More Men Grooming For Success
Market Grows For Male Skin Care
UPDATED: 1:24 pm CST November 23, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Go through a man's briefcase these days, and there's a very good chance you'll find moisturizer, hair gel and maybe an appointment for a facial.Men are the new women when it comes to skin care and beauty, reported WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.The bottom line is that they want to look good, and they know it's going to take more than just shaving cream and a bar of Irish Spring.
Between hair products and skin care, men have spawned a $5 billion industry that's still in its infancy."The key word here, it has to be idiot proof," said Pirooz Sarshar, the cofounder of The Grooming Lounge in downtown Washington, D.C. It's a male-only spa that dispenses treatments, products and advice. But clients have to take it like a man."Our philosophy is, 'Look, if your feet smell, do something about it,'" Sarshar said.Men now have dozens of salon products to smooth their rough edges, with masculine names like Jack Black and Beard Lube, and one even has an astronaut on it.Peter Forbes is a 40-something consultant in Washington, D.C., who enjoys the finer things in life -- and that includes a pricey moisturizer."It's the cost of a shot of scotch," Forbes said.It's also good for business. It's a competitive world out there, and a visit to the spa helps the men keep their competitive edge.Then there's the health issue. Dr. Monte Harris, a plastic surgeon who co-owns Cultura Spa in Washington, D.C., reminds men that their skin is their largest organ, and it needs to be cared for to counteract aging and skin cancer."You need to exfoliate. You need sunscreen. And you need moisturizer," Harris said.Marketing analysts expect the male grooming industry to grow at a rate of $250 million a year. The Gentlemen's Quarters in Old Town Alexandria, Va., opened two years ago and has seen its clientele grow 50 percent.Proctor and Gamble, Gillette and Unilever want a piece of this action, and they're all coming out with more affordable moisturizers, cleansers and hair coloring for men.But men still have a long way to go to catch up with beauty market for women, which is a $95 billion industry.
Ladies: Between hair products and skin care, men have spawned a $5 billion industry that's still in its infancy."The key word here, it has to be idiot proof," said Pirooz Sarshar, the cofounder of The Grooming Lounge in downtown Washington, D.C. It's a male-only spa that dispenses treatments, products and advice. But clients have to take it like a man."Our philosophy is, 'Look, if your feet smell, do something about it,'" Sarshar said.Men now have dozens of salon products to smooth their rough edges, with masculine names like Jack Black and Beard Lube, and one even has an astronaut on it.Peter Forbes is a 40-something consultant in Washington, D.C., who enjoys the finer things in life -- and that includes a pricey moisturizer."It's the cost of a shot of scotch," Forbes said.It's also good for business. It's a competitive world out there, and a visit to the spa helps the men keep their competitive edge.Then there's the health issue. Dr. Monte Harris, a plastic surgeon who co-owns Cultura Spa in Washington, D.C., reminds men that their skin is their largest organ, and it needs to be cared for to counteract aging and skin cancer."You need to exfoliate. You need sunscreen. And you need moisturizer," Harris said.Marketing analysts expect the male grooming industry to grow at a rate of $250 million a year. The Gentlemen's Quarters in Old Town Alexandria, Va., opened two years ago and has seen its clientele grow 50 percent.Proctor and Gamble, Gillette and Unilever want a piece of this action, and they're all coming out with more affordable moisturizers, cleansers and hair coloring for men.But men still have a long way to go to catch up with beauty market for women, which is a $95 billion industry.
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