From pharaohs to Hippocrates to modern men: skincare was never just for women. Today, a new generation is discovering the world of conscious care—and doing many things right.

Beauty Care as Men’s Business: A Historical Perspective

Shower gel, deodorant, aftershave—for a long time, that was enough care for him. While we might think first of Cleopatra and her extensive bathing and fragrance rituals with rose petals and rose petal oils when considering cosmetics in ancient Egypt, it becomes clear that the pharaohs were in no way inferior to her. They placed particular emphasis on their beard care. Only the so-called common man went beardless.

This changed later, as the ancient Greeks favored hairless faces and shaved. This in turn required good skincare to meet aesthetic standards. “Be moderate in everything, breathe pure air, practice daily skincare and physical exercise,” Hippocrates already recommended. Nothing has changed about that to this day.

Renaissance of Men’s Care

The man of the 21st century seems to have read Hippocrates. Because the market is in motion, and this time not just for patricians or aristocrats, but for everyone. More and more men are discovering their interest in skincare. Those who like it natural and also consume consciously in other ways land sooner rather than later on high-quality natural cosmetics, especially since it would be inconsistent to plan conscious moments of deceleration, pay attention to healthy nutrition, and leave the skin, especially on the face, to chemistry. “Everything we apply to the skin enters the organism, into our own and ultimately into the environment,” says Dr. Annelies Loibl, integrative physician and founder of the Austrian high-end natural cosmetics brand ATTIÈL philoceuticals.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

A few numbers first: The natural cosmetics segment accounts for about 10 percent of the total market for cosmetics and skincare in Austria, which the online portal Statista puts at 1.96 billion euros (2.29 billion US dollars) for 2025.

Global data is currently available for men’s care: in 2024, the worldwide market for skincare products for men was 19.7 billion dollars; for 2030, around 32 billion is forecast, according to the results of a study by the international consulting company Towards Consumer Goods.

Men’s Skin Wants to Be Cared For

Natural men’s care is thus gaining importance—with room to grow, mind you. “80 percent of my customers are women, 20 percent men. However, I notice that men are becoming more open to the topic of skincare,” says Loibl. Many initially come to skincare and her care line through her medical practice. “Often men also snack on their partner’s products.”

High Interest in Ingredients

A consistent pattern that emerges is that for men who begin to engage with skincare, it’s especially important what ingredients the products contain. The ingredient list is examined closely and compared. A clear advantage for natural cosmetics, as the international study shows. Because the global natural cosmetics market is split 50:50 between women and men.

For men, according to Loibl, trust and recommendation are particularly important when first entering the world of skincare. They engage very precisely with the products. In her conversations, she notices: “Many men are interested in the technical details, the ingredients, and how a product is composed. Some even send me lists of ingredients from other products to hear my opinion.”

An advantage, then, when a brand like ATTIÈL sources ingredients from organic farming—predominantly from Europe—produces and bottles in Austria. It seems that venturing into the new and for many men almost unknown territory of more intensive skincare is well thought out and almost strategically planned. A structured first overview of the offering is helpful here.

Men Have Thick Skin: Literally

You won’t find endless shelves full of jars, tubes, and bottles at ATTIÈL. Anyone accustomed to searching according to the common differentiation of men’s cosmetics, baby care, and anti-aging won’t find it. Because, according to Loibl: “Every product is unisex.” This means the assortment is organized by skin needs: for normal, dry, sensitive, oily and blemished skin, combination skin, and mature skin.

This is particularly relevant for men’s cosmetics. Because men literally have thick skin. This means: men’s skin contains more collagen and is less prone to wrinkle formation. It produces more sebum and tends to be oily. Yet, as is often the case, generalization is not possible: “Men with dry skin that flakes in places have often tried many things without success. With care tailored to their skin needs, this problem resolves quickly, and they usually stick with it,” as Loibl emphasizes.

Less Is More: The Male Care Program

Men prefer their skincare uncomplicated. And that’s a good thing. Because not everything that women do in terms of skincare is recommended for imitation. Too many constantly changing products can hopelessly overwhelm the skin. In skincare, less is often actually more. According to expert Annelies Loibl, there’s a solid basic formula for skincare for him: cleanser, toner, cream.

And she knows from experience: once men have found skincare products that work for them and feel good, they usually stick with them, which is sensible from a dermatological perspective. Because in caring for the skin, you simultaneously care for the soul a little. This too is unisex: a few minutes of self-care in the bathroom is a small luxury for all genders, a break from the hectic everyday, and the pleasant feeling when the care absorbs into the skin, you feel better afterward, and smile at yourself in the mirror.

What Makes True Luxury Care

Is skincare a luxury? If so, what makes it one? This can certainly be answered with no. However, what makes a care line exclusive among the multitude of offerings are the values represented by the brand and, as with the example of ATTIÈL, by the founder. Annelies Loibl transfers her approach as an integrative physician into the development of the formulas. They are selected, natural substances.

“I worked intensively on the concept for over two years, starting from the first idea through several development loops to the finished product range,” the physician tells of her journey to founding ATTIÈL philoceuticals. “It’s important to me that the key ingredients come from Europe, because high-end cosmetics don’t need exotic active ingredients,” Loibl emphasizes her philosophy. This conviction is reflected in every product: “Cosmetics based on mindfulness and knowledge. Pure, transparent, and yet highly effective.”

Quality Requires Time and Care

That our skin doesn’t need mineral oils, silicones, parabens, and synthetic preservatives to look good is self-evident to the physician. Equally consistent is her renunciation of plastic: “I deliberately rely on high-quality dark violet glass; this avoids the transfer of microplastics into the textures,” she explains. Mindfulness, appreciation, and love for nature are at the center—values that run through the entire company.

And not to be forgotten: natural cosmetics involve a lot of handwork. “For one liter of pure rose oil, a cultivation area the size of a football field is needed, and the roses are harvested by hand. There’s great human effort and knowledge behind it,” she illustrates the value of genuine natural cosmetics.