Packaging for Ego, a Latin American men’s hair care range, conveys a clear macho message.

Grooming. Pero no mucho.

Men’s personal care sales are on the rise in Latin America where old habits are hard to break. Grooming may be growing—but not by much.

Written by Gustavo Piqueira, Casa Rex

According to Euromonitor data for 2004 to 2009, the men’s personal care market in Latin America reached impressive growth rates—almost 100% (99.6% to be exact). That is twice as much as the global growth rate for this period (43.8%) and four times more than the segment’s biggest market share in the United States (22.8%).

Could this mean that the Latin American male is finally leaving behind that rough and aggressive “macho” stereotype and giving in to more contemporary versions of masculinity?

Excited testimonials by executives involved in the cosmetics industry seem to indicate this is true. So does data that reveals that 80% of Latin American men are currently responsible for buying their own cosmetic products—a task that was historically delegated to wives, mothers or girlfriends. And we are not talking about any old unisex product. It has to be something that is specifically for men.

But, in reality, by paying minimal attention to details, one can observe that— although indeed less resistant to the temptations of caring for his own esthetics—the Latin American man still positions himself as being a good old macho.

This can be seen by the fact that sales are driven by the segment’s two less “risky” categories: shaving products and deodorants. In Brazil, for example, the former is responsible for 54% of the segment’s total numbers, whereas the latter is responsible for 45%. In other words, 99% when added together. While last year Brazilian men invested 26% more than the previous year for a well-groomed face, the rest of the world spent only 9% more, and Americans, who account for the category’s biggest market share, kept their consumption stable.

And, although deodorants and shaving products are historically included in the cosmetic segment, the main benefit they offer often results in the user being positioned closer to those who like to go to work with clean clothes; rather than those concerned about how moisturized their skin is or how to reduce the number of hair split ends. This almost makes me want to suggest moving both to a new segment called “basic care with one’s appearance,” or something of that nature, separating them from the cosmetic industry and the increasingly less basic benefits it offers consumers nowadays.

But I am not going to suggest anything, and just get back to the point. In countries like Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, the situation is very similar. And different from the rest of the world, which can be ascertained by looking at China. Here, hair and skin care were the largest categories responsible for the 27% growth in the men’s cosmetic segment in 2009. Or, in Singapore, where men are incorporating the use of advanced products, such as anti-aging facial masks, into their daily routine.

Anti-aging facial masks into their daily routine? Here? Forget it, at least for now. You can also forget about products—easily found in Europe and in the U.S.— that toy with the subject. This is serious business here. The Latin American man may even buy a cosmetic product. But the product must clearly state that it is for “macho.” Esthetic care, yes. But none of this fresh business. Like the local hair-care range, Ego (available in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela)—whose message does not subscribe to any functional benefit, but chooses instead to re-affirm the macho status: “No más shampoo de mujeres” (“Enough of shampoo for women”), printed on a strong black background. Or the Brazilian shampoo, BioExtratus Homem, which has barley as a main ingredient. Could barley be the newest trend in cosmetic ingredients? No.

Something traditional in popular Brazilian home medicine? Also no. As we all know, barley is also a raw material used for beer. Which, as we all also know, is symbolic with masculinity. In this way it almost functions as a disclaimer for the consumer. “I buy my own shampoo, but I’m not effeminate.” (The core variant for the range introduces the also far-from-cosmetic walnut as a second ingredient. This leads me to believe the brand will soon launch new variants with ingredients like grilled steak or bourbon.)

Of course there are products in the region whose proposition is more aligned with the global perception that a man does not prove his masculinity just by not using facial cream. They exist, but they are exceptions and their numbers are still too small. Just as, on some other continents, there are various cosmetic brands that still insist on talking in a loud voice. But, once again, they do not constitute the rule.

Therefore, what explains the enormous growth rate that kicks off this article is not a major change in behavior by the Latin American macho—although it is possible to find several articles out there that will tell you otherwise. There is, of course, a mild movement in that direction. But that impressive 100% growth mentioned in the first paragraph is much more related to factors like the region’s exposure to global marketing strategies by big companies such as P&G and Unilever, frequently done by making use of soccer stars to endorse the products (after all, there is the popular Brazilian saying, “soccer is a man’s game”). It is also the result of the increase in the purchasing power of the middle classes in certain countries, as well as the growing demand for a minimally cared for appearance on a professional level. A “primitive vanity,” if we can call it that, when compared to the high levels of sophistication of contemporary vanity.

Is that going to change in coming years? Probably yes, and the Latin American macho male will begin to be seen as an exotic and endangered species. But for now, he still exists and dominates the streets of Mexico City, São Paulo and Bogotá.

About the Author

Gustavo Piqueira heads up Casa Rex, a design agency with offices in Sao Paulo and London, which serves clients such as Unilever, to smaller organizations. Piqueira has won many Brazilian and international design awards. More info: www.casarex.com.br