Men's Grooming Industry Growing
CHICAGO (CBS) - Beauty products for men? It's happening. Walk into a drugstore and you'll notice anti-wrinkle creams for men, body washes, even eye creams.
As CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, the men's grooming industry is growing 8 percent a year, while the women's market has actually declined during the recession.
When guys come into his salon, Anthony Vitale says they often want more than just a cut these days.
"Men are using moisturizers, men are using hair creams," said Vitale. "Men, like women, don't like looking older. They don't like looking tired."
Just take a look at the store shelves: body washes, special sponges, anti-wrinkle cream and post-shave balm. The men's grooming business is exploding.
"The men's grooming category is actually one of the fastest growing categories in the personal care market industry right now," said Glenn Kelley, marketing professor at Babson College.
In the past, grooming products for men tended to be aimed at the fashion conscious 20-somethings, but now they are targeted to every day guys, like dads and jocks.
Like the expansion of Dove into men's soaps and body washes. Their ad campaign features a young father.
"The challenge for Dove now is going to be how can they successfully branch out and really make men comfortable with using a fundamentally rooted female product?" Kelley said.
It's about walking a fine line, according to Kelley. Appeal to a man's vanity, without appearing too girly.
Men we spoke to had mixed reactions to the idea of more grooming products for them.
"I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to spend the money, but if I got them as a gift or something, I'd use them," said Morgan Lemel, who says he doesn't think it's too feminine.
When asked if he needs to pay attention to grooming, CJ Jakubiak said, "I don't think so. I probably do, but it doesn't occur to me."
A remarkable example of how this market is growing: in just the first half of 2010, sales for L'Oreal's men's line were up 30 percent.
