What do men think when they look in the mirror and see dull, flaky skin and dark puffy undereye circles looking back at them??  Would they consider using moisturizer or concealer to address these bothersome issues??  Well according to a recent article in the Globe & Mail dated Feb 24 and found in the business section, “men often shop for cosmetics in the bathroom cupboard of their wife or girlfriend’ and “beauty companies often use women as their ambassadors to persuade men to use their products.”

Jenny Frankel, co-creator of Cover FX and a chemical engineer who was interviewed for the article says “Men’s skin is thicker than that of women and thus oily and acne prone.  Men don’t like greasy products; they seek oil-free, fragrance-free skincare options.  They seek cosmetics to camouflage under-eye circles, rashes from shaving, redness/rosacea and vitiligo (loss of pigment).”

Women have no problem shopping for and trying different formulations of lotions and potions. On the other hand, men often feel intimidated by the sea of products found in drug stores and at department/specialty stores. Generally, men would much rather borrow from their wife, sister or girlfriend who seem so much more confident and capable when it comes to product selection.

But wait-apparently things are changing, according to experts in the beauty industry.  Trends in men’s fast growing grooming segment feel that marketing and packaging are making men feel more comfortable buying products like moisturizer, concealer and bronzers.  Products found in pumps and tubes rather than jars which men associate with women’s makeup, are what is being found in separate men’s sections of drugstores like Shoppers Drugmart and speciality stores like Sephora.

Good thing that SkinPrep FX, one of my favourite skin care products works so well for men and women.   My husband is one of those men who would rather use my  products than buy his own!