Fear of ageing drives men's cosmetic sales

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Male cosmetics sales in Britain are growing at twice the rate of the female market, according to a survey, with the need to look good for job interviews and the fear of looking old playing key roles.

One in five men use hair dye to cover up signs of grey, the survey of 1,013 males for L'Oreal UK found.

Taking care of their appearance is now a status of manhood, the poll concluded, with almost two thirds of men (56 percent) using cosmetic products daily and 82 percent saying there are no cosmetics products that they would be embarrassed to buy.

A quarter of men regularly use face moisturizer and two in every five (39 percent) use facial cleansers every day to take care of their skin and combat the effect of work stress and aging.

"We know from the report's findings that aging is not just a female concern and that a growing number of men are looking to cosmetics to help present a more professional image in times of economic uncertainty," said Pierre-Yves Arzel, Managing Director for L'Oréal UK & Ireland.

"Men's anti-aging products are therefore the major driver of the overall men's grooming market," he added.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)