Listen Up Brides, Men Care About Skincare as Much as You Do

According to industry projections, the global men’s personal care and skincare market is expected to grow from USD 74.4 billion in 2025 to USD 129.5 billion by 2035, expanding at a steady CAGR of 5.7 per cent. The reasons cited are familiar by now: rising grooming awareness, higher disposable incomes, and a visible shift in how male self-care is culturally perceived. But behind those numbers sits a truth that anyone paying attention to weddings in India this year already knows. Men are no longer being dragged into grooming conversations. They are walking in on their own.

By the end of 2025, the most noticeable pre-wedding upgrade is not a sharper haircut or a new fragrance layered just for the big day. It is skin that looks calm at the haldi, holds up through outdoor pheras, and still looks healthy by the time the dance floor empties. The panic facial booked a week before the wedding has been replaced by something far less dramatic and far more effective: a skincare routine.

This is the grooming gap finally closing. And it is not happening because skincare has suddenly become fashionable for men. It is happening because skin has become impossible to ignore.

Culturally, this year has been full of small but telling moments. The internet once again obsessed over men carrying bags, a conversation often traced back to Harry Styles, but really part of a much larger shift around male self-expression and care. Beauty brands, too, have stopped hedging. In India, Ishaan Khatter becoming the face of indē wild did not just make headlines because of celebrity value. It made waves because of what he was endorsing: hair oil rooted in tradition, lip care, and skin-first rituals presented without qualifiers or embarrassment.

He is not alone. Ayushmann Khurrana fronting The Man Company, Vikrant Massey partnering with Man Matters, and even John Cena becoming the face of Neutrogena globally all point to the same thing. Traditional macho marketing is being replaced by inclusive campaigns, science-backed formulations, and storytelling that treats male skincare as normal, practical, and overdue.

The market reflects this shift clearly. The Indian male grooming industry alone is expected to reach USD 2.1 billion by the end of 2025, with Asia-Pacific emerging as the fastest-growing region. While Korea’s beauty industry has long set the global benchmark, Indian brands such as Bombay Shaving Company, Nykaa Man, Man Matters, and The Man Company are doubling down on products designed specifically for male skin and hair. There is still ground to cover, especially in rural and semi-urban markets, but the direction is clear.

What is driving this change on a personal level is not aspiration but an accumulation. Years of sun exposure without sunscreen. Stress that no longer disappears after a weekend off. Late nights, poor sleep, travel, screens, and irregular meals all leave their mark. Pigmentation around the forehead and jawline. Persistent, stress-led acne. Skin that looks permanently tired, no matter how well-dressed you are.

This is the reality Deeksha Rajani, Founder and CEO of Be., sees reflected in the men she works with. She describes the current shift as a mindset change rather than a trend. Indian men between 25 and 45, she explains. "Men have moved from reactive, last-minute grooming to preventive, consistent self-care. Skincare is no longer event-led. It is routine-led and outcome-driven, rooted in long-term skin health rather than quick fixes. Today’s male consumer understands ingredients and formulations far better than before, and he understands that consistency compounds. For grooms, especially, skincare is no longer about looking good for one day. It is about looking healthy, confident, and well-groomed in real life and in photographs that will follow them for years," she adds.

Deeksha Rajani says that the new Indian groom is not chasing perfection. "He is choosing care, consistency, and skin that can keep up with his life."

That same shift is visible inside clinics. Dr Renita Rajan, Founder of CHOSEN by Dermatology, notes that Indian grooms are now coming in months ahead of their weddings, not for emergency fixes but because they have started noticing long-standing issues they ignored earlier. She shares, "Pigmentation from years of sun exposure, stress breakouts, dullness, and scalp concerns are no longer brushed aside. "

In her practice, the focus is usually on low-downtime treatments such as laser toning or plasma facials, paired with a consistent at-home skincare routine. "When the daily routine is right, it saves time, avoids recovery periods, and delivers steady results. With weddings spread across multiple events and long outdoor hours, grooms want their skin to stay stable throughout, not peak once and fade," Renita adds.

The routine does not need to be complicated. Most men can get far just by using a gentle cleanser that does not strip the skin and sealing it in with a moisturiser that works for Indian weather. Sunscreen, though, is non-negotiable. Once that foundation is in place, many are open to adding targeted solutions for real concerns, whether that is vitamin C or niacinamide for uneven tone, retinoids for texture, or barrier-repair products to help skin recover from years of neglect. The key is not to do everything at once, and to check in with a dermatologist before using actives.