Men spent a mere £57m on skincare, such as moisturisers, cleansers and facial scrubs last year, according to the latest research from Mintel. This is a tiny amount when compared with what women splash out, with sales worth more than 10 times that of men's products at £602m.
Although sales increased 21% between 2005 and 2007 skincare still accounts for just 7% of the total men's toiletries market, up only marginally on the 6% of 2005.
Companies are investing huge amounts of money in men's skincare including L'Oreal Paris which hired former James Bond Pierce Brosnan and Matthew Fox from 'Lost' for its "Because you're worth it" Men Expert skincare range.
David Beckham appeared in ads for razor brand Gillette from 2004 until 2007 when sporting superstars Thierry Henry, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer took over as brand ambassadors.
Despite the investment and talk about pampered metrosexual males, it appears that the scruffy, unshaven look is becoming more popular.