How Is Men's Skincare Different From Women's?

Since the break of dawn, the beauty industry has provided different levels of skincare for men and women. Apart from the eye-rolling pink and blue/black contrasts, there are some genuine difference.

The packaging, regimen, ingredients, and textures of men's skincare tend to be lighter in weight and more traditional - gels, gel creams, lotions - and the sensory cues are all more masculine [1].

Women's skincare, on the other hand, has a lot more ingredients, claims, and regimens. There are a lot of women's skincare products out there with rich textures, and they're available in creams, gels, lotions, milks, oils etc.

The reasons are mostly because women are engaged in skincare, they have diversified preferences, and they're willing to use multiple products to manage their skin.

In short, yes, there are differences between the skin of men and women. So, let's check out how is men's skincare different from women's.

How Is Men's Skincare Different From Women's?

Are there differences in skin care for men and women? In short, yes and no. It is true that there is some significant structural difference between the two types of skin, apart from the matter of facial hair [2][3].

Most of the differences in the skin of men and women are due to their higher testosterone levels. Male skin is thicker, loses less water, and also produces more sebum than female skin. The thicker the skin, the lower the sensitivity and the greater the tolerance for potent ingredients.

Topical retinoid may be applied every night, while benzoyl peroxide washes may be applied more often. And it is determined by the individual's concerns [4].

It is essential to provide special care to men's skin in the beard area as facial grooming can leave the area exposed to irritation from shaving and susceptible to ingrown hairs.

Because women produce less sebum, women's products emphasise moisturising more than men's products. In order to compensate for the higher prevalence of adult acne among women due to hormonal changes, many women's products include exfoliants, calming and acne-fighting ingredients [5].

What Are The Key Ingredients To Look For?

You don't need to pay attention to either gender or sex to determine whether a particular ingredient will be effective for your skin type. Therefore, you should start with the most commonly known ingredients [6].

There are all the usual active ingredients such as vitamin C, ferulic acid, retinol, peptides, AHAs, PHAs, bakuchiol, and niacinamide included in the majority of skincare products for both men and women.

Experts recommend using benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid when treating acne in particular [7].

Vitamin C, beta hydroxy acids, retinols, alpha arbutin, and kojic acid are effective against pigmentation [8].

In the case of oily skin, you should apply more oil-reducing cleansers and look for products that contain salicylic acid, mandelic acid, niacinamide, green tea, and tea tree oil [9].

As for dry skin, look for skincare products containing urea, sodium lactate, glycerin, polyglutamic acid, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and essential fatty acids [10].