Shave, shine and shower products for the male grooming market is booming. Men’s grooming in the U.S. is predicted to increase by 6 percent. Most of the basic product forms have been modernized to accommodate the new interest in skin care, hair treatment and beard sharpening both in the pre-shave and after-shave categories. Men are grooming with greater detail to defining their facial appearance and body image. Designer beards and facial hair have not been popular since the 70s. While men’s shaving actually fell by 1 percent, men’s toiletries was responsible for all the gain, growing by 3 percent. The shave and haircut routine remains nostalgically basic; the fact that the edges are sharper, the beards are brilliant and the basic haircut comes with color signals the new concept of basic.
Increased demand for premium-priced, need-specific items is contributing these new product concepts. Branding among male consumer and barbers are all legendary—from the first little boy haircut to the anti-aging techniques used in mid-life. Grooming routines have expanded and product offerings are now targeting the younger, style-conscious males. OTCs provide the utensils, implements, formulas and fragrances to keep the manly traditions sharp and on-trend. Beard balms, moustache scissors, resurfacing masks and exotic scents are specialty items that have been repositioned from the basic shave and shower days of old. Hollywood hair trends are contributing to new cut and care product forms. Men are becoming more proactive about organic ingredients, “cut” lines and state of the art nostalgia grooming.
