Guys Just Aren't Buying It

What with his romance with J. Lo and his status as a Hollywood hunk, actor Ben Affleck is seldom out of the public eye. And that's good news for L'Oreal, which employs Affleck — along with Formula One auto-racing superstar Michael Schumacher — as one of its advertising faces.

But the men's beauty market remains elusive for L'Oreal and others. Companies have produced myriad concoctions, such as Active Skincare Daily Energizing Face Wash for Men, from Adidas; Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male bronzing powder, from a product range that also includes eyeliner (guyliner?); and Multi-Purpose Facial Formula for Men from Kiehl's, a L'Oreal brand. But the size of guys' sales potential may be exaggerated. In Britain, one of Europe's largest markets, sales of men's grooming products stood at $1.5 billion in 2002, according to Mintel International — a figure tipped to rise just 2% for 2003.

Research suggests that for men, aging is more about losing one's hair than losing one's skin tone — making skin care a tougher sell. And men who moisturize often grab whatever is in the bathroom cabinet — even if it belongs to their wives. "Men are huge cadgers," says L'Oreal CEO Lindsay Owen-Jones. "They don't buy too much stuff for themselves." Owen-Jones loves to sail — a pastime that takes its toll on the complexion. So which moisturizer does he use? Er, two, actually — one from Lancome's Homme line and one from Vichy's Thermal S2 range (both L'Oreal brands, of course). "It's typical," he says. "One is a woman's product."