There’s no doubt that some men like to look their best all the time, but whereas in the past most men spent very little time on their appearance, modern man is a lot more careful and the use of skin care products amongst men is on the rise.

There are probably three or four phenomenon that have come together to create a climate where men and skincare products have been able to be used in the same sentence.

The early signs were there in the 1980s, and a marketing concept known as the “new man”. Looking back, it\’s hard to imagine that there was ever a need for such a concept, but it did exist, and it was delivered to us via arty monochrome posters of muscular chaps cradling tiny babies, courtesy of Athena. Before this time, men were (we were told) basically yobs who cared little for anything other than beer, football and women. But the plan worked beautifully, and men were persuaded to get in touch with their feminine side rather than simply getting in touch with females. Part of that was having a bathroom routine, so it\’s no coincidence that the Body Shop also came of age at this time. This was also a time when we started becoming aware of the ozone hole, which led to stronger sun creams coming on the market, and men would cream up just to nip to the shops.

But then came the backlash. It appears men were not quite ready to have the expectations of them decreed by the powers that be, and the cult of laddism came about in the 90s and early noughties. Men even managed to drag a few women down to their level, creating the laddette, a female hard-drinking party animal. Just to rub it in, the era became synonymous with football, lads\’ mags and drink, which was more or less where we left off in the 70s. There was a branch of laddism that had a mod philosophy based on grooming and style, so the male skin care industry didn\’t completely disappear.

Through the lens of history we can now see what happened. Men needed to be men, but social attitudes had changed so much that the behaviour of the past was no longer acceptable and laddism proved to be a last hurrah of the old-fashioned attitudes to acceptable male behaviour. The modern man sees himself as a little more sensitive to other people’s feelings but assertive enough to do his own thing. And if that means looking after his skin, then so be it. The men\’s skin care industry at least proves that this phenomenon is not just an imagined one.

We are now being told that it\’s OK for men to wear make-up, too. Unless it’s being done very subtly, permission has yet to filter through to the high street, and even many modern-minded men see this as a step too far. But as history has shown, what it means to be a man is ever changing. When the England left back is wearing lipstick, we’ll know something seismic has happened.

Author Bio: Sue is an expert in male health and beauty, and writes about healthy living and men\’s skin care products. She has written articles and columns for a number of skin care publications.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
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