The men's skin care market has reached unprecedented heights in recent years, with many premium manufacturers competing to stay abreast of growing demand for new and innovative products that entice the sometimes nervous male consumer.
However, Oriflame's latest offering anti-ageing skin care range for men, Total Age Control, is amongst the first to arrive on the mass market.
Caroline Weisengrun, Product Manager for Oriflame's Skin Care told CosmeticsDesign "Rather than feel pressure from other manufacturers who are designing anti-ageing ranges for men on the premium market, we identified a gap in the market to develop a range that targets a greater, mass audience and to develop a higher profile."
The range, launched in Europe this month, consists of a day cream and eye balm that contain artic root complex, originating from Siberia. The ingredient is used as an anti-oxidant because of its healing properties that are said to revitalise the skin whilst protecting against external aggressors and ageing.
The company devised the concept for the skin care line following a market research study in 2005.
"We worked at understanding men's attitudes, habits, expectations, usage and perception towards skin care, including anti-ageing - we found there was a great need for specialised anti-ageing products, including creams and eye gels" Weisengrun said.
According to market research company Euromonitor, the male skin care market in Western Europe is forecast to grow by a further 15.5 per cent by 2010, rising from $305 mn to $323 mn.
Cosmetic giants L'Oreal has picked up on this predicted growth and has also launched an anti-ageing skin care range-targeting men of all ages through its lucrative ownbrand name Lancôme.
Lancôme Men will be launched in Europe in March and the US in May and has different products for different male age groups.
By expanding on its industry leading knowledge of women's skin care the company created the new range to target the wrinkles, under-eye bags, loss of firmness, large pores and age spots that appear at different times of the male ageing process.