Traditionally, products and processes associated with grooming one’s appearance have been largely geared towards women. From facial cleansing products to makeup to hair products, many cosmetic brands have solely focused on appealing to a female audience because, well, society has ingrained the necessity of personal upkeep in the minds of women.
The use of grooming products to maintain or elevate one’s appearance has been tirelessly reinforced by the media to women for decades. Recently, there has been a surge of women coming forth and exclaiming that they should not have to follow society’s rules and that they are not required to constantly keep a cosmetically enhanced appearance.
Surprisingly, with this surge of advocating for women being more natural, male grooming has now become a multi-billion dollar industry. Products such as pore strips, hair removal creams, and even makeup are now being purchased by men on a record scale. In the past, marketing companies have faced issues reaching a male audience because, for many men, makeup is considered extremely feminine.
With the increased use of filters and social media pressures, even the manliest of men feel pressured to appear to be what society would consider “perfect”. Having nice skin, being clean shaven, and maintaining a nice appearance is becoming increasingly popular for the average man.
Men still have a bit more wiggle room in their maintenance due to the double standard of women and men’s natural attractiveness in society. However, more men than ever are purchasing concealer to hide some blemishes, tweezing their eyebrows, or using a variety of other cosmetic products.