Family Encyclopedia >> Beauty & Style

Cosmetics for men:what's the difference?

What do Melvita, Erborian, Nivea, Clarins and Clinique have in common? All these cosmetic brands offer products, or even entire lines, for men. At the end of 2018, Chanel even created Boy de Chanel, a make-up brand for men with the slogan "Beauty is not a gender story". And since we totally agree with the latter, we wonder if there is an interest in “gendering” cosmetics and makeup? When it comes to care, there can be a difference since men's skin is generally thicker than women's, especially around the beard area, and often drier or more sensitive. It is therefore important for them to use care adapted to their skin type. But that does not necessarily justify using care labeled “men”, whether it is an eye contour, a cream or a serum. The active ingredients effective on the epidermis are universal (we think in bulk of hyaluronic acid which is super moisturizing, various oils which nourish the skin, etc.), so a cream with a "feminine" packaging works perfectly on a man's skin, provided it is suitable for his skin type. The only products that are truly specific to men? Beard care, which you can't find in the women's department...

Gender neutral make-up

Today, more and more male influencers specialize in beauty and offer videos in which we see them wearing makeup (and we must admit that they are doing much better than ordinary mortals!). Do they use makeup products specifically designed for men? No. An eye shadow palette can be used by both a woman and a man, just like any makeup product. If there can be a differentiation, it is mainly marketing, because a product with too girly packaging will not be "desirable" for a man. What annoys us to the point is that apart from these differences in packaging, there is a "pink tax" already decried in the past:on the shelves of supermarkets, we find deodorants, shower gels, shampoos , dentifrices for men and women. If we take a closer look at the ingredients, we find no difference, except for the fragrance. But women will still pay more for this product than men. And it continues with treatments for men, which are often less expensive than those for women, without anyone knowing why...

Clearly, we don't hesitate to share our treatments with Bibi if he has the same type of skin as us, or to offer him treatments that are not from a men's line.