items in men’s toiletries:
Shaving Products
Shaving is an age-old art viewed as a task by most men but, at the same time, seen as an important part of good grooming and as a social necessity. Some men prefer to grow beards, the number rising or falling according to fashion, but for a small minority of men who suffer from certain skin problems which are worsened by shaving, the growth of a beard may be a last resort. Some men may suffer from razor bumps or pseudo folliculitis barbae, which results from ingrowing beard hairs. These are curved hairs which grow out and re-enter the skin like a small splinter, resulting in inflammation and in some instances pustule formation.
The most common problem associated with shaving is skin irritation, which includes nicks and cuts. Some skin irritation is unavoidable because of the removal of some stratum corneum along with removal of beard hair. The degree of irritation is dependent on factors such as blade sharpness, angle of incidence of blade, pressure exerted on blade and beard wetting and lubrication. The rate of growth of facial hair is about 0.3-0.4 mm/day. It is estimated that during 55 years of adult life the average male shaves off a whisker length of about 27.5 feet of hair. An average man has about 30000 hairs on his face.
A dark-haired beard is readily visible as soon as it emerges from the skin, leading to ‘5 o’clock shadow’, and this often means more frequent shaving. Lighter-coloured hair is not so readily visible in the early stages of emergence. In the past it was believed that shaving increased the rate of hair growth and the coarseness (diameter) of facial hair. This was based on the theory that irritation of the skin by shaving caused mild hyperaemia, leading to increased mitosis and stimulated growth rate. While it is accepted that removal of the outer layers of stratum corneum during shaving induces an accelerated turnover of skin cells, there is no evidence for increased rate of hair growth or hair diameter overall.
Lather Shaving Cream
Shaving creams normally contain 30-50% of soaps. Formulations based on stearic acid alone do not give sufficient lather. It is therefore usual to combine it with some coconut oil fatty acid. The ratio of stearic acid to coconut oil may vary, but a satisfactory ratio would be 25% coconut oil to 75% stearic acid. An acceptable sodium hydroxide/potassium hydroxide ratio would be 1:5. A humectant such as glycerol, sorbitol or propylene glycol is usually included at 10-15% to minimise drying out of the cream and to make the cream slightly softer.
Lather Shaving Stick
This type of product contains a much higher level of soap (about 80% compared to creams, 35%). Of this 20-25% are made from coconut or palm kernel oils. Other ingredients are glycerol 5-10% and water 8-10%. The fatty acids ratio and the sodium/potassium ratio are similar to those of the lather shaving cream.
Post-foaming Gel
Post-foaming gels, now well established, represent a more recent innovation in the shaving preparation market although the seminal patent for this technology dates back to 1970. The gel, a soap-based system, stabilised with a water-soluble polymer, blended with lipophilic ingredients contains a hydrocarbon with a suitable boiling point so that when the gel is manipulated between the hands, prior to application to the face, the heat from the skin, aided by the mechanical action, vaporises the hydrocarbon component transforming the gel into a dense creamy foam. The dispensing of a clear product is part of a trend for clear products which is indicative of mild skin-caring attributes while the generation into a dense creamy foam conveys rich moisturising properties.
Brushless Shave Cream
Brushless shave creams are oil-in-water emulsions and similar to vanishing creams. The main difference is that the levels of oil and emulsifying agents tend to be higher in shaving creams. Brushless shave creams have a pH of 7.5-8.5 and are thought to cause less irritation than lather shave creams. However, they have certain disadvantages. More product is required per shave, it is difficult to rinse them from the razor; the beard-softening action is less effective than a foam due to slower uptake of water from the emulsion by the hair; and they leave the skin greasy.
Shaving Oils
They are blends of naturally occurring oils either alone or in combination with emollient ingredients such as fatty esters, silicone, or hydrocarbon oils to provide a lubricating effect during shaving. A particular characteristic is the small amount of product that is required for an application prior to shaving. These are normally clear liquids so do not provide a marker on the face like a foam or lather to enable the user to distinguish the areas he has shaved from those he has not.
Conclusion
A number of changes have occurred in the male toiletries market over the past few years. Sales of shave preparations, male fragrances, hair-care products and skin-care products have not only increased in volume but there is a marked increase in penetration in the younger age groups with certain trends discernible. For instance, the establishment of post-foaming shave gels as a significant sector in the shave-preparation category has been largely due to their widespread use by males under 35. The challenge which faced the industry a decade or more ago will have changed from one of persuading men to use toiletries at all to providing more innovative, efficacious and higher-quality products.