[unpaid/sample] Remember those magazine articles that used to ask what your ‘boyfriend’ was stealing from your beauty cupboard? They seem somewhat redundant now as the marketing driven myth of skin being vastly different across genders and requiring (many) specific products to be healthy and lovely is being roundly challenged by brands such as Non Gender Specific Skincare. I mean, why not say it how it is with your name and set the tone from the get go.
Non Gender Specific Skincare is a young brand, founded in 2018 by Andrew Glass, who wanted to make skincare for ‘all humans’. His question is similar to the one we ask ourselves (daily probably) – why does skin need so much stuff? The point is that it doesn’t really – it’s a matter of choice in the majority of cases as to how much you use. The basics, as most derms who aren’t tied into lucrative brand deals will attest to, are cleanser and moisturiser (and SPF).
I have three Non Gender Specific Skincare here – a cleanser, a moisturiser and a hydrating serum – although there are a few more. They’re ingredient driven, targeting several skin concerns in each formula and they all work with each other in a cohesive way. In case you think this is a happy accident, Andrew has many years working in the beauty industry – plenty of time to see that much skincare positioned for men isn’t actually very good and is something of an afterthought in the big sea of opportunity for women’s skincare. Combining both is smart marketing and smart thinking – not least because he’s made it look entirely gender neutral with no visual bias one way or another but also genderless and gender neutral are hot trending topics.
Similar to this
But products have to perform no matter which sort of human they’re for. I’ve surface tested all three products – I have a very silky feeling cheek on one side of my face from the mask and an all-over smoothness from the serum. The cleanser did its job perfectly but isn’t a make-up remover so you would actually need an extra product there. The serum, for example, contains lemon peel, mushroom, nettle leaf, grapeseed, rose, microalgae and pine bark, which in one way and another will address brightening, pores and pigmentation. It’s a sort of every day skin valet that just takes care of stuff while you get on with your life.
Non Gender Specific Skincare hits the right note for the skin savvy beauty weary, tired of burning their credit card at SpaceNK yet wanting the right complexion care without the time consuming and questionable routines. I can see this in literally anyone’s bathroom – although you’ll need to be prepared to make a spend because it’s just tipping over the mid-price point. If you want a starter suggestion, I’d go for the mask (if you’re ultra-sensitive, don’t) because it’s the crowd please I think and is £34 HERE. Think of it, perhaps, like a holiday for your mind and skin – time off, no distractions, peace and quiet …. And relax.
Leave a Reply