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The male grooming industry is booming. Here’s why
Muriuki Kagiri alias The Dapper Brother, Digital Content Creator says in the last seven years, he has remained loyal to his skincare regime and has never dropped the ball.
What you need to know:
- Beauty experts agree that while men are becoming more aware of the importance of looking after their skin (and are getting more open to investing in their skin), they remain skin minimalists, going for core, evidence-based products such as retinoids with added benefits.
According to data gathered by market insight company Statista this year, the global male grooming market is expected to be worth $115 billion by 2028, up from nearly $80 billion in 2022. The same market was worth an estimated $74.8 billion in 2021.
Today, thanks to shifting notions of masculinity, the prevalence of social media and a host of brave male beauty ambassadors perpetuating the idea that it’s okay to embrace self-care — and, in turn, self-expression — as a man, the potential for exciting new growth in the male grooming landscape is nothing short of exponential.
Beyond the multiple shifts, however, the growth of male grooming has also been helped by a wider dissemination of education on the topic, according to Sekar Ramamoorthy, Managing Director Kenya (East Africa) and Ghana at PZ Cussons East Africa Ltd.
“In the last 15 years, there has been an awakening in men about their beauty and grooming needs. Men are becoming more self-aware and taking care of themselves. We have recorded triple growth in men's self-care products,” says Ramamoorthy.
The company recently picked national celebrity and musical artiste David Mathenge aka Nameless as the official Brand Influencer for its flagship brand Imperial Leather in line with its ambition to further develop the cross-generational male market.
The men's self-care categories that are fastest growing are daily grooming products at 60 per cent, personal washing at 20 per cent, and skin and healthcare at 20 to 25 per cent.
“The world has moved and men are now interested in their physical appearance, how to groom and be more confident as a man,” says Ramamoorthy who previously ran a campaign dubbed ‘Become a man’.
“With a growing male grooming segment and thematic periods such as ‘Movember’ catching on as a month-long period of celebrating modern male grooming while promoting masculinity, we see Imperial Leather as a committed brand that is here to deliver the desired experiences and value for Kenyan men in addition to our current & trusted family products proposition,” said Ramamoorthy at the ‘Oga na Mamilli’, campaign launch.
In a shrinking economy, brands are becoming smarter in the way they market to men, lasering in on active ingredients and product efficacy while steering clear of hyperbole and overtly “masculine” packaging.
“Men do not test products, they are not price sensitive and do not compare different product offerings on the shelves. Once they have a positive perception of a brand they will buy and continue to purchase it in future,” says Ramamoorthy, while adding that they are ‘working with retailers to develop special categories for men, while also educating men on their self-care needs.’
Beauty experts agree that while men are becoming more aware of the importance of looking after their skin (and are getting more open to investing in their skin), they remain skin minimalists, going for core, evidence-based products such as retinoids with added benefits.
Peer pressure still has a place in the influence of men’s grooming but the biggest sway has come from social media. According to industry publication Cosmetics Business, there has been a 389% year-on-year increase in TikTok video views around male skincare search terms like #menskincare (462 million) and #mensskincareroutine (28 million), whilst the #mensgrooming hashtag has received 1.9 billion views. On Instagram, the latter hashtag has been used on some 3.2 million posts.
“We have social initiatives geared towards understanding the basic needs of the man. We go to colleges and men's events to spread awareness and to further understand the needs of the new man,” says Ramamoorthy who says there is a social revolution happening in the men's beauty space.
