Over the past two years, the bathroom mirror is no longer just for women. Young men, equipped with skincare serums, hair-growth tools, and growing collections of fragrances, are redefining male grooming.
“I used to just grab whatever face wash was on sale. Now, I check ingredients, save TikTok videos about routines, and actually set aside money for skincare,” says Martin, 24, a civil servant who uses Horace face wash, Kiehl’s moisturizer, and Malin + Goetz’s leather scent. “My friends and I share product links like we share gym tips. When someone tells me my skin looks good, it feels amazing—like the effort is paying off.”
On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, creators are making a more expressive approach to men’s beauty mainstream. For instance, French-Vietnamese TikTok star Bách Buquen has gone viral for his men’s makeup tutorials, while UK grooming and fragrance expert Luke Christian has built a following with his focus on skincare and detailed product reviews. According to Cosmetic Business, sales in the UK’s male beauty and grooming sector jumped 77% year-on-year, fueled by young men and celebrity-backed launches. NFL player Kyle Pitts recently became the first ambassador for men’s grooming brand Bevel, and lines like Pharrell Williams’s Humanrace, Brad Pitt’s Le Domaine, and Harry Styles’s Pleasing are drawing more men into the market.
Aesthetic clinics are also reporting a sharp rise in male clients seeking treatments once considered taboo. “In the last three to four years, I’ve seen a real increase in male patients—often people you might not expect. We’re seeing construction workers, company executives, corporate professionals in London, and of course, celebrities and athletes,” says Dr. Ash Soni, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. At his London clinic, demand for Botox, polynucleotides, and Sculptra has grown. Dr. Soni notes that men tend to prefer terms like “fresh,” “healthy-looking,” or “less tired” when discussing their skin goals, rather than “beauty.”
The global men’s health and wellness market is projected to reach $2.57 trillion by 2029, growing 12.4% annually, according to Daedal Research. This growth is driven by modern ideals of performance, longevity, and self-improvement. The Future Laboratory calls this the “bromeopathy era”—a data-driven, highly functional alternative to traditional wellness. “It’s an empirical response to the ‘Goopification’ of the industry, blending serious, stoic language with scientific research for a distinctly masculine appeal,” writes Adam Steel in the agency’s report on the bromeopathy market.
Much of this trend is driven by younger consumers who integrate skincare, haircare, nutrition, and aesthetics into a broader mindset of self-optimization. “The male beauty market is partly fueled by an interest in longevity, optimization, and biohacking,” says Suzanne Scott, global associate beauty director at Seen Group. “This includes everything from skin health to men actively discussing the skin barrier and seeking products for issues like irritation, dehydration, redness, acne, or wrinkles.” She adds that K-pop, anime, and digital culture are encouraging more experimentation with fragrance, hair, and skincare.
This image of Patrick Bateman from the film American Psycho, known for his meticulous skincare routine, is often cited by Gen Z men in conversations about self-improvement.
As male interest surges, the beauty industry faces new challenges. Young men are engaging with products more deeply—researching ingredients, comparing treatments, and expecting brands to provide clear guidance instead of relying on outdated masculine stereotypes. They value efficiency, transparency, and thoughtful design.Men today are embracing beauty products as part of their modern identity—not just defaulting to items labeled “for men.” Yet they still face lingering stigma, uncertain language, and a shortage of spaces that genuinely welcome them into the beauty world. For brands, the opportunity is enormous, but so is the need to rethink how they communicate, educate, and build trust.
So, who is the new male beauty consumer? He is younger, more informed, and more experimental than previous generations—and he’s quickly becoming too significant to ignore. Globally, the male grooming market reached about $73.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $120 billion by 2034, according to Fortune Business Insights. Skincare is leading the way: the men’s skincare market was valued at roughly $16.9 billion in 2024 and is expected to more than double by 2035.
Gen Z men are driving much of this change. In the US, the percentage of Gen Z men aged 18 to 27 using facial skincare jumped from 42% in 2022 to 68% in 2024, according to Mintel. In the UK, men aged 18 to 34 are more likely than the broader male population to say they have a skincare routine (30% vs 23%), and they are more inclined to see beauty products as tools to enhance their appearance, boost confidence, and prevent aging, as reported by YouGov.
These behaviors are influenced by broader socioeconomic pressures. “There is a growing connection between masculinity, wellness, and grooming,” says Olivia Houghton, lead beauty, health, and wellness analyst at The Future Laboratory. She notes that performance-focused fitness culture has been a gateway: supplements, longevity hacks, and disciplined habits have made self-care feel productive rather than indulgent. With traditional milestones like home ownership increasingly out of reach, grooming has become an area where young men can take control.
But the trend has its complexities. “Some of the most influential voices shaping these behaviors come from the manosphere. Their rhetoric can frame fitness, skincare, and grooming as ways to prove hierarchy and dominance,” Houghton warns. She argues that brands should focus on promoting well-being and self-expression rather than status and judgment.
Dr. Soni adds, “I start skincare very slowly—baby steps. But men often end up hooked. Many develop highly regimented routines because they have that all-or-nothing mindset.” For him, the biggest myth is gendered skincare: “I wish more men understood that there’s no such thing as men’s skincare versus women’s skincare—it’s just skincare.”
How can brands tap into this market? Male consumers are evolving too quickly for brands to rely on old positioning or traditional “for men” messaging. Their expectations are higher, their knowledge is growing, and their tolerance for vague claims is shrinking. “When we help a brand launch a product, we know much of its success depends on truly understanding who will love it enough to buy it again,” says Scott. “This detailed look at audiences is crucial for brands trying to appeal to male consumers, because these groups are changing rapidly, and brands can’t just rely on past experience.”
That means emphasizing transparency, science-backed claims, and a commitment to building experiences and communities around products. The Future Laboratory points to examples like London wellness brand Lyma, which launched an index to provide the public with information on nutrients and products, including links to scientific research. Virgin Active’s “Leave the Cult, Join the Club” campaign also called out toxic wellness trends and unrealistic quick-fix promises.
Brands are increasingly recognizing that men—especially Gen Z—want education and emotional support alongside the functional benefits of beauty. “One of the key things we’re seeing with male consumers is their desire to really understand a product.””People want to understand a product or collection and how it fits into their lives,” explains Scott. This change is evident in Seen Group’s recent collaboration with Hair + Me. At London’s Jab fitness studio, they established a social area where men could openly talk about hair loss and mental health without judgment, with guidance from in-house experts and trusted figures. “This approach helps normalize conversations about hair loss, removing any shame,” he adds.
In personal care and fragrance, brands are finding opportunities by moving away from gender labels. “Our policy is to let customers choose what works for them,” says David Seth Moltz, co-founder of DS Durga. “Even if I have personal opinions on scents being masculine, unisex, or feminine, we don’t categorize them that way online or in stores.” Nima Jalali, founder of Salt & Stone, observes that younger male shoppers are increasingly attracted to sophisticated scents, minimalist designs, and performance-focused formulas, rather than products marketed specifically to men. “They’re more knowledgeable and look to athletes and cultural icons for inspiration,” he notes. The brand’s partnerships with athletes like Jerami Grant and Max Jolliffe reinforce this ethos. “Outselling established mass brands as the top deodorant on Amazon highlights how much attitudes are changing,” Jalali adds.
The supplements market, once dominated by niche male-focused groups, is also evolving as it grows. With the global men’s health supplements sector projected to increase by 10% annually from 2025, well-known brands are introducing science-backed options. Johnson’s Blueprint line includes longevity blends and multivitamins, while IM8, developed by Prenetics and David Beckham, aims to serve as a daily performance system for today’s men.
For brands, the future will demand a fresh strategy: prioritizing credible science over aggressive marketing, using inclusive language instead of gender-based categories, and building communities that provide education, emotional support, and a sense of identity—not just products. Success will come to those who view men not as a niche market, but as a growing, engaged audience that expects to be treated with respect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a helpful and clear list of FAQs about selling beauty products to Gen Z men
Beginner Definition Questions
1 What do we mean by beauty products for men Isnt that just skincare
No its much broader While skincare is a huge part it also includes haircare fragrance body care and cosmetics made specifically for men such as tinted moisturizers or concealer to even out skin tone
2 Who exactly is Gen Z
Gen Z refers to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012 They are the first true digital natives having grown up with the internet and social media
3 Why is selling to Gen Z men different from selling to older generations
Gen Z men are more open and see selfcare as a form of wellness not a sign of weakness They are less bound by traditional gender roles and are heavily influenced by social media and peer recommendations over traditional advertising
Benefits Motivations
4 What are the main reasons Gen Z men are interested in beauty products
Their primary motivations are confidence and selfexpression They want to look good and feel good for themselves They also see it as a way to maintain healthy skin not just cover up problems
5 Is this just a trend or is it here to stay
This is a fundamental shift in male identity and consumer behavior With social media normalizing male grooming and selfcare its widely considered a permanent and growing market
6 Whats the biggest benefit for a brand that gets this right
Building immense brand loyalty Gen Z values authenticity and will stick with brands that understand them creating a strong longterm customer base
Common Problems Challenges
7 Whats the biggest mistake brands make when trying to sell to this group
Being inauthentic or using cheesy stereotypical macho marketing They can spot a cash grab from a mile away and value genuine relatable messaging
8 How do I overcome the stigma that still exists around men using makeup
Normalize it by focusing on the