CHICAGO, Oct 31 —New NIQ insights reveal changing attitudes toward appearance and aging, while purchasing data points to opportunities beyond products marketed specifically to men 

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today shared findings showing that 36% of men say looking their best, including beauty and skincare, matters more to them than it did five years ago.

More than half (54%) say aging well has become more important over the same period.

Yet the opportunity for beauty brands may extend beyond products specifically marketed to men. Across 10 Western European markets, sales value of skincare positioned for all genders grew 7% year over year, while male-targeted skincare was flat.

The findings suggest that brands should look beyond traditional product positioning to understand men’s needs, shopping behavior, and the products they choose.

In its report, The Permission Gap: The Global State of Male Beauty, NIQ examines how social expectations, generational differences and purchasing behavior are shaping men´s engagement with beauty across markets and categories. 

Key findings 

•    Appearance and aging matter more: 36% of men say looking their best, including beauty and skincare, matters more than it did five years ago. 54% say the same about aging well. 

* Interest varies substantially by market: Men’s attitudes toward appearance vary significantly across markets. Interest is particularly strong in markets such as India (69%), Mexico (63%), the UAE (57%) and Brazil (51%), where men are more likely to say looking their best matters more today than it did five years ago. Comparatively lower levels are reported in the U.S. (37%), the UK (22%), and Germany (17%), highlighting regional differences in beauty engagement and consumer priorities. 

* Younger generations connect appearance with individuality: 42% of Millennial men and 40% of Gen Z men agree that their individuality is reflected in how they look and what they buy, compared with 28% of Baby Boomers. 

While consumer attitudes point to a growing interest in appearance globally, purchasing behaviors can vary by market. NIQ’s retail and shopper data provides additional insight into how these trends are translating into category growth across measured markets: 

* Men already spend more in some categories: Men accounted for approximately 51% of online fragrance spending, averaged across the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, over the year through June 2026. Across the US, Canada, and Australia, NIQ also finds that shaving and fragrance are the only personal care categories in the analysis where male buyers outspend female buyers on average. 

* Skincare growth extends beyond men’s products: Across ten Western European markets, skincare positioned for all genders grew 7% in value year over year, while male-targeted skincare was flat. Across 57 countries, brands explicitly marketed to men grew 3%, compared with 7% for beauty and personal care overall. 

Fragrance is an established area of spending, while NIQ’s online skincare analysis identifies men buying products from brands focused on ingredients and benefits, including dermocosmetics and K-Beauty.

A shopper concerned about aging skin, for example, may search for a product that addresses that concern without looking for a “for men” label. Brands need to understand these different paths into the category and the products men actually choose.

“Men’s interest in looking their best is growing, and their purchases already extend across beauty categories. The opportunity for brands is not simply to create more products for men, but to understand the needs behind their purchases and recognize where those needs extend beyond traditional product categories.

Brands that focus only on products labeled ‘for men’ may overlook shoppers and opportunities across the wider beauty market,” said Tara James Taylor, SVP, Global Beauty Personal Care Vertical, NIQ.