Why skincare products are gendered
Is it actually useful?
Soap is part of a chemical group called surfactants that, because of their structure, is responsible for removing dirt and fats from your skin that wouldn’t come off just by rinsing. Every shampoo, body or face wash contains surfactants, so you could technically use the same product and feel clean.
Unique and effective ingredients are added to each cosmetic product. For example, collagen, a skin tightening protein, is able to reduce wrinkles. This protein is found in formulated moisturizers for dehydrated skin or in scrub pearls to peel off dead cells and soften skin.
Men have, in fact, thicker skin than women because, due to the hormone testosterone, their body produces more natural collagen. They are less likely to have dry skin, and wrinkles develop much later. Therefore, because of larger pores, it is likelier for males to develop oily skin or struggle with adult acne. On the other hand, women need thicker moisturizers and require more synthetic collagen for the skin to appear younger. This is where the chemical industry crafts millions of slightly altered compositions and products for us to buy. Therefore, biologically, there are benefits of gender specific skincare products.
Nonetheless, in the face of severe irritation, itching or acne, the solution lies in medical products from a pharmacy rather than heaps of lotions with enticing branding and packaging. After all, if you have healthy skin, there is no particular need for a cupboard full of little cosmetic tubes and samples that clog your pores instead. Not to mention, these unnecessary additional substances are expensive. Looking at cheaper products, the essential difference between products for men and women is the scent.
As a female I am, too, very familiar with filling my shopping basket at the drug store with an array of different skincare products. These products vary from face wash, diverse masks, scrubs, creams, and even serums for eyelids. Wrapped up in colorful packages with artistic lettering, they lure us in. Gels that make your skin softer, purer, crease-free, less shiny, more shiny–whatever shortcoming might upset you, the cosmetic industry is already one step ahead. If we look at the men’s section, which is remarkably less well stocked, we again find shower gel presented in dark masculine covers often bearing key words like ‘power’, ‘active’ and ’extra cool’
The design and advertisement of these products are, of course, adjusted according to what appeals to each target group and, by putting a much more diversified supply on the market, they can stimulate a higher demand among consumers because almost everyone who steps into the skincare aisle can identify with at least one of the images these advertisements reflect. It may be that well shaped, light pink shampoo bottle embellished with rose petals or pomegranate seeds, or the practical 6 in 1 washes that imply toughness and strength. The point is, product designers and marketing are exploiting gender expectations to sell their products. This is why many products are scented as though you could just eat them and packages of shower gels and face masks promise relaxation and blessing. Furthermore, the high social pressure to look pretty among females and the desire to impress the opposite gender with flawless and glowing skin gnaws at our stomachs. The beauty industry uses this in its favor by telling females that through buying special products they could improve the appearance of a certain body part.
Most men, on the flip side, care much more about a quick, refreshing shower in the morning. This is why their shopping behavior responds to products tagged with the name ‘wake up call’ or similar inscriptions. In our society, men are depicted as spending much time and thought on appearance, which implies efficiency and pragmatism — an image any successful male wishes to embody.
Instead of basic hygiene, advertisements for skincare products trigger our purchase patterns by implying self-confidence. Although there are cases where medical skin treatment is necessary, but for the mundane self, those extra products are not as useful as we hope, damaging our skin, wallet, and self-esteem instead.
