good for male skin that is damaged after
shaving. “Shaving effectively removes the
upper skin barrier and therefore anything
applied on top of this area will penetrate
the skin at a higher rate.”
The rise of retinol sits firmly in the
middle of a male beauty boom that’s
taking place under our (freshly moistur-
ised) noses. According to GQ magazine,
the global grooming and skincare market
for men is worth more than £41 billion
and is set to grow by 10 per cent in the next five years. In
the US there are on average 2,400 searches for retinol for
men per month, a figure that has increased by more than
41 per cent compared with last year, says the market
research company Spate.
Long gone, it seems, are the days of the Average Bloke™
wincing at admitting he uses anything other than Lynx
Africa and Wash & Go. Men’s make-up brands are no
longer a niche concern (War Paint has a shop in central
London), and there’s a new generation who think nothing
of revealing that they use an eye mask for a quick evening
glow-up. “Men are not as embarrassed about grooming
products as they once were,” says the skincare blogger
Andrew Wheatcroft. “The stigma of using products that
are just ‘for men’ has gone.”
Retinol, though, with its endgame of soft, babylike skin
(or “glazed doughnut” skin, as the retinol fan Hailey Bieber
calls it), feels like a signal that male grooming has become
even more nuanced. Alexia Inge, co-founder of the online
retailer Cult Beauty, has described this new type of male
beauty consumer as “the post hipstersexual”, who shops
with a more open-minded and “fluid” sensibility. “Men no
longer need permission, outdated gendered aesthetics or
‘empowering’ to shop beauty products,” she wrote in an
impassioned Instagram post in April.
I for one have changed my thinking about my own
grooming routine over the past couple of years and, now
that I am 43, specifically the skincare element. Instead of
just applying moisturiser to my face to hide my dry skin,
I have begun to approach rubbing creams onto my face as
a bit of self-soothing. I have started using a face serum and
learnt that I should layer my facecare products (although
admittedly I have just reread that sentence and am
cringing). “During lockdown people paid more attention
to their mental health and wellbeing,” Wheatcroft says. “In
this space men discovered skincare products through
their girlfriends and wives. They had time to research and
look for the products that worked for them.”
Yet men, like women, need to use retinol properly. Some
people mistakenly use it in the same way they would a
daily moisturiser. Misuse can cause skin to
go red and in some cases peel off.
“Some people have seemingly over-
done their skincare with high-strength
acids and retinols,” says Jordan Samuel
Pacitti, founder of Jordan Samuel Skin
(maker of the bestselling Retinol Treatment
Oil, £43). For his company the focus
has been on a slow and steady retinol -
application approach. “There is much more
information out there — even though it is
not always 100 per cent accurate — and this access to skin-
care education has helped people understand what their
skin truly needs.”
After applying retinol for three weeks (twice a week for
a fortnight and then every other night), I have, I’m pleased
to report, no skin melting off my face. Colleagues are
saying stuff to me like, “Your forehead looks wrinkle-free.”
(Wait, what did it look like before?) But to get real results
I need to persevere with the night-time application
sessions for a bit longer.
Isaacs suggests starting with Medik8 Crystal Retinal
3 (£47), the product I’m using. “Crystal Retinal is available
in a series of progressive strengths, from 1 all the way to
20, so you can move up in strength over time when you
want to see intensified visible results.”
“Consistency is key,” Wheatcroft adds. “It takes between
eight and twelve weeks to see a real improvement.” So I’ll
need a bit longer to see if I can Benjamin Button myself
out of a midlife skin crisis. ■ @PriyaElanThe rise
of retinol
sits firmly
in the middle
of a male
beauty boom
THREE OF THE
BEST RETINOLS
FOR BEGINNERS
1
FOR ACNE-PRONE
COMPLEXIONS
SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 (£65)
This straightforward formula is gentle
enough for even the fussiest of skin types.
Start with a pea-sized amount three times
a week and increase as tolerance builds
for a brighter, firmer-feeling complexion.2
FOR VERY SENSITIVE SKIN
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3
Serum (£38) A gentle yet effective
concentration of retinol combined with
skin-soothing niacinamide, to help
minimise irritation. Unlike many retinol
formulas, the lightweight, soft texture
leaves skin feeling hydrated.3
FOR RETINOL-PHOBES
Paula’s Choice 1% Retinol Booster
(£51) Not sure about going all-in with a
retinol serum? Take a gentler approach
by adding a few drops of this clever booster
to your favourite serum or moisturiser
instead — just make sure not to mix it
with other active ingredients.From left Smooth operators
Frank Ocean, Pharrell Williams
and Shawn Mendes312The Sunday Times Style • 37