Posted by Bare Necessities
on June 20, 2026
A few years ago, if a man walked into a store and spent time comparing moisturisers, face washes, or sunscreen, he might have been met with a raised eyebrow. Deodorant? Sure. Shaving cream? Of course. But skincare? That was often seen as something meant for women.
Yet this distinction makes little sense when you think about it. Indian summers don't discriminate. Neither does pollution, sun exposure, sweat, dryness, or acne.
Skin concerns are universal, even if the products marketed to address them haven't always been.
Over time, personal care became less about caring for the body and more about performing gender. Products were divided into "for him" and "for her", often based on packaging, fragrance, and advertising rather than any meaningful difference in how they worked.
The idea that skincare is feminine is relatively recent. Across cultures, including in India, grooming has historically been a part of everyday life for people of all genders.
Traditional practices involving oils, herbal preparations, ubtans, and plant-based ingredients were used across households, often without the rigid gender distinctions seen in modern beauty aisles. The sharp division emerged largely through twentieth-century consumer marketing, particularly as global brands began creating separate product categories for men and women.
By the late twentieth century, many personal care advertisements presented women as caretakers of beauty, while men were encouraged to prioritise utility and toughness. The result was a cultural perception that moisturising, caring for one's skin, or building a skincare routine was somehow less masculine.
Over the past two decades, these assumptions have begun to shift. The rise of the "metrosexual" man in the early 2000s challenged the idea that men should be indifferent to personal care. While the term itself may feel outdated today, it marked an important cultural moment by making men's skincare and grooming more visible in mainstream culture.
Gen Z has taken that shift even further. Young men today are discovering skincare through social media, dermatologists, creators, athletes, and wellness communities. Many are looking beyond marketing labels and choosing products based on ingredients, sustainability, and effectiveness. From natural moisturisers to plant-based deodorants and low-waste personal care, younger consumers are increasingly prioritising products that align with their values.
The growing popularity of male skincare influencers suggest that self-care is increasingly being viewed as a normal part of everyday wellbeing. More importantly, conversations around skincare are moving away from gender and towards skin health.
Personal care was never supposed to be about gender. It is about comfort, confidence, hygiene, and health.
At Bare Necessities, we believe products should serve people, not stereotypes. A deodorant doesn't become more effective because it is labelled for men. A moisturiser doesn't work differently because it is marketed to women. What matters is whether a product is thoughtfully formulated, made with natural ingredients, and designed to support healthy skin while minimising its impact on the planet.
That's why our range of sustainable personal care products is created for everyone. Whether it's a plant-based deodorant, natural shampoo bar, or a vegan moisturiser, or everyday essentials that help reduce waste, our focus is on creating products that work for people rather than fitting them into predefined categories.
Perhaps the better question is not why more men are using skincare today. It is why we spent so long pretending they shouldn't.
