What is the difference between men's and women's cosmetics and is it possible to borrow bottles from other people's shelves

What are the criteria for distinguishing between men's and women's cosmetics?

In appearance

The design of a bottle is the first thing a consumer faces. Therefore, some brands are following an obvious stereotypical path. Men's jars are more often black, dark blue, dark green, red or orange. They have a more laconic design, with words like "power" and "strength" on the labels. Women's options are usually painted in delicate shades: pink, blue, turquoise. Vials can also differ in shape: some are more angular, others are rounded.

At the same time, the general line of products is considered by default for women, and men are usually distinguished by special labeling. The exception is cosmetics for shaving, where the situation is exactly the opposite.

Separation by appearance is especially characteristic of budget brands, although a similar approach is found in more expensive brands.

Screenshot: Ozon

Screenshot: Clinique

By smell

It depends on the components, but only affects the positioning of the tool, and not its action potential. Predictably, men get strong and harsh aromas like menthol, citrus with bitterness or some kind of "sea breeze". Women have more choice: they are more likely to be given floral, fruity, and other sweet scents.

By appointment

It is believed that women are ready to fight for beauty much more actively than men. Therefore, they are offered not just, say, a cream, but a whole battery of tubes: night and day cream, for the skin around the eyes, for dry skin of the elbows and knees, for the body, and so on.

For men, on the contrary, they often produce multifunctional products "100 in 1" - here you have shampoo, hair conditioner, and shower gel in one bottle.

By price

Foreign studies show that women's products are on average more expensive than similar men's products. We have not studied on a large scale how things are in Russia, but to see the difference, you can, on occasion, compare the price tags on the shelves in the nearest supermarket.

By composition

The appearance of the can and the aroma of its contents affect market positioning. But what really matters is the composition. It is he who directly affects how the tool will act.

Due to gender characteristics, men and women need products with different effects and, accordingly, composition. But in reality, the ingredients may vary slightly.

To understand what the general difference can be between male and female means, you need to find out the needs of the sexes.

What cosmetics do men and women need?

On average, men's skin is denser and thicker, but begins to thin earlier. The sebaceous and sweat glands in men are larger and more often located. At the same time, the amount of sebum produced in them remains approximately the same throughout their lives, and in women it decreases with age.

Men also shave their faces, which can irritate the skin, but at the same time shaving acts as a peeling. On the other hand, women are offered to remove vegetation everywhere except the head, and it is still unclear where the skin is more sensitive - on the face or in the bikini area.

There is also a difference in hair. In men, they are usually short-haired, do not undergo dyeing, curling and styling, and therefore healthy along the entire length. Women, on the other hand, often need careful care, restoration and special products that do not wash out the pigment.

Do not forget that there are several billions of both sexes on the planet. They live in different climates, belong to different races. They have differences in age, health status in general and the endocrine system in particular, other individual characteristics. The condition and needs of the skin, and hence the choice of cosmetics, depend on all this.

Is there really a difference between male and female remedies

Taking into account the differences in needs, it seems that the formulations should be different. But theory doesn't always match practice, so let's compare. Let's take two shaving gels with aloe for sensitive skin - the same brand.

Composition of cosmetics for men and women

Here is the composition of the male version: Aqua, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isopentane, Glyceryl Oleate, Stearic Acid, Isobutane, Sorbitol, Parfum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PTFE, Benzyl Salicylate, PEG ‑ 90M, Limonene, PEG ‑ 23M, Propylene Glycolcer Sodium Nitrate, Glyoxal, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Silica, Polysorbate 60, CI 42090, Disodium Phosphate, BHT.

There are a little more components in the female, the distinctive ones are highlighted in italics: Aqua, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isopentane, Glyceryl Oleate, Stearic Acid, Isobutane, Sorbitol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, PEG ‑ 90M, PTFE, PEG ‑ 23M, Glycerin, Propylene, Propylene Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Sodium Nitrate, Limonene, Glyoxal, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 60, Hydrolyzed Silk, Calcium Peroxide, Disodium Phosphate, CI 42090, BHT.

Let's see what these additional ingredients give:

Butylphenyl Methylpropional is a perfume component with a bright floral scent.
Hexyl Cinnamal is a floral scent.
Hydrolyzed Silk - moisturizer for skin and hair; can activate hair follicles.
Calcium Peroxide is an antibacterial ingredient.

There are only four more ingredients in a feminine gel, but two of them are fragrances that only affect the scent. However, the agent remains on the skin for only a few seconds, that is, even with a more differentiated composition, the effect would differ insignificantly - there is too little time for exposure.

You can also notice that the components of the male product and the female are listed in a different order. This difference is also insignificant, because the discrepancies begin towards the end of the list. In Russia, ingredients with a concentration of less than 1% can be mentioned in any order, so the sequence does not really matter.

It is important to note here that some active substances, for example retinol, have a visible effect even at a dosage of less than 1%. But, as a rule, the manufacturer mentions their availability separately, because they are the whole essence of the product.

Now let's compare the shampoos. Both versions of the same company are designed to fight dandruff, but the men's version with lemongrass, and the women's version with almond milk.

Here is the composition of the men's shampoo: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, PEG ‑ 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Glycine, Panthenol, Zincrithione, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Leaf Oil, Citrus Medica, Limonum Benate Extract Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate, Phenoxyethanol.

But the female one: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Glycine, Panthenol, Zinc Pyrithione, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Disodium Coco-quhodia Bencetate, 10 Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol.

Let's look at the mismatched components again. These are the ingredients of the men's shampoo:

Cymbopogon Flexuosus Leaf Oil - Lemongrass essential oil; used to control oily hair.
Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract - lemon peel extract; relieves irritation, has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride - conditioner.
Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol - flavors.
Limonene is an antibacterial ingredient.

And this is female:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil - almond oil; has nourishing and softening properties.
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a mild surfactant, detergent.
Polyquaternium ‑ 10 is a conditioner.
Cocamide MEA - thickener; moisturizes hair.

Here we see a more significant difference in composition, which leads to different effects. The women's shampoo contains components for nourishing and moisturizing the hair, while the men's shampoo contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial components to regulate the oiliness of the skin.

In products that are in contact with the skin for longer, such as creams, the lists of ingredients may not overlap much more. This cosmetics has more time to take effect, so that its composition will be aimed at solving problems specific to the skin of one gender or another. For example, men's creams are usually designed for oily skin.

But all this works only if the manufacturer really took into account the biological needs of the floors in the composition, and not just added different fragrances and poured the product into jars of different colors.

Can men use women's cosmetics and vice versa?

Cosmetics developers usually focus on a large group of people and the "average temperature in the hospital." Therefore, we can expect that male products are more active in fighting perspiration, control the secretion of sebum and wash it off more aggressively.

In any case, there are no universal bubbles that are suitable for all people without exception, for example, with a Y-chromosome. This is why labeling your floor does not guarantee that it will work for you.

Modern brands, especially non-budget ones, often produce unisex cosmetics that are focused on working with a specific problem. For example, rulers to combat the signs of age (and this is not only wrinkles), with excessive oiliness, with acne, with rosacea, with manifestations of rosacea and other undesirable skin conditions.

And it is better to focus on the problem when choosing the means. After all, there are women with thick, oily skin with large pores, and there are men with porcelain faces and skin that is so sensitive that brutal "menthol" and "sea breeze" can provoke allergies.

If the contents of the bottle are aimed at solving certain problems, it is important to understand why you are taking this product and what effect you want to achieve. If there are no significant differences in the compositions of male and female products, then it does not matter what color the vial is.

Women can use men's shampoos and skin cleansers if they need to rinse off secretions and dirt more thoroughly. But you need to take into account that the action will be tougher. Deodorants for men are more durable, stronger and have a pungent odor than those for women. But this is a matter of taste: if you like the aroma, take it and do not hesitate. This also applies to shaving products.

Maria Osipova hairdresser-stylist, expert of the iHerb health and beauty marketplace

The separation of cosmetics for women and men is often just a formality and a marketing element. If the product suits you personally, use it. Just remember that any cosmetics can cause allergies, so before use it is better to test it - apply a small amount on the bend of the elbow and see the reaction after a couple of hours.