Basic male cosmetics

The facial skin of men and women is different; in men, the hydrolipidic mantle is thicker and thicker, and the dermis structure has more collagen and elastin fibers.

Characteristics of male skin

• The hydrolipidic mantle that secretes and covers the skin is thicker and thicker in men and it is this characteristic that causes this film not to diminish until well into the 50s. This means that men's skin is maintained for longer protected from dehydration.
• The structure of the dermis has a higher density of collagen and elastin fibers so your skin stays firm longer and takes longer to wrinkle.

However, these benefits of men's skin are undermined by daily grooming and hygiene habits. For example, shaving stimulates and strengthens the hair follicles, causing the skin to erode and dehydrate.

Avoid irritation after shaving

Make daily shaving less aggressive than shaving cut follicles do not become infected or encyst and that the skin stays hydrated is, neither more nor less, the objective of the male cosmetics current. In the past it was not always like this, the use of alcoholic and menthol aftershave after shaving made the pores tighten but also greatly irritated the skin. Not to mention, the post-shave lotion was applied on the basis of invigorating cheeks.

Fortunately, this men's model has remitted and for two decades male cosmetics have been consolidated, both in pharmacy and perfumery, being more incipient in mass consumption brands.

How are the cosmetic products for men?

In general, men seek to follow a skincare routine that relies on the use of few products, easy to use, effective and that leave a pleasant sensation on the skin, rejecting too fatty products. The male gender associates applying a cream to being sticky and rejects it. That is why the formulas based on more or less opacified gels and light emulsions are successful both for pre and post shaving, as well as for the eye contour and to protect from the sun when practicing any outdoor sport.

On the other hand, although many lines of men's perfumery cosmetics are structured around a perfume or fragrance, but more and more ranges are emerging that leave the perfume aside and focus on skin treatment.

The most used are basically three:

1. Pre-shave Products

They vary depending on whether you are going to shave with a razor or with an electric machine. They are overlooked by many men.

• Razor shaving products are emulsified gels or lotions that reduce the resistance to cutting hair by incorporating beard softeners and lubricants in their formulas. They are usually applied, by means of a light massage, before shaving.
• In the case of machine shaving, the preparations are different. In this case, it is intended that this type of product causes the hair to dry and harden so that it appears loose, dry and stiff and thus improves its penetration into the cutting heads of the shaver.

2. Shaving products

Include foams, soaps and gels, in presentation of tubes, bars and aerosols. Foaming creams and soaps are intended to create a foamy blanket that favors the contact of water with the face and confers lubricating and emollient properties. The formulas of these products, more and more effective, are eliminating the need to use pre-shaved ones.

3. After-shave Products

They are aftershave and have like main ingredient alcohol, a product that heals and refreshes, but with devastating effects on women, who do not recover in the 24 hours that go from shave to shave.

That is why moisturizing and emollient active ingredients are added to these preparations, in the form of balms and gels, to the alcohol that soothe, soften and regenerate your skin after shaving, products that cope with both dryness and tightness. It is usually about plant-based soothing substances (licorice, chamomile, calendula, aloe vera, oatmeal), fresheners and softening disinfectants similar to hair conditioners.

Thus, the active principles included in current male products are very similar in quality and quantity to female ones: moisturizing, emollient, dermo-purifying and. The cosmetic forms are also the same and new ones are being incorporated, such as "scrubs" to carry out periodic deep cleaning.

Evolution in this field has led cosmetic firms to expand their men's treatment lines with increasingly cosmetic products such as gels for the eye contour, facial peels or even compact makeup. It is true that its use not yet massively extendedTherefore, analysts point out that it is an emerging market with a lot of growth potential.

M. Camps and P. Boté Dermopharmacy Specialists