Feeling Good vs Looking Good: 49 percent of Gen Z Indian Men Are Highly Engaged in Facial Creams

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India: 

• Self-confidence (40%) ranks higher than looking attractive (35%) as reasons for using men’s grooming products.
• 49% of Gen Z men are highly engaged in facial creams.
• 45% of Gen Z consumers were more encouraged by their male friends to use products in comparison to celebrities (23%).

For Indian men, a boost to their self-confidence (40%)* outranks looking attractive (35%) as the reason why they use men’s grooming products, according to the latest research from Mintel, the experts in what consumers want and why.

However, the opposite is true for men in Gen Z**: looking attractive (40%) is one of their main reasons to use grooming products. Moreover, Gen Z men are highly engaged in facial creams (49%) and, for over a third of them (34%), skin concerns like acne and dark spots are a top concern.

Tanya Rajani, India Beauty and Personal Care Analyst, Mintel, said:

“Self-confidence is one of the key motivations for Indian men to use grooming products. With the influence of social media encouraging them to pursue the latest grooming trends, there is a shift in mindset from looking attractive to feeling confident and presentable. Previously, brands concentrated their communication and claims on attracting the opposite gender. This is paving the way to more personality- and confidence-building product claims.

“For Gen Z, grooming is mainly about attracting a romantic partner. However, this is a short-lived narrative as in the next five years, Gen Z will mature into more prominent consumers with higher earnings. Tapping into them now will be key in both current and future strategies. Brands can act as mentors inducting Gen Z into grooming rituals and building their personality through grooming. Moreover, with some Gen Z facing post-puberty acne scars and other skin disorders, brands that make them feel confident by addressing skin issues will stay relevant.”

Gen Z is rejecting external influencers

Mintel research reveals that when it comes to influencers, male friends (45%) have encouraged more Gen Z consumers to use products in comparison to celebrities (23%), promotional offers (19%), and bloggers (17%).

“Among Gen Z males, friends are seen to be twice as effective as celebrities and three times more effective than bloggers or marketing promotions. The category previously driven by advertisements and celebrity endorsement is moving away to a smaller personal group of influencers—male friends. While celebrity endorsement still has mass appeal, however, moving forward the social circle will start to dominate as an influencing power. Men’s grooming brands can look to build brand ambassador programs at campuses and colleges to encourage more Gen Z consumers to start using such products and include them in their regime from an early age,” concludes Tanya.

*1,500 Indian men internet users aged 18+
**Men aged between 18-24 years

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