$110 billion business opportunity, TikTok's male beauty economy takes off

Author: TT123 Cross-border E-commerce

Image source | pexels

Men who "delight themselves" are attractive; the male beauty economy is taking off.

In recent years, with the rise and development of the "beauty economy," the male demographic focusing on beauty and skincare has gradually increased, and the "male beauty economy" is beginning to show strong market potential. According to global market research firm Custom Market Insights, the global male beauty market is expected to reach approximately $110 billion by 2030.

Taking the United States as an example, the growth rate of the male beauty market has significantly accelerated. Statista data shows that in 2023, male personal care products accounted for about 10% of the U.S. personal care market. On social media platforms, the search volume and visibility of related men's skincare products have also increased year by year. Skincare recommendations, unboxing reviews of cosmetics, and even makeup tutorial videos are no longer solely featuring women.

TT123 found that on TikTok, the exposure of the #menskincare tag has exceeded 2.1 billion, with the number of related videos surpassing 50,000.

Image source: TikTok

With "male beauty" on the rise, the beauty and personal care sector is beginning to radiate new vitality.

"Gender-neutral" moisturizer sells 100,000 units in six months

Recently, in the U.S. TikTok market, a "gender-neutral" moisturizer has seen a surge in popularity. Data shows that this moisturizer sold 41,200 units in the past 28 days, with sales exceeding $320,000. In the fiercely competitive beauty and personal care sector, this seemingly ordinary moisturizer has managed to rank among the top three bestsellers, highlighting the significant purchasing power of men.

Image source: FastMoss

It is understood that this moisturizer comes from the NIDA brand, named Ultimate Moisturizer with Youth Formula, officially launched in September last year, priced at $8 (100 ml) in the U.S. TikTok market. The cream contains ingredients such as collagen, centella asiatica, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, suitable for all skin types; it primarily targets various skin issues such as dryness, wrinkles, dark spots, and redness.

Unlike other moisturizers that specifically target women's skin, this moisturizer does not emphasize gender suitability, adopting a "gender-neutral" marketing approach. The product detail page only describes the main benefits of the moisturizer, and the product packaging design is simple and clear It is precisely due to this "gender-neutral" product marketing that NIDA Moisturizing Cream has successfully attracted the attention of male consumers, becoming the primary audience for this moisturizer.

According to backend data, 90% of the sales volume of this moisturizer comes from influencer short videos, and unlike the past where female influencers dominated skincare products, the top-selling influencers for this moisturizer are mainly male. Among them, an influencer on TikTok named KRCOBoy sold over 4,000 orders in the past 28 days, with many users asking in the comments section of his videos where they can buy the product. As of now, the video has garnered over 2.7 million views.

Image source: TikTok

In addition to skincare products, male consumers' interests have also extended to other beauty products, such as perfumes, deodorants, shaving products, teeth whitening products, and beauty tools.

The male beauty market is flourishing

In the US TikTok market, a men's cologne priced at $7.98 sold 33,500 units in the past 28 days, generating over $263,000 in sales, and the product's popularity index continues to rise. Additionally, products like teeth whitening strips, turmeric soap, and toners have also shown a hot sales trend recently, with daily sales exceeding thousands.

The male beauty market on TikTok is thriving, and Amazon is also bustling.

Searching for "men's beauty" on Amazon reveals that many beauty and personal care products have monthly sales reaching tens of thousands, with some products even exceeding 100,000 monthly sales. In addition to some internationally renowned brands, many emerging personal care products are also starting to shine.

TT123 found that recently, a natural deodorant from the brand SALT & STONE, marketed as unisex, sold over 40,000 units in the past month, ranking first in the Amazon deodorant category's bestsellers. This deodorant is priced at $20 (77 ml), made from natural ingredients, free of chemicals, and has a powerful deodorizing function.

Image source: Amazon

According to data from Market Defense, recently, perfumes, deodorants, and dental care products in the men's beauty category on Amazon have shown impressive sales performance and maintained a continuous growth trend. The annual sales of men's perfumes reached $250 million, a year-on-year increase of 43%, surpassing the 34% growth rate of women's perfumes. Meanwhile, the sales of men's deodorants also achieved a year-on-year growth of 44%, with a monthly search volume reaching 327,000 Whether it's skincare recommendations on TikTok or the best-selling deodorants and perfumes on Amazon, they all indicate the immense potential of the male beauty market.

Currently, the beauty and personal care sector is crowded with giants and major brands, creating a red ocean where traditional marketing strategies struggle to break through. Cross-border merchants might consider starting with the male beauty market, digging deep into niche segments to seek incremental market opportunities.

In terms of exploring the specific needs of male beauty and personal care, some have already successfully broken through.

Relying on ultra-niche segments, annual revenue exceeds 58 million

Founded in 2018, Bravo Sierra discovered potential opportunities in the male personal care market, focusing on a very niche user group—military personnel. At that time, there were no personal care brands in the U.S. market specifically targeting this consumer group.

As a result, Bravo Sierra became the first brand in the U.S. dedicated to providing personal care products for active-duty and veteran military personnel.

Source: Bravo Sierra

It is understood that Bravo Sierra focuses on producing personal care products that are suitable for various harsh environments, durable, convenient, strong in cleaning power, and with a wide coverage, including shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, deodorant, antibacterial wipes, lip balm, moisturizer, sunscreen, and more.

Since the products are primarily aimed at military personnel, Bravo Sierra emphasizes simplicity, multifunctionality, and portability in product design, aligning with military characteristics. For example, its core product, a three-in-one gel, combines shampoo, body wash, and shaving cream into one, making it convenient for use and transport while maintaining effectiveness. Once launched, the product received recognition from countless military consumers. Data shows that Bravo Sierra's sales in its first year reached 8 million USD (approximately 58.1 million RMB).

In addition to selling on its independent site, TikTok and Amazon are also among its main sales channels. With outstanding sales performance, Bravo Sierra successfully ranked as one of the 25 outstanding companies selected by Forbes in recent years, standing out in the niche field of military personal care and becoming a globally recognized brand in military personal care.

The success of Bravo Sierra indicates that the male beauty market should not be underestimated; even in ultra-niche segments, it can break through in the fiercely competitive beauty market and achieve tens of millions in revenue. On the other hand, it also shows that male skincare products are more likely to emerge as dark horses in the beauty and personal care category, which is a marketing strategy worth emulating for domestic cross-border sellers.

Whether they are well-known brands or emerging players, their ability to become top sellers in such a competitive skincare field is closely related to their deep understanding of the consumption development trends in their target market Currently, the characteristics of men's skincare consumption in the U.S. market are gradually moving towards diversification.

Men's Skincare, Moving Towards Diversity

Firstly, the demand for skincare is becoming more diverse. As the male consumer group increasingly values skincare, modern men's skincare concepts have long surpassed the single demand for cleansing, focusing more on the user experience of multifunctional products. Moisturizing, oil control, anti-aging, and sun protection have become popular demands. Many products are no longer limited to a single function, and "multi-effect integration" has become the mainstream trend in men's skincare products. In this regard, cross-border merchants can emphasize a "simple and efficient" skincare philosophy, launching single or multi-in-one male skincare products to reduce steps and improve convenience.

Secondly, there is a growing demand for health and natural ingredients. American consumers are increasingly demanding skincare products with natural and non-harmful chemical ingredients, especially among millennials and Generation Z. More and more consumers are choosing skincare products that are free from chemical additives, preservatives, and synthetic fragrances, particularly those with non-irritating formulas for sensitive skin. Therefore, cross-border merchants should focus on natural ingredients when designing and researching products, with an emphasis on developing plant-based skincare product lines.

Additionally, the development of sustainability and environmental protection concepts is on the rise. With the continuous increase in environmental awareness, American consumers are demanding more sustainable and eco-friendly products. Eco-friendly packaging, no animal testing, and organic ingredients have become important standards for consumers when purchasing products. Merchants can emphasize sustainability stories in product marketing, promote the brand's environmental philosophy and social responsibility, and ensure that the sourcing of raw materials meets environmental protection standards.

Furthermore, domestic cross-border merchants entering the U.S. market should prepare adequately, not only understanding the characteristics of the target market audience but also ensuring that products comply with U.S. cosmetics regulations and standards, including ingredient lists, labeling, and certifications. Strict quality control over product safety is essential to ensure that products are safe and non-irritating.

In Conclusion

TT123 believes that in recent years, the male economy has been continuously developing, and men's skincare, as a blue ocean market, is attracting more and more emerging brands to join. Domestic cross-border merchants wanting to establish a foothold in the competitive market must focus on product innovation and marketing. Based on the current best-selling products, "gender-neutral" marketing and product scenario segmentation are key to increasing sales. Cross-border merchants can leverage this to create differentiated products that align with their unique characteristics.

Scan the QR code to follow the public account

Get more cross-border e-commerce information