The connection between skin wellness and nutrition is becoming more obvious as scientific discoveries have demonstrated that what consumers eat and drink affects the overall well-being of their bodies, including their skin.

For the last few decades, when it came to skin wellness and beauty, companies and consumers have focused primarily on topical applications as opposed to ingestible, nutrient-based products. That has started to change, however. At the same time, as the cosmetic industry has evolved, it’s clear that what was once a women-only space, has slowly yet consistently developed to be an all-gender landscape.

More and more men have discovered that if they invest in their skin, and truly take care of it, they can gain a healthier and more glowing look, and age more beautifully.

Growing Awareness
While awareness among women is still higher, there has been a clear improvement in understanding among men about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet to support vital-looking skin. This growing awareness can be tied to a general expansion of men being more conscious about what they put into their bodies, as they look to extend their skin’s longevity.

There are many reasons why men should be conscious of their skin’s health. First, many people are systemically exposed to environmental stresses on a daily basis. It can be the result of working outdoors, being engaged in outdoors sports and activities, or a combination. The more exposure the skin has to environmental stress agents, the more attention may be required. Both women and men are realizing this.

As the connection between nutrition and skin becomes clearer, more consumers are looking for ways to support their skin’s wellness in a way that is both natural and also sustainable.

Holistic Approach
Men of different ages and backgrounds are cultivating their skin’s wellness through the use of topical and nutrition-based applications. In the U.S., online e-commerce “clubs” have found success with monthly subscriptions that deliver packages full of skin care products designed for men to their door. It’s interesting to note that the motivation behind this trend seems to be related more to general well-being than disease prevention.

Similar to women, men seem to recognize that a balanced lifestyle and a holistic approach to wellness isn’t simply about what they want to prevent, but also about what they want to achieve. Men today share very similar ideas of beauty to those of women, meaning they take care of their skin not just by simple actions such as shaving, but by closely watching their diet as well as having a clear idea of what their skin looks like now, and what it should look like with the right treatment.

Glowing skin can be a real statement of a healthy lifestyle and systemic self-care. Increased knowledge has helped wellness-minded consumers integrate natural skin care solutions into their everyday routines. And skin care management is a constant process. A product that is most suitable to men should be easy to use, convenient and simple to incorporate into a daily routine. In addition, as awareness of skin solutions increases, products should strive to include as close to 100% natural ingredients as possible.

Finding Synergy
Overall, it is important to understand that while men and women share many aspects, there is much to learn from the way the women’s skin-care landscape has developed. At the end of the day, both women and men are looking to achieve the same goal, healthy and beautiful skin. Still, women’s skin care products have been around for decades, so there are lessons to learn.

One of the key considerations is that there may be a time in the near future in which, like women, men will use a wide spectrum of skin care products, both ingestible and topical. Also, there is certainly the possibility that both genders will look to achieve a synergistic affect between the ingestible products they use and the topical ones.

For example, if a man has concerns because he has very bright skin and he is “becoming red” too often, the best approach may be to increase his skin’s ability to manage erythema (skin redness) using a combination of quality topical products with quality ingestible nutrition products.

The same approach would be recommended for consumers with very dry skin. After all, healthy, vital, good-looking skin isn’t the result of just one action; it is the result of a holistic approach. Skin can be negatively or positively affected from the inside out as well as from the outside in; both pathways should be addressed.   

This is big news when it comes to product development both in the dietary supplements industry and also in the cosmetic and topical skin care industry. If a combined approach is required, customers will naturally look for more synergies between ingestible and topical products.

Going Mainstream
Product developers should take into account that more and more men are looking for skin care products. Meanwhile, ingestible skin care is expanding into the mainstream. Men’s expectations are fairly simple. They want smart products made from natural ingredients that can be easily explained and scientifically supported.

Another key factor in today’s evolving marketplace is that younger consumers are increasingly interested in natural beauty products. So the expectation is that in the coming years there will be a decline in the average age of skin care product users.

To conclude, there is a clear change in the skin-care landscape, which includes an expansion of awareness for skin health and beauty among men and a decline in the average age of potential consumers, among both genders.

People are becoming wiser about how they manage the health of their skin and the natural aging process. They are looking for quality, natural and evidence-based ingredients and technologies. They look for synergy between the topical products they use and nutrition and lifestyle approaches to health. Mainly, they are willing to learn and expand their knowledge once information is presented to them in an honest, straightforward way.