Embrace your feminine side: men’s fragrances get a boost as scent boundaries begin to blur

In 2010, volume sales of fragrance ingredients used in men's grooming reached 7,000 tonnes, but, thanks to a flourishing market, this is set to rise to 8,500 tonnes by 2013, according to market analyst Euromonitor.

With fragrance ingredients an essential tool used in the marketing of new men's lines, Euromonitor believes there will be a direct impact of this boom on the market.

Blurring the gender line​

And it appears that as the men’s grooming category evolves, there seems to be a blurring of the fragrance line between the two genders.

Euromonitor states that typically, trends in men’s grooming mimic those in the personal care industry as a whole, and when it comes to the ingredients and functions of men’s grooming products, these are very similar to women’s versions.

Traditionally female products would contain soft floral scents, whilst men’s would contain stronger oriental and wood scents.

However the research firm has found that in some cases, men’s grooming products are switching to fresh, fruity and sometimes even floral scents, which opens up the possibility for unisex scents that can be applied right across the board.

Euromonitor also points out that it also gives an opportunity to go the other way too in order to establish differentiation, thus building on the market.

Importance of scent in personal care products​

Scent is important for many beauty products as they often have the same function and are very similar, thus the scent can be used by brand owners to differentiate one’s product.

The blurring of scent boundaries between the genders is also a trend that has crept into fine fragrances and figures-wise both gender-specific and unisex products are on the rise.

However, Euromonitor predictions state that globally, men's and women's mass fine fragrances are expected to grow by 5 per cent in value, whilst unisex fine fragrances will only grow by 2 per cent in value between 2010 and 2015.

If this is any indication for the fragrance ingredients market, Euromonitor claims more individualised scents may be the best way forward for brand owners looking to widen their consumer reach.