After we were recently looking at how granddads can benefit from a simple, effective skincare routine, a natural next question arises: why do so few major beauty brands offer dedicated skincare lines for men at all?
Walk into most department stores and you’ll see shelves upon shelves of creams, serums and treatments for women – yet the men’s shelf, when it exists, is often an afterthought.
Here’s a closer look at why this gap persists and why it might finally be starting to shift.
1. The Old Myth: “Men Don’t Care About Skincare”
For decades, beauty houses assumed men simply weren’t interested. Grooming was framed as optional, even vain, unless it involved shaving.
This outdated belief still influences the industry. Many brands fear that investing heavily in male-targeted skincare won’t generate enough returns – even though surveys increasingly show the opposite.
Men, and especially older men, do want to look after their skin. They simply haven’t been marketed to in a way that feels familiar, accessible or even permissible.
2. Legacy Marketing Still Drives Strategy
Beauty houses are creatures of habit. Historically, women have always been the primary buyers of skincare products, and brands built their entire marketing structures around that demographic. Everything from packaging to language to in-store displays remains tailored to women.
Creating a men’s line requires rethinking:
Branding
Product textures and scents
Advertising tone
Retail placement
That level of overhaul can be expensive – and many brands choose to stick with what they know.
3. Men’s Skincare Is Often Hidden Inside “Unisex” Ranges
Another reason the market looks sparse is because much of the skincare technically suitable for men isn’t labelled as such. Brands often launch “unisex” or “universal” products rather than products explicitly aimed at men.
This allows them to avoid:
Creating a separate male brand identity
Committing to men-specific product education
Running parallel advertising campaigns
It’s a safe strategy for companies, but it leaves many men unsure about what’s for them and what isn’t.
4. Misconceptions About Men’s Skincare Needs
Some beauty houses still assume that men don’t need tailored formulas. But that’s simply not true.
Men’s skin can behave differently due to:
Higher collagen density
More active sebaceous glands
Daily shaving
Differences in wrinkle patterns as they age
Older men, including granddads, may need help with issues such as dryness, sensitivity, razor-related irritation, sun damage and uneven texture. Yet only a handful of premium brands actually formulate with these needs in mind.
5. The Packaging Problem
Many men resist buying skincare because it’s often packaged in ways that feel overly luxurious, feminine, or complicated.
Beauty houses haven’t always been successful at producing men’s ranges that feel:
Straightforward
Functional
Mature
Stylish without being embellished
This leaves a gap for niche brands and supermarket ranges to fill – while the major players stay cautious.
6. A Missed Opportunity with Older Men
One of the most surprising omissions is the lack of skincare marketing for older men. Brands chase male consumers in their twenties and thirties but rarely speak to men over fifty, even though this group:
Has strong spending power
Values quality
Often wants simple, no-fuss routines
Can see real benefits from targeted skincare
Your previous feature on skincare for granddad highlighted this beautifully – older men often don’t know where to start because they’ve never been invited into the skincare conversation.
7. Change Is Coming – Slowly
There are early signs that the big labels are waking up. Male grooming is a growing global market, and younger generations of men are far more comfortable using skincare. As this becomes the norm, beauty houses will have to adapt or risk being left behind.
Expect to see:
More premium men’s moisturisers and serums
Expanded anti-ageing lines for men
Advertising campaigns featuring older male models
“Routine”-based kits aimed at beginners
There’s still a long way to go, but the shift is undeniable.
Final Thoughts: Men Deserve Better Representation
The lack of men’s skincare from top beauty houses isn’t due to a lack of need – it’s due to outdated assumptions and marketing inertia. But as more men take skincare seriously, the brands that step up will reap the rewards.
Men, including granddads, deserve skincare that feels welcoming, effective and tailored to them. And perhaps it’s time the beauty industry realised that.
