Data report · Updated October 2026
Men's skincare statistics: 39% of US men have a consistent routine, 17% moisturize daily
How many men wash, moisturize and use sunscreen, what worries them about their skin, and how they compare with women.
In an April 2024 YouGov poll, 39% of US men said they have a consistent skincare routine, against 60% of women, and 36% of men said they have no routine at all[1]. Just 17% of men use moisturizer daily[1]. Regular facial sunscreen use among men was 18.1% in CDC-led research[2].
39%
of US men say they have a consistent skincare routine (women: 60%), 2024[1]
17%
of US men use moisturizer at least once a day (women: 46%), 2024[1]
56%
of US men wash their face with the same soap they use on their hands or body, 2021[3]
18.1%
of US men regularly use sunscreen on the face (women: 42.6%)[2]
By Jessica Hamilton, Editor · Published · Updated · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)
Key findings
- 39% of US men say they have a very or somewhat consistent skincare routine, compared with 60% of women, in a YouGov poll from April 2024[1].
- 36% of US men say they have no skincare routine at all, twice the 18% of women who say the same[1].
- Only 17% of men use moisturizer at least once a day, against 46% of women[1].
- In a 2021 YouGov poll, 56% of men said they wash their face with the same soap they use on their hands or body, and 24% used a product made for the face[3].
- Just 18.1% of US men regularly used sunscreen on the face in CDC-led survey research, compared with 42.6% of women[2].
- In a 2019 survey of 705 US men, 83% said they do not use sunscreen daily, and reducing skin cancer risk was the top reason given by those who would[4].
- The American Cancer Society estimates about 65,400 new melanoma cases in men in 2026, against about 46,600 in women[5].
- Among British men aged 18 to 34, 30% say they have a skincare routine, compared with 23% of British men overall[6].
Download the infographic
The headline numbers from this report as one tall image (1000 x 1500 PNG), sized for Pinterest, slides and posts. Free to reuse with credit.
What percentage of men have a skincare routine?
About two in five. In a YouGov poll of 1,148 US adult citizens fielded April 11 to 15, 2024, 39% of men said they have a very or somewhat consistent skincare routine[1]. Among women the figure was 60%[1].
The other end of the scale is just as telling: 36% of men said they have no skincare routine at all, compared with 18% of women[1]. In other words, men are twice as likely as women to skip skincare entirely.
Age matters. In an older YouGov analysis from 2017, 29% of male millennials and 26% of men aged 35 to 49 said they follow a skin regimen[7]. The UK picture is similar: 30% of British men aged 18 to 34 say they have a skincare routine, compared with 23% of all British men[6].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Women | 60% |
| Men | 39% |
How many men moisturize every day?
Fewer than one in five. The 2024 YouGov poll found that 17% of men use moisturizer at least once a day, compared with 46% of women[1].
An earlier YouGov poll of 3,978 US adults in February 2021 asked about moisturizing at any frequency. It found that 39% of men moisturize at all, with 16% doing so daily and 23% less often, while 60% of men said they do not moisturize[3]. Only 17% of women said they never moisturize, and 49% did so daily[3].
The two polls asked slightly different questions, but both land in the same place: daily moisturizer use among US men sits at roughly 16% to 17%.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Daily | 16% |
| Less often than daily | 23% |
| Do not moisturize | 60% |
What do men use to wash their face?
Mostly whatever is already in the shower. In the 2021 YouGov poll, 56% of men said they use the same soap on their face that they use on their hands or body[3]. Only 24% used a face wash made for the face, and 17% rinsed with water alone[3].
Women's habits were close to the reverse: 64% used a product made for the face and 21% used a face or body wash[3].
A separate 2019 online survey of 705 US men found the products they used most regularly were liquid soap or body wash (65%), bar soap (47%) and moisturizers (32%)[4]. If your scalp and hairline get the same treatment, our scalp care basics guide covers the routine there.
| Method | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Same soap as hands or body | 56% | 21% (face or body wash) |
| Product made for the face | 24% | 64% |
| Water only | 17% | 13% |
Do men wear sunscreen?
Most do not, at least not regularly. A CDC-led analysis of the 2013 Summer ConsumerStyles survey (4,033 adults) found that 18.1% of men regularly used sunscreen on the face, 19.9% on other exposed skin, and 14.3% on both[2]. For women the figures were 42.6%, 34.4% and 29.9%[2]. Regular use meant always or most of the time when outside on a warm sunny day for an hour or more.
The same study found that nearly 40% of sunscreen users were unsure whether their product offered broad-spectrum protection[2].
More recent survey work points the same way. In the 2019 survey of 705 men, 83% said they did not use sunscreen daily and 38% reported using it weekly[4]. Among reasons for daily use, 82% cited reducing skin cancer risk and 42% cited looking younger[4].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Women | 42.6% |
| Men | 18.1% |
Why does sunscreen matter more for men?
Melanoma, the most serious common skin cancer, is diagnosed in more men than women in the US. The American Cancer Society estimates about 65,400 new melanoma cases in men in 2026, compared with about 46,600 in women[5].
Deaths show the same gap: an estimated 5,500 men and 3,010 women will die of melanoma in 2026[5]. The ACS also notes that melanoma is more common in men than in women after age 50[5].
Short haircuts and thinning hair leave the scalp, ears and neck exposed. If you wear a buzz cut or a skin fade, those areas need sun protection too.
| Men | Women | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New cases | about 65,400 | about 46,600 | about 112,000 |
| Deaths | about 5,500 | about 3,010 | about 8,510 |
What skin concerns do men have?
Acne tops the list for men. In the 2024 YouGov poll, 20% of men named acne as a concern, followed by wrinkles at 18%[1]. Fewer men mentioned sensitivity (11%), redness (10%) or enlarged pores (10%)[1].
Women reported every concern more often, and the gap was widest for wrinkles: 46% of women against 18% of men[1].
Acne products already have a large male customer base. YouGov's 2017 analysis found that men made up 52% of the people considering acne-relief products from Proactiv or Clearasil, and that a quarter of all men said they use skincare to prevent aging[7].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Acne | 20% |
| Wrinkles | 18% |
| Sensitivity | 11% |
| Redness | 10% |
| Enlarged pores | 10% |
| Concern | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Acne | 20% | 26% |
| Wrinkles | 18% | 46% |
| Sensitivity | 11% | 23% |
| Redness | 10% | 22% |
| Enlarged pores | 10% | 21% |
How much do men spend on skincare?
Not much per product. In the 2024 YouGov poll, just 2% of men said they would spend more than $60 on a single skincare product, compared with 9% of women[1].
There is no official federal figure for men's skincare spending alone. The broadest measure is the BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys category for personal care products and services, which covers everything from haircuts to cosmetics for all household members. It averaged $978 per consumer unit in 2024, up from $950 in 2023[8].
Most of what men need for a basic routine, a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and a broad-spectrum sunscreen, sits well below that $60 line. Men who shave daily can add a few low-cost steps from our razor bump prevention guide.
Are younger men more into skincare?
The data say yes. In Britain, YouGov found that 30% of men aged 18 to 34 have a skincare routine, against 23% of all men, and 35% of young men use beauty products to prevent skin aging, against 24% of all men[6].
Interest in skincare and cosmetics brands is rising fastest in that group. YouGov's consideration score for skincare and cosmetics among British men aged 18 to 34 rose from 3.1% in 2020 to 6.1% in 2024, while the figure for all men rose from 3% to 4.6%[6].
In the US, YouGov's 2017 analysis found that 41% of men aged 18 to 49 were likely to be in the market for a skincare product within the next 30 days[7].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| All men | 23% |
| Men 18 to 34 | 30% |
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of men have a skincare routine?
How many men use moisturizer?
What percentage of men wear sunscreen?
Do most men use face wash?
Do more men than women get melanoma?
What is the most common skin concern for men?
How much will men pay for one skincare product?
Methodology and limitations
This report compiles published survey and health data on men's skincare. Routine, moisturizer, skin concern and spending-attitude figures come from YouGov's April 11 to 15, 2024 poll of 1,148 US adult citizens and its February 6 to 7, 2021 poll of 3,978 US adults. Sunscreen figures come from a peer-reviewed CDC-led analysis of the 2013 Summer ConsumerStyles survey (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2015) and a 2019 online survey of 705 US men (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2021). Cancer figures are American Cancer Society estimates for 2026. UK figures are from YouGov Profiles and BrandIndex as reported in February 2025. Household spending is from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys for 2024. All sources were accessed October 15, 2026.
Limitations
Survey figures are self-reported and depend on question wording: the 2021 and 2024 YouGov polls asked about moisturizing in different ways, so they are compared only loosely. The CDC-led sunscreen study uses 2013 data and a definition of regular use tied to warm sunny days; it is still the most detailed national breakdown by gender we could verify. The 2019 survey of 705 men was recruited online through Amazon Mechanical Turk and is not nationally representative. YouGov's 2017 US analysis does not state its sample size. The UK figures come from YouGov Profiles and BrandIndex and may not match US behavior. There is no official government measure of men's skincare spending, so the BLS figure covers all personal care for the whole household.
Every figure on this page links to its source. Numbers are reported as published; any menhaircuts.net calculation is labelled and shows its inputs. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it.
Sources
- Americans' top skin concerns and how much they'd spend to treat them, YouGov (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Patterns of sunscreen use on the face and other exposed skin among US adults (Holman DM et al., J Am Acad Dermatol 2015;73(1):83-92), Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (PubMed 26002066) (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Most men use hand soap or body wash to clean their face, YouGov (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Men's Attitudes and Behaviors About Skincare and Sunscreen Use Behaviors (Roberts CA et al., J Drugs Dermatol 2021;20(1):88-93), Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (PubMed 33400407) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Key Statistics for Melanoma Skin Cancer, American Cancer Society (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Young men in Britain are embracing skincare more than ever, YouGov (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- A third of younger men use beauty products to make them look better, YouGov (2017). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Consumer Expenditures in 2024 (news release), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
Cite, embed and download
This report, its charts and its infographic are free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Credit menhaircuts.net with a link to this page.
Cite this report (APA)
Hamilton, J. (2026, October 15). Men's Skincare Statistics 2026: Routines and Sunscreen. menhaircuts.net. https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-skincare-statistics/
Link to this report
<a href="https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-skincare-statistics/">Men's Skincare Statistics 2026: Routines and Sunscreen</a> (menhaircuts.net, CC BY 4.0)Share the headline number
39%: of US men say they have a consistent skincare routine (women: 60%), 2024 (YouGov, via menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-skincare-statistics/)
Download the charts and infographic
- US adults with a consistent skincare routine, by gender, April 2024 (PNG)
- How often US men moisturize, February 2021 (PNG)
- US adults who regularly use sunscreen on the face, by gender (PNG)
- Skin concerns named by US men, April 2024 (PNG)
- British men with a skincare routine, by age group (PNG)
- Infographic: Men's Skincare Statistics 2026 (PNG, 1000 x 1500)
Related data
- $6.66 billionP&G Grooming segment net sales, fiscal year ended June 30, 2025Men's Beauty Industry Statistics 2026
- 34.8 minaverage daily grooming time for US men in 2025 (0.58 hours; women 0.77 hours)Men's Grooming Routine Statistics 2026
- $978Average household spending on personal care products and services, 2024Men's Grooming Spending Statistics 2026
- 62%of European men with hair loss agreed it could affect self-esteemHair and Confidence Statistics 2026
Related guides
Make us a Preferred Source on Google
See our latest articles first in your Google Search & AI Overviews.