The battle that is men, cosmetics, and toxic masculinity
What do you envision when told to visualize a skincare commercial? Could it be an individual tossing bubbly water onto their face in front of a mirror and flashing a grin? Was that individual man or woman identifying?
The marketing for skincare itself is huge, but the marketing for men’s skincare specifically is minimal. This could possibly be due to society’s gender norms identify women as the main consumers of makeup and skincare, although in the past few years men’s skincare and makeup use has become more widely accepted. While this may not seem like a large issue, the lack of cosmetic marketing geared towards men is evidence of toxic masculinity in skincare and makeup in today’s society.
Anttoni Lopez, founder of Alpha Male Cosmetics states in an interview with Forbes, “Social media platforms have spearheaded a new frontier where men wearing makeup is the norm.”
Lopez also explains how the years prior to 2020 the morning grooming routine for most men was, “shampoo, shave and maybe a bit of hair gel.” This then leads the question, if skincare and makeup have become more widely accepted for men along with the continued acceptance of gender fluidity, why are there not more skincare and makeup companies marketing towards men?
Men specific cosmetic companies like War Paint for Men, Stryx and Alpha Male Cosmetics all have the same marketing strategy — market on the down-low.
As mentioned in Forbes, “The problem is most men who admit they would wear make-up also say they would only do so on the down-low. Companies are therefore marketing their products discreetly, often employing strategically low-key direct-to-consumer methods to get their product noticed by potential customers.”
In a poll taken out of 113 people in the Boulder, Arvada and Golden area 92 percent said that they do not see cosmetic marketing geared towards men. Of that same group, 83 percent agreed that the possible lack of cosmetic marketing geared towards men could have an effect on the number of men that use cosmetics.
These statistics reinforces the claim that there is a lack of marketing geared towards men in the cosmetics industry and if there were to be more marketing in this area, it is possible the amount of men that use cosmetics would increase.
In a poll taken out of 49 man identifying persons in the Boulder, Arvada and Golden area, 61 percent said they use skincare products. Those that mentioned that they did not use any cosmetic products said that this is because they, “do not know how” or already have “pretty clear skin.”
Not only is men’s cosmetic marketing done discretely, but the packaging for these products also work to resemble house hold items like pens, portable chargers, and deodorant. While some men may prefer for their skincare items to resemble anything but what they actually are, the fact that there was so much stigma on men’s use of skincare and makeup leading up to the formation of these products, specifically for men, brings to surface the larger issue of toxic masculinity and cosmetics.
Men who suggested that they would only wear makeup on the down-low could potentially have this preference because of how society has constructed the use of makeup as a predominately feminine activity. Men who mentioned in the poll that they do not partake in cosmetics because they “do not know how” could be benefit from marketing of cosmetic products that demonstrate the use. The fact that all that is holding a man back from using cosmetics is lacking the knowledge to do so is not justifiable by the discrete marketing done by man oriented cosmetic companies that could benefit from marketing less discretely and creating advertisements that demonstrate the use of their products. Women’s oriented cosmetic products often show the use of a product in its advertisement, which means that there is not any reason these man oriented cosmetic companies cannot do the same.
It is also referenced in Talisam that men may have an immediate “disinterest” in makeup because it is thought that you have to be “gay to like makeup” and that men should like women that are “natural in their appearance.” Both of those reference discuss the usage of makeup on men and women and work to frame the overall use of makeup as unmasculine. Furthermore, this toxic masculinity misconception around makeup itself works to create the framework for why there are possibly so little cosmetic advertisements for men and why men may feel the need to discretely participate in skincare and makeup.
While it may feel that the lack of male representation and male marketing in the cosmetic industry is a minor issue, it actively encourages and reinforces the toxic masculinity stereotypes in today’s society, which can be detrimental to the development of one’s identity. Toxic masculinity is its own monster, and the mere fact that men lack representation and exposure in cosmetics demonstrates how easily toxic masculinity can consume a part of a man’s identity.
Makeup is argued in Talisam to be a form of “art” and a way of “self-expression.” This further enforces the argument that this toxic masculinity ideal of cosmetics and men is depriving men of acceptance in exploring their identity. Attention must be drawn towards to the lack of man aimed makeup and skincare marketing done in today’s society as this is an issue that directly feeds toxic masculinity in cosmetics and affects a man’s ability to self-express.
