Treating oily skin in men in the post-inclusive, genderless era

Developing products that treat oily skin in men has always been a place for innovation and constant remodelling. This is even more true in today’s landscape: consumers have reached a post-inclusive mindset, where beauty is increasingly considered genderless and ageless. 

At the same time, consumers are demanding an increasing transparency and authenticity from brands, seeking out communication channels where exchanges between brands, influencers and followers are horizontal.

The post-pandemic landscape has seen these trends exacerbated. For instance, 46% of women and 41% of men said they have spent more time on social media during the pandemic, according to figures published by Businesswire. 

Furthermore, all indicators confirm that COVID-19 has increased demand for anti-acne treatments, following growing stress and the use of face masks.

Considering these scenarios, a new product for oily skin for men must encompass all these trends. 

A specific strategy must be generated for the younger demographics (typically more interested in reducing sebum overproduction), taking into account the new post-inclusive narratives that captivate them, as well as the new channels and tools (such as social media) for communicating with them.

How BPC brands can reach the “tik tok” and “freedom journey” generation for a remedy for oily skin for men

Hypersecretion of oil in the skin is a common problem that occurs when the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, giving the skin a shiny, oily appearance. Secondary effects like blemishes, dilated pores and acne (Sakuma & Maibach, 2012) can be so visible that they may cause emotional issues.

Although it’s not circumscribed solely to younger generations, the fact that acne is more prevalent in younger men and women, means BPC brands must generate products and communication strategies for this specific target. 

To develop a successful product for oily skin for men today, this means taking into account new values and ways to communicate: 

• Freedom journey values: younger consumers see products as assets that enhance their self-expression. Self-experimentation and self-education through the internet and social media are prevalent, especially in pandemic scenarios where people have been spending more time at home. 

• New channels to educate and entertain. The short-video platform Tik Tok has reached 689 million global active users as of January 2021. This social media has propelled a new skincare conversation around freedom, authenticity and education, where new influencers are leading these trends. 

In order to fit these new communication channels, brands must both educate and entertain consumers. BPC companies are expected to communicate in a transparent manner and use their sense of humor while, at the same time, educate consumers on the science behind their product’s claims.

• Embrace imperfection. The post-inclusive scenario also means brands must ditch unrealistic beauty ideals in advertising. This is especially true for acne treatments: while the presence of acne can cause distress, with sufferers noting its detrimental impact on self-confidence, brands must provide an optimistic, all-inclusive point of view in their narratives, that encourages natural results and looks. 

• Science with a twist. Younger consumers are interested in science-backed claims in beauty and personal care products. For instance, in Indonesia, 87% of consumers trust products and ingredients created by scientists; this grows to 94% for women aged 25-34, according to Mintel’s 35-market consumer research study.

However, companies must be able to mix science with humor, adding pop-culture references and making sure they can both inform and entertain consumers.

• Genderless products. Beauty categories are seeing how gender-neutral products are increasingly demanded. For instance, in the US, 50% of White men and 53% of Black men have or are interested in using genderless personal care products, and these figures are much higher for younger men.

Nelupure™: the post-inclusive active for oily skin in men and women

Nelupure™ can provide the right solution for brands looking to generate a treatment for oily skin in men that is successful today.

This active gets oily skin under control by reducing the activity of key factors in sebum overproduction. This is done through a blended extract from two types of lotus flower, the Egyptian Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) and the Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), thus also appealing to vegan and eco-oriented young consumers.

Nelupure is thus a great active to provide natural sebum-regulating claims for younger generations and treating oily skin in men: