Fuji Keizai has announced continued growth in the Japanese male skincare market, with the market increasing by almost 50% from JPY 14.2 billion in 2006 to JPY 21.2 billion in 2014. The immense investment by drug stores into men's cosmetic products in recent years reflects the considerable interest shown by Japanese men in their appearance, face and overall cleanliness.

To meet their needs, Japanese beauty companies offer products tailored for men's grooming. In addition to stalwarts such as powder sheets and deodorants, interest in multi-functional lotions and skincare products has soared. Japanese men prefer to listen to their wife or girlfriend's advice when buying products, a factor which largely explains why beauty companies study women when researching and developing skincare products for men. "An increasing number of men use skincare products, a trend that remains the case regardless of age. In the past, only a few men were willing to follow their wife to the dermatology clinic. Today, however, more and more men take an active interest in skincare as they learn about the importance of skincare, with a consequent rising level of demand for men's products," said Shinya Kondo from FANCL Research Institute.

So, what skincare products are popular among Japanese men? Well, the most popular item is a multi-functional moisturizing lotion which you can use right after washing the face. Combining toner, lotion, essence and cream, it actively controls excess production of sweat and sebum to keep the skin feeling fresh and well moisturized.

On sizzling summer days in Japan, you'll find many men wiping away sweat with a powder sheet to lower their body temperature. A survey showed that sales of powder sheet for men have quintupled over the past decade since first launching back in 2004. Industry experts analyzed that the rising number of people (both men and women) sensitive to body odor have led to surging sales. Moreover, Japan has undertaken power-saving initiatives every summer since 2011. People sweat a lot more than usual and become concerned about their body odor when the rainy season starts and the weather heats up.

The temperature reaches 32 degrees Celsius in May, which is when sales of powder sheets really pick up. There are two types of popular powder sheets: one with anti-sweat and deodorant effect and one with a cooling effect.

In this column, I've introduced you to how men's attitude toward skincare has changed and a variety of men's grooming products. I hope that this has helped you better understand the Japanese male grooming market. Thank you for reading!