Influences on Purchasing Behavior in the Male Skincare Market

The goal of this thesis is to find information to further develop understandings of male customers in the cosmetic and personal care industry. The methods and results are aimed to help direct marketers and product developers create more successful business expeditions in the future. The thesis is based off of an online Qualtrics survey created and distributed to male Arizona State University students enrolled in a Marketing Principles class and then appropriately analyzed with SPSS and Qualtrics data tools. The quantitative survey allowed an investigation of external and internal factors in male respondents’ personal lives and how that may translate into their skincare purchasing practices. Rather than asking what products consumers want, this survey aimed to find significant and influential factors behind young male interest in these products. After analyzing the responses the key implications are that social stigma, and perceptions of attractiveness and self-confidence are not the largest inhibitors for men, but rather that their relationships with others have the most significant influence over their use of skincare products.