GENDER NEUTRAL SKINCARE: CAN MEN AND WOMEN USE THE SAME PRODUCTS?

As a society, we have become increasingly aware of and challenge gender stereotypes. This also applies to skincare, where marketing wants us to believe that men and women need completely different products. But is that really the case? After all, men’s and women’s skin are composed of the same elements, although there are some differences:

1. Regular shaving makes men’s skin more sensitive, which requires appropriate care. The beard hairs give the subcutaneous connective tissue more structure, making it stronger and slightly less prone to ageing.
2. Men’s skin is slightly thicker, by about 20%. In practice, this is a fraction of a millimetre, but it does make a difference: thinner skin is more susceptible to ageing. For women, this becomes even more obvious during menopause, when the skin becomes considerably drier and thinner in a short time and therefore ages more rapidly. It happens more gradually with men.
3. In general, men have slightly oilier skin because their higher testosterone levels tend to stimulate more sebum production. Therefore, it is best not to use a cream that is too greasy. Unless, of course, they have dry skin.

SAME CARE, DIFFERENT PREFERENCES

These differences aside, skin care is the same: cleanse, moisturise and protect regularly. And you do that according to your skin type and needs. After all, not all men have oily skin and not all women have dry skin or plenty of wrinkles. And the ingredients are by nature gender neutral. So the difference lies more in textures and preferences than ingredients or formulas. Men tend to like fresh and light textures, women generally prefer rich and creamy textures that give comfort and a pampering feeling to their skin. They appreciate a pleasant scent and a pretty jar. Men tend to see skincare as functional: it is supposed to solve a problem. They use an eye cream to reduce puffiness or crow’s feet, a scrub for fresher skin and a moisturiser.

In a nutshell, gender is not a skin type. At BEAUTICAL, we believe that skincare should be chosen based on the specific skin type or problem, rather than gender. Our products are packed with active ingredients and deliver immediate results. With light textures, subtly scented formulas and metallic packaging, most of our products are clearly gender neutral. No fuss, just efficiency.

The perfect example: VOLUMFIZZ Peptide Bubble Serum, an all-in-one product with a light blue texture, a silver pack and, most important, super-efficient. Men simply love it!

VOLUMFIZZ Peptide Bubble Serum (€79.95) is available at www.beautical.com.