What are men searching for in personal care?
Key takeaways
- Pinterest’s 2026 Men’s Trend Report finds Gen Z men driving more than 62% of male searches.
- “Quiet Upkeep” frames grooming as steady maintenance across skin care, fragrance, nail care, and hair.
- Search spikes in SPF, makeup, scent wardrobes, and nail color point to open category space for brands.
Pinterest has identified that men are searching for more forms of personal care than the demographic has previously delved into. Men are searching for new ways to explore cosmetics and fragrances, tying their use to self-care, individuality, and wellness.
The visual discovery platform has released its 2026 Men’s Trend Report, which mostly receives responses from Gen Z. The younger generation’s searches on Pinterest have increased 17% year-over-year. They now account for over 62% of male monthly searches.
“Quiet Upkeep” was named the overall personal care trend shaping men’s grooming habits. Sub-groups in the overarching movement were: The Three-step Face, One-scent Statement, Hand Check, and Precision Grooming.
“The throughline… is intentionality: grooming is framed as steady maintenance that keeps men looking prepared on any day of the week,” says the company. “They are reimagining their daily lives around what actually matters to them.”
The Three-step Face
According to Pinterest, men are creating daily skin care routines that are built on cleansers, moisturizers, and SPF. “Sunscreen for men” searches went up 108% from last year.
The biggest search boom in the “Three-step Face” category was “men skin care products,” up 280%. That was followed by men’s skin care at a rise of 165%.
Personal Care Insights has reported on the growing men’s skin care space. John Ludeke, senior VP of Global Marketing at Dr. Squatch, recently told us that the move away from stereotypical marketing toward more inclusive and engaging brand narratives has reduced the stigma around men’s self-care and positioned it as more of a lifestyle choice.
Ludeke also pointed to the rise of social media platforms — such as Pinterest — giving men access to more information about personal care, leading to the growing market.
Innova Market Insights finds 39% of men use facial skin care daily.
In a beauty routine, makeup typically comes in after skin care. Historically, this was not a lane men would partake in. However, Pinterest’s data is revealing a different truth. According to its 2026 trend report, a “no makeup makeup look” surged 217% in searches from last year.
Jake Xu, co-founder of Shakeup Cosmetics, a men’s beauty brand, previously told us that, without a doubt, more straight men are wearing makeup.
“Five years ago, men’s makeup was still very niche and often positioned as edgy or rebellious… It’s no longer a novelty shelf; it’s becoming part of a broader men’s grooming ecosystem,” said Xu.
The next highest jump from last year’s searches was “red light mask” at 156%. This shows that men are looking beyond topical products and are also interested in tech-based personal care. LED light masks have come into the personal care scene for their promises of anti-aging or acne care.
Scalp care is another industry trend receiving increased attention — and Pinterest’s data shows it is not pigeonholed to women. “Scalp care” searches by men were up 82%.
Other searches that rose, which reveal potential for market opportunity, were: “minimalist face wash” at 45%, “cinnamon body wash” at 36%, and “charcoal face wash” at 33%.
The sharp data increases from last year indicate that the men’s care market growth was not a passing fad over the past few years, but a rising industry arena that brands should be catering to.
According to additional data from Innova Market Insights, 39% of male consumers globally use facial skin care products daily. Male-targeted personal care grew by 11% worldwide between July 2020 and June 2025.
One-scent Statement
Men searching for “perfume discovery set” and “mens perfume collection” grew 167% and 113%, respectively, compared to last year. This ties into the trend of scent layering, where Gen Zs are investing in collections of perfumes and mixing and matching the fragrances to create distinct and experience-based scents.
“Men on Pinterest are creating a personal statement scent, with ‘fragrance wardrobe’ searches up 159%, where scents become the finishing touch that makes the whole routine feel complete,” says the report. 
The no makeup makeup look moves into men’s grooming routines.
On the other side of the perfume aisle are signature scents, where consumers have one go-to identifying fragrance. “Signature scent” searches by men rose 111%.
Other fragrance-based searches were: “best lattafa perfumes,” increasing 80%, “fragrance collection” at 61%, “cologne collection aesthetic” at 38%, and “sandalwood scent” at 25%
Hand Check
Nail polish has been crossing gender lines in recent years, with men sporting colorful nails becoming more mainstream. This is what Pinterest dubs the “Hand Check” trend.
Searches for “nail men design” increased by 58% on the platform compared to last year.
In June, we covered Moi Aussi’s reframing of men’s hand and nail care by positioning it as a legitimate act of self-care rather than a taboo. The brand partnered with Fiabila to develop a range of hand care products and a collection of nail polishes.
“Hand care becomes an act of well-being, expression, and self-recognition,” said Fadi Mroueh, founder of Moi Aussi.
Signaling how men are using personal care as a path for self-expression and wellness, in its 2026 Men’s Trend Report, Pinterest cited former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade. He says: “It’s important to invest in your emotional well-being… That’s why I love what men are building on Pinterest. It’s about real life, real community, and taking care of yourself.”
For brands looking to create nail color solutions for men, the data comes in at:
- “silver nails men” +87%
- “black nails men” +75%
- “chrome nails men” +58%
- “blue nails men” +29%
- “chrome heart nails men” +27%
Additionally, Innova Market Insights data indicates that approximately 37% of men globally use hand or body care products at least once a day. .webp)
Men’s routines now build on three steps — cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF.
Precision Grooming
At the same time, hair trends are getting more styled and deliberate, with “soft wolf cut men” searches up 1,154% as men fine-tune shape and texture as part of their routine.
Other hair search trends include: “modern wolf cut men” up 553%, “curly wolf cut men” up 245%, “modern mullet men” up 223%, “Korean two block haircut men” up 212%, “loose wavy perm men” up 228%, and “loose perm men” up 81%.
For the personal care market, the opportunity in hair care may lie in tailored products as facilitators to these sought-after hairstyles.
Alongside the report debut, Pinterest is partnering with Native to showcase its new Well-Crafted collection for men. It is said to feature clean, simple formulas in deodorant, body wash, hair care, and lotion.
