New Lifestyle Scenes: The Cosmetics Market for Men Has Thrived During the Pandemic

1. Men’s Heightened Interest in Health/Beauty and the Growth of the Cosmetics Market

The coronavirus pandemic led to restrictions being placed on many “social” activities such as going to school, going to work, shopping, and dining out, resulting in an increase in time spent at home. In addition, since the early stages of the pandemic, when people adopted hygienic and infection prevention measures due to concerns about contracting Covid, people have become increasingly health-conscious and interested in strengthening their immune system in order to be healthier and less susceptible to illness. The increase in time spent at home also seems to have triggered a tendency toward self-reflection, and along with the rise in health awareness, there has been a growth of interest in self-improvement and “self-investment”, with more people seeking to refine their external appearance as well as their inner selves.

When we think of markets that have grown during the pandemic, health food products such as protein immediately come to mind, but the men’s cosmetics market has also shown significant growth. Let’s take a closer look at this “beauty-seeking” trend – which seems to be connected to the heightening of interest in health and self-improvement – along with the data.

First, let’s look at the trend in the size of the men’s cosmetics market based on INTAGE’s purchase history data (Fig. 1). The data for the five-year period from October 2017 to October 2022 shows growth by a factor of 1.25, from 40.8 billion yen in 2018 (the period from October 2017 to September 2018) to 51.3 billion yen. Growth was particularly strong from 2020, after the Covid outbreak. In addition, breakdown of growth by category shows that the skin care market has increased by a factor of 1.37 since 2018, making it the largest-growing of the four categories under investigation.
Moreover, a closer look at the trends within these four categories in terms of “total number of SKUs purchased (no. of units)” shows that the number of skin care items purchased increased by a factor of 1.21. Market growth appears to be driven not only by a rise in consumer interest but also by increases in the attractiveness of the products themselves and the variety of items available.

Fig. 1

Furthermore, a look at the purchase patterns of these four categories using two basic indicators, “purchase rate” and “value per purchaser”, shows that while there has been no significant change in the purchase rate, which represents the spread of users in each category, the value per purchaser, which indicates the amount of money being spent, is on the rise (Fig. 2). These findings suggest a “deepening of the relationship with the category”, a phenomenon often seen in health-related items, where people who have purchased a product become aware of its effectiveness and go on to try out better and diverse offers.

Fig. 2

2. Growing Interest in Skin Care

Furthermore, if we expand the scope to include “cosmetics” and look at category trends in terms of growth in “number of purchasers” and “value per purchaser”, we find that “value per purchaser”, which represents purchase volume, has increased in all categories except for serum (Fig. 3). The data also show an increase in the number of purchasers of serums, creams, and eye makeup. When it comes to skin care, an increasing number of men are not only using creams, but are also trying serums in the hope that they will be even more effective.

Fig. 3

We also conducted an analysis focusing on the number of categories used together in combination (Fig. 4). The market size of the group that concurrently buys products from three or more skin care-related categories, such as facial wash and cleanser, has grown by a factor of 1.55 over the past five years. We can also see that men who buy products from three or more categories tend to buy facial wash, face lotion, milky lotion, and cream. These findings show that the number of categories used by cosmetics users is increasing year by year, and that when they use cream, growing interest in skin care leads them to also use face lotion and/or milky lotion.

Fig. 4

In addition, the growth of interest in and spending on skin care is also contributing to changes in purchase channels (Fig. 5). The data show increases in purchasers and spending at “pharmacies/drugstores” and “home delivery/mail order/internet”, but if we look at other trends, we also notice an increase in purchasers at “department stores”, although the market size is small. This suggests a progression from affordable products to products with higher efficacy, with some people going to department stores, which offer counseling and advice, in search of products more suited to their skin type, and this trend may grow in the future.

Fig. 5

3. The Growing Cream Market: Points of Attraction for Each Age Segment

The “cosmetic purchases by men” market is growing, and creams are a driver of this growth. Let’s examine this category from a different angle. The size of the cream market has been increasing every year, growing by a factor of 1.64 (7.7 billion yen) compared to five years ago (4.7 billion yen) (Fig. 6).

Moreover, breakdown by gender and age shows that the market is growing in all age segments. The increase is particularly large among middle-aged and senior men, suggesting that they are seeking care for skin problems – such as dryness and blemishes – that are specific to their age group. It also suggests that younger segments are seeking to eliminate oily skin and achieve healthier skin through effects such as moisturization. It should also be noted that usage of “cream for men” is increasing. The fact there is already a segment that pays attention to and selects products with benefits unique to men means that this is a growing market, one that is becoming a part of men’s daily lives.
When we hear about men purchasing cosmetics and skincare, we tend to think of “young people”, but the data indicate that men as a whole are becoming more interested and involved in creams and other skincare products.

Fig. 6

Heightened interest in health and self-improvement, both internal and external, appears to be making skin-based “self-care” a familiar activity for men as well. The skin is also an area that is easily affected by fatigue and health condition, and tends to be visible to others as well. These factors also seem to be involved in the heightening of interest in skin care.

Healthy skin that does not show signs of fatigue can be achieved through daily skin care. For men, who are putting more effort into washing their face and are using creams, milky lotions, and even serums to achieve this healthy state, skin care products are becoming an increasingly familiar category. We will continue to track the data for signs of such changes.

4. Conclusion (Excerpt from a dialogue with the analysts)

Finally, we asked the analyst in charge of this study for her impressions.

Hiromasa Tanaka, Consumer Research Center : It seems that the heightening of health consciousness under the pandemic has also led to heightened interest in “self-maintenance”, and people have become more willing to try whatever they can to take care of themselves on a daily basis. In addition to skin care, videos of workouts and other activities that can be easily done at home are also popular.

Haruna Ishii, Planning & Analysis Department 5, CBD Division: We have been closely monitoring the growth of the men’s cosmetics market, including skin care products, and there is no doubt that the market grew even more during the pandemic. This analysis confirmed not only that the market is growing, but also that market growth is occurring across all age segments, especially middle-aged and older adults, and that co-purchase of other skincare products – mainly creams, including all-in-one creams – is also expanding, and it seems to me that the growth of cosmetics purchases by men is becoming a larger trend.

Tanaka: I had assumed that the younger generation was driving the market, but when I looked at the data, I was surprised to see a high percentage of middle-aged and elderly people. For people who are looking for a product that “suppresses dryness and moisturizes”, it is certainly a handy and accessible product. Also, recently, products that are effective for spots and blemishes – which are essentially products for improving one’s appearance – also seem to be popular.

Ishii: Although different age groups are looking for different benefits, with the current heightening of interest in self-maintenance and skin care, it shouldn’t be difficult to attract more new users if companies clearly convey the message that they offer creams that provide appropriate care for each person’s skin condition while delivering easy-to-understand information about their benefits and usage, in an environment where it is easy to make purchases. It also seems that once people try a product and experience its effects, there is a good chance that they will upgrade to better products and extend their use to lotion, milky lotion, and even serums.

Tanaka: It would be interesting to track market growth over time though analysis of growth factors such as trial purchase by new users, repeat purchase, and expansion to extensions.

Ishii: With men going from skincare usage to usage with serums and from drugstore purchases to purchases at department stores that offer counseling, we’re likely to see increases in spending and expansion of channels used. This analysis focuses on cream, but we are also analyzing and preparing reports on changes in eye makeup and serum purchases, and we welcome any inquiries on these topics.

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Analyst Profile
Haruna Ishii, Planning and Analysis Department 5, CBD Division
Joined INTAGE in 2019
Manages panel research such as SRI, SCI, and SLI, with a focus on cosmetics and daily goods.

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