There are no significant differences in their formulations, ingredients, uses, or methods of production; the differences are usually related to packaging and marketing.
We can start by understanding the differences between men’s and women’s skin.
- Men’s skin is on average 20-25% thicker than women’s and has a firmer texture.
- Men produce twice as much oil as women and have more and larger pores. This means that men’s skin is not only oilier and shinier than women’s, but they are also more prone to acne and less prone to dry skin.
- Male skin has a higher density of collagen, which means it ages slower than female skin. These structural differences allow men’s skin to be less sensitive and able to handle more intense ingredients.
However, this does not mean that men must use skin care products that are specifically needle-based; there should be no gender differences in skin care products because the skin-related differences between the sexes are relatively subtle. Individual differences in the skin are greater than gender differences.
The aforementioned differences in the skin create different preferences for cosmetic products for men.
- Men’s products tend to be lighter in weight, absorb faster, and prefer a higher concentration of active ingredients.
- Men generally prefer unscented, or more masculine, scents, typically woody or herbal.
- prefer darker colors such as gray, white, black, and blue. They also do not have a strong preference for pink or even pastel shades of bottles.
