And then, as if from nowhere, a new generation of gents began to exfoliate en masse, creating an industry that was last estimated to be worth some £427m. In the UK today, the men’s grooming sector is growing at twice the rate of the women’s market, with 25 per cent of men using a moisturiser and 39 per cent opting for a facial cleanser instead of soap and water according to L’Oréal.
It would appear there’s more to men’s grooming than the frivolity of vanity. The journey from carbolic soap to cosmetic serums — from Neanderthal to narcissist — has been a long one, influenced by fashion, economics, sociology and the malleability of modern masculinity.
Contrary to popular belief, it was not the ‘metrosexual’ boom that marked a turning point. Fifteen years ago, when journalist Mark Simpson penned that term in The Independent, he was referring to a minority of high-networth City boys. The label was then misappropriated and became a marketing device to flog moisturiser to the masses. The only problem was that few men actually knew what moisturiser was. In 1994, the metrosexual was little more than an urban myth and the fact that men instinctively equated metrosexuality with emasculation made grooming even more of a culturally fraught concept.
Richard Sawyer, international education director of Lab Series Skincare For Men, adds: “The media explosion telling men it’s OK to moisturise and smell good has a lot to do with them becoming more comfortable with skincare and grooming products. Back in the day, I used to hide all my lotions. Which is rather strange as I lived alone.”
The gradual shedding of the cultural taboo surrounding men’s grooming ties in perfectly with an ongoing redefinition of gendered roles in society. For the first time in history, men are being given permission to confront their self-image, expectations, goals, fears and faults in a way that does not undermine their masculinity. And, after all, the motivation to groom is grounded first and foremost in a desire to gain confidence, according to 72 per cent of men. “Being well-groomed has a positive impact on how I feel about myself and how well I perform in other areas of my life,” says Stuart, a 30-year-old investment banker.
The increasing efficacy of products is hugely important when you consider that most of us only start grooming when hair is lost or goes grey, when that paunch begins to grow or you spot your first wrinkle. Fear and confidence aren’t mutually exclusive states when it comes to understanding why men have begun to preen.
Granted, we might be taking better care of our appearance but we’re still rubbish at getting direction. “If men are still a little nervous about going up to a counter and asking for help, imagine what it was like 10 or 20 years ago,” adds Sawyer. It’s no surprise that guys would sooner simply pinch their girlfriend’s products or turn to Google to help them find the right items. It stands to reason, then, that the most popular products are ones that can be grabbed from the shelf without the help of a skincare consultant.
Bestsellers include Hydra Energetic Moisturiser by L’Oreal Men Expert, one of which is sold every 30 seconds, and the Sensitive Post Shave Balm by Nivea For Men, a lightweight lotion that makes its way into one in 10 shopping baskets. At under £10, both are well within the budget of the thriftiest man. The designer brands, on the other hand, excel in the competitive world of fragrance, which still constitutes the lion’s share of the men’s grooming industry.
There is, of course, the kind of gent with a more acquired sense of aesthetics. When Cristiano Ronaldo (arguably the most questionable barometer of nouveau masculinity since David Beckham) appears in ad campaigns expertly waxed, seemingly spray-tanned and sporting an eyebrow arch that would put Joan Crawford to shame, there is a contingent of men who will inevitably emulate him. These high-maintenance men now make up 40 per cent of the customers at Debenhams brow bars, they get their six packs sprayed on by professional tan artists and de-forest their bodies by way of a regular ‘boyzilian’.
More extreme yet is the growing penchant for plastic surgery among men. Leading cosmetic surgery provider The Hospital Group reports a 117 per cent increase in men requesting liposuction. The stomach is the most common area for treatment, but ‘moobs’ (technically known as gynaecomastia) come in a close second. Macrolane, which was originally marketed to women as a ‘boob job in a jab’, is now being used for penile enhancement. The latest and craziest treatment is ‘dimpleplasty’, whereby men can achieve a Travolta-esque chin cleft by suturing the muscle to the bone to create a permanent indent.
Of course, the surgery path is not a route we’ll all take but it’s a fascinating marker in the male grooming journey; caring for one’s appearance is no longer the domain of Los Angeles residents and body builders. The real man, the everyday bloke on the street, is now making the most of himself, and doesn’t he look good for it?
