About Face
More men using
skin-care products, even if they are closet
cases
By Jay Wilson
DAILY Staff Writer
jwilson@decaturdaily.com
Men across the
country are taking better care of their skin,
prompting several companies to target a macho
market.
According to
The Associated Press,
the increase is caused by a shift in cultural
attitudes. Shows like "Queer Eye for the
Straight Guy" and "Extreme Makeover," and sports
figures turning up looking sleek and coiffed on
television and in magazines, are reinforcing the
idea that paying attention to grooming isn't
just a feminine trait.
Locally, Dillard's sales associates Teresa
Jones, Katherine Ransom and Kimberly Skiles say
male customers often come to them because their
girlfriends or wives have persuaded them to try
it. Many started out using their girlfriend's
products, Jones said.
Finding a man who will admit to using skin- care
products proved difficult. Jones said most men
don't broadcast the fact that they exfoliate,
cleanse, shave with a moisture-enriching shave
cream and moisturize with a lotion.
"Most guys are closet users," she said.
But more men are using the products. Jones,
Skiles and Ransom said sales of men's skin care
products are up, and it's not a fad. AP reported
that sales in department stores jumped 13
percent last year, more than twice the total
growth for the overall and women's skin-care
markets.
Daryl Zanotelli braved the cosmetics section and
let Jones demonstrate Clinique products. He said
he'd looked at the facial products before. Jones
sat him down in a tall chair, calculated his
skin type and proceeded to apply product.
"It feels better than Noxzema, because I use
Noxzema sometimes," Zanotelli said.
Zanotelli asked how to avoid a "5-o'clock
shadow." Jones told him he should wash his face,
use a "scruffing" lotion followed by a
moisturizer. She recommended a Clinique shave
cream, which comes in a tube instead of a can.
She told him he should perform the routine every
night.
According to Jones, the average male or female
will see results after using skin care products
for about two weeks. It's common to experience
breakouts at first, but she said they would go
away. Men and women have similar skin with some
exceptions.
Ransom and Skiles, who manage the men's display
of Clarins products, explained that men's skin
is about 20 percent thicker than women's. They
said this causes men to age more harshly.
Wrinkles and lines are much deeper.
Marketers say men still need to be coaxed to the
beauty counter because they either don't believe
or don't understand the products' benefits the
way women do.
The women at Dillard's said education is key.
For example, guys don't like wrinkles anymore
than women do. Women know that moisturizing
helps prevent or minimize wrinkles, but most men
are unaware.
THE DECATUR DAILY
201 1st Ave. SE
P.O. Box 2213
Decatur, Ala. 35609
webmaster@decaturdaily.com
www.decaturdaily.com
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DAILY Photo by
Dan Henry
Daryl Zanotelli gets a skin-care update
from Teresa Jones of Dillard's.
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