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Looking good: Indonesian men celebrate skin care
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em>As awareness of dermatological health grows, skin care is no longer considered exclusively the domain of women, and men are finding more options to soothe and smooth their skin.
Hallyu, also known as the Korean Wave, played a big part in changing the overall landscape of the dermatology industry. As more brands introduce and push more products, over the counter and prescription alike, more men are being exposed to them.
However, some might need that extra push, and this is where influencers shine. Take Arif Mulianto, a 29-year-old civil servant who currently resides in Gianyar, Bali, for instance. He was never the type to use skincare products until he stumbled upon a beauty influencer.
"I started using skincare products around 2017," said Arif, recalling the first time the subject caught his interest. "I saw [my friend was watching] a YouTube video by Suhay Salim, and I joined them. I thought she was doing a comedy routine, but it turned out that she was discussing skin care."
Arif became engaged in a skincare discussion with his friends and eventually became interested in the world of skincare regimens. Soon after, the civil servant bought and started using only the basics — facial wash and toner from a Korean beauty brand.
"I stopped using them because they were not a good match for my skin," said Arif, who has now set a thoroughly advanced daily skincare regime.
"I now use facial wash, toner, essence, serum, moisturizer, retinol, exfoliator, almost all of [the complete care necessities], including a sleeping mask, and I set a daily schedule [for when I should use each product]."
Conditions and prices
Skincare regimes can be expensive, and typically men would rather spend more on their hobbies. But not Tito Nusantara, a resident of Bogor, West Java, who likes to spend on both.
He acknowledges that spending on both his hobbies and skin care can add up to a considerable sum, so he only started using skincare products when he had extra money to spend.
"I went to college for free while my parents had already prepared money for it, so I was given a monthly amount of around Rp 1.5 million [US$105] monthly. Back in 2010, that was quite a lot, so I used it to go to Erha," said the 29-year-old civil servant referring to a particular popular clinic.
"Erha [products] were cheap back then. For around Rp 300,000 [$21], I could get a complete set. Then I could spend an extra Rp 200,000 [$14] on facial [cleansers] and a doctor consultation for another Rp 150,000 [$10.50]," said Tito, who added he had severe acne at that time.
"I also had scars from smallpox, and they could not be treated except by damaging the skin, such as laser treatment or tissue transplant."
Due to his skin condition, Tito is very selective about the products he uses and often consults his friends who are pharmacists or his personal dermatologist.
"I've tried many, from high-end products to cheap ones. If someone says 'all skin care is the same', it's definitely not true, because the expensive ones are really good," said Tito.
"However, the goal is to take care — the keyword is 'care'. So the treatment is lifelong. Therefore, [if you can't afford the expensive ones], it is better to buy the cheap ones [so you can repurchase the products] rather than buying the expensive brands but ending up unable to repurchase and being forced to change products."
Muhammad Fajar, a 20-year-old barista from Bone, South Sulawesi, prefers to buy products that can be easily found over the counter.
"When I first knew about skin care, I started using Garnier products, but they weren't suitable for my skin," said Fajar. "I switched brands to Whitelab. Because it [wasn't as effective as I expected], I also tried the Closiana and Scarlett brands. So far, I think I have never used any imported skincare products."
Fajar settled on Kahf, a men's skincare brand from Paragon Group, a long-lost "sibling" of Wardah, Make Over and Emina.
"I saw an ad on Instagram that said the Kahf [gentle exfoliating face scrub] variant gives a seven-day guarantee that it will brighten up the skin," said Fajar, who later found out that he is better suited to the Energizing and Brightening variant. "I got acne when I tried [the face scrub] variant."
Skin type, not gender
Fajar thinks it is good that brands started to differentiate between skin care for men and women.
"There are too many varieties of women's skincare products, and the ranges are so complicated," Fajar explained. "Men's skincare products are simpler. We only have facial soap, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen."
However, according to Tito, who likes to read the ingredients label, there is no significant difference between men's and women's skincare products.
"In my opinion, the products are the same, the only difference is the packaging in terms of shape, colors and maybe it has a different aroma — men's skin care might have this masculine scent, but the rest is the same, except mostly for the water content."
"It's true that men's and women's skin is different, but not that much, so the proportion of ingredients is not very different. For example, usually, women's skincare products have 70 percent water and men's products have 60 percent, so for me, they're pretty much the same," said Tito, who added that people should go to a certified dermatologist or skin doctor for serious skin issues to get proper customized treatment.
Arif also voiced a similar view. "I think it's the same for men's or women's products. In my opinion, skin care cannot be separated according to gender. It is just a marketing gimmick. [Rather], it depends on the skin type, [for example], whether it is acne-prone, dry or sensitive."
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