Products for male grooming and physiology of male skin

Male grooming and cosmetic products for men are on the rise. While humankind is pushing through the new viral pandemic, the beauty world is still infested with another pandemic of new and the newest products for men. All levels of the cosmetic businesses are involved in this wave, from the top selective brands to the small independent manufacturers and handcrafters. The influx of these preparations of all possible forms reflects modern trends, marketing as well as the fact that men are chasing healthy, nice looking skin and trying to transform the simple but boring shaving routine into an exciting, pleasurable ritual. 

While we see growing demand for this type of product, some developers apparently miss the importance of the peculiar physiological properties of male skin. This can be explained by several factors, as some of the properties do not significantly impact the efficacy and safety of a formulation, while others become a tribute to some cultural or marketing requirements. For example, some trends in male skin care reflect a strongly conservative approach to grooming with a possible motto – “we are shaving like dads did with that old school stuff”. This kind of fashion embraces many men, which even create the special clubs known as “wet shavers” clubs. Simultaneously, the younger generation are longing to use the high-end products with the latest possible ingredients, technologies and forms. 

Obviously, basic dermatological findings in the skin should help cosmetic chemists create healthier and more efficient products for men and at the same time avoid some negative or even dangerous effects we can run into in some grooming products nowadays. Dr. Albert Kligman1 explained the basics of the epithelial functions, skin barriers, permeability in his special doctrine “Corneology”, which later became one of the basics of modern Aesthetic Dermatology and one of the general approaches of creating and evaluating topical preparations including cosmetics. The fundamental biophysical parameters such as Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL), pH, epidermal lipids consistency, condition of the skin barrier along with mechanical properties, collagen formation and thickness, the level of hydration and sebum production should be taken into consideration for formulating any cosmetic products including preparations for men’s skin care of all types. Some of them are less substantial, while others are more important in conjunction with some skin’s physiological properties along with human culture or habits in skin care. The latter also causes some reactions that should be considered.