I’ve always thought that it was a common thing for teenagers/college-aged people to put a lot of effort into taking care of their skin. That is, until I started talking to my guy friends about their skin care routine. While it’s fairly normal for girls to have a routine that includes a special face wash, moisturizers, acne medication, etc., it seems that most guys simply wash their face with soap when they shower. This sort of boggled my mind because I’m someone who likes to moisturize my legs after I shave, so I couldn’t imagine shaving my face everyday and not using lotion afterwards.
I’ve had problems with my skin for years, from severe acne to eczema and just generally sensitive skin. I recognize that skin problems are way more complicated than just taking care of your skin (for instance, genes and bad luck), but taking good care of your skin is a huge part of it. I just couldn’t comprehend these guys’ skin care routines.
I was scrolling on Tumblr as one does and came across a post that made me laugh, but also understand why these guys have such simplistic routines.
Skin care is feminized, and it is so completely ridiculous.
The skin is the largest organ on the human body and everyone, no matter what gender, has an abundance of it. We should want to take care of it, but something is stopping guys.
Now, I’m not saying that all guys have an inadequate skin care routine. Many guys take really good care of their skin. But many don't. I’m also not saying that guys are actively staying away from skin care products because they’re afraid of being girly. As a society, we have for some reason decided that skin care products are feminine. What this means is that boys aren’t really exposed to skincare products from a young age like girls are. Since our society also equates feminine things with being bad, this also means that there’s a subconscious part of most men that equates skincare products with losing their sense of manliness.
Think about it: face masks and scrubs are advertised exclusively for girls. I don’t think it has even occurred to many guys to use a face mask or scrub. But what is inherently feminine about a face mask or scrub? I can’t think of anything, except maybe the smell, but that’s a different can of worms.
Why is there an abundance of commercials advertising lotion and soap specifically for men? “Male skin care is one of the beauty industry's fastest-growing sectors,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Yes, men are using more and more skin care products, but they’re using products specifically labeled for men. In a Macy's in Philadelphia, there's even an area of the store dedicated to men's grooming, with a TV, coffee maker, and Wi-Fi. Just imagine a man cave in the middle of the cosmetics department.
"They're certainly scented differently, but in terms of the ingredients for male skin ... versus female skin, it's really identical," dermatologist Dr. Bobby Buka said when interviewed by Huffington Post. He also said that men and women tend to have similar skin problems with the same solutions.
If skin is more or less the same, why do men feel like it’s only acceptable to buy a skin care product if it’s advertised for men? There’s nothing feminine or masculine about unscented lotion, but for some reason it’s automatically feminized. Perhaps it’s because the first image that pops into people’s mind when they think about lotion is colorful scented lotions lining the shelves of Bath and Body Works. Perhaps it’s because skin care is linked with makeup.
I’m still quite perplexed as to why skin care is feminized, but I offer a challenge to any man reading this: go buy a skin care product that isn’t specifically marketed for men. It will be fine, I promise. I would recommend a facial cleanser (it’s specifically formulated to cleanse your pores, but gentle enough that it won’t dry out your skin) or moisturizer (good for your skin and often has SPF).
Watch some of these manly commercials for manly men below:
