Do Men Need Different Skincare Products?

Should men and women be using the same skincare products? According to Live Science, they are fundamentally different in their preferences, worldviews, and the way they perceive situations. There are numerous surveys and research materials into how different these genders can be. For example, women are more likely than men to recognize and decipher colors, per Michigan Eye Institute. Women are also more likely to focus on their own appearance and outfit, while also critiquing the appearance of other women, whereas men are likely to be unbothered about these things, per Everyday Health. Little wonder, then, that producers create goods and services with a focus on each gender's peculiarities — think of pants, shirts, underpants, shoes, cologne and even in some cases cars (via Unhaggle).

Which brings us to skincare products. Beauty products like perfumes and fashion accessories like earrings are already being created with men in mind (via Trend Spotter), so skincare products should logically follow that same pattern, shouldn't they? Or are they even necessary?

Just as there is nothing wrong with a man choosing to wear a cologne ostensibly designed for women (via How Stuff Works), it's okay for men to utilize skincare products meant for women. But for optimum effect and best results, men should resist the urge to do that and instead invest in products originally formulated for men.

This is important, first of all, because men's skins are not the same as women's, therefore there is a need to care for each skin differently. Men have been found to have skin 25% thicker than that of women (per Business Insider). Men also need special products dedicated to combat their excessive secretion of a body oil called sebum, which occurs because of the testosterone hormone in men (per Tiege Hanley).

Furthermore, as Marie Claire explains, men have beards, their skincare products usually factor that in as well. Their beards and the way they groom and care for them also plays a part in the aging process in men, versus how the process works in women (via Skincare), further exemplifying why both genders have different skincare needs. Shaving can also double as an exfoliation exercise for men, helping them get rid of dead cells (per Men's Journal). Women usually have to initiate that process differently.

Lastly, women's skincare products consider the hormonal fluctuations usually experienced by women. Men's skins rarely go through that, and the products on offer for men reflect that reality (per Men's Journal).