INTRODUCTION
The men's grooming category has evolved beyond shaving creams and deodorants. Today's male consumers are investing in skincare, hair care, personal fragrance, and wellness routines with the same enthusiasm once associated primarily with women's beauty. Global trend forecaster WGSN expects the global men's grooming market to grow from $90.1 billion in 2024 to $115.3 billion by 2028, while NielsenIQ reports that U.S. sales reached $7.1 billion in 2025, increasing 6.9% year over year.
Shifting cultural attitudes toward self-care, greater image consciousness, and a new generation of consumers who view grooming as an extension of personal identity are driving this momentum. As McKinsey notes, "Men’s participation in beauty and self-care is steadily expanding. We’ve seen a twofold acceleration of men’s participation in this category."
As the category becomes more sophisticated, packaging has emerged as a powerful competitive advantage. Beyond protecting products, it communicates efficacy, reinforces brand positioning, creates memorable experiences, and helps products stand out across crowded retail shelves and digital marketplaces. Four key trends are redefining men's grooming—and the packaging strategies brands should consider
PLAYFUL BRANDING MAKES GROOMING MORE ENGAGING
Today's male consumers gravitate toward brands that don't take themselves too seriously. Humor, entertainment, and shareable experiences have become effective ways to capture attention, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z. NielsenIQ reports that humor-driven brands continue to resonate strongly with younger households, while WGSN identifies "Unserious Everything" as a defining consumer trend as people seek moments of fun and emotional escape.
“Humor-driven branding and scent variety continue to resonate, especially among Millennials and households with teens, which spend 26% more than average.” (NielsenIQ)
Studio One Eleven® helped engineer Funner's custom haircare packaging, transforming the design concept into a manufacturable reality. The bottles feature a whimsical, wavy silhouette and color-coded button that encourages consumers to engage with the packaging.
As the physical expression of a brand, packaging plays a central role in this strategy. Vibrant graphics, unexpected structures, limited editions, and collectible packaging can generate excitement before consumers even open the product. Interactive features such as QR codes and connected packaging further bridge the physical and digital worlds, creating opportunities for education, gamification, exclusive content, and community building. In a social-first marketplace, packaging has become an extension of the consumer experience rather than simply a delivery system.
INCLUSIVE PACKAGING BROADENS CONSUMER APPEAL
Changing attitudes around masculinity are reshaping the men's grooming landscape. Younger consumers now view skincare and self-care as everyday wellness practices rather than gender-specific routines, making traditional "for him" and "for her" branding feel outdated. Euromonitor notes that retailers are already adapting, shifting away from dedicated men's sections toward more complexion- and concern-based merchandising.
"These [younger| cohorts are less constrained by traditional gender norms and increasingly view daily skin care as part of overall hygiene and self-confidence, which is normalised and amplified by social media." (Euromonitor)
Packaging should reflect this broader appeal. Rather than relying on stereotypically masculine colors and imagery, many brands are embracing clean typography, modern color palettes, and minimalist graphics that resonate with a wider audience. Carpe's use of bright orange and white, straightforward fonts, and direct messaging demonstrates its relevance to men and women alike.
Accessible labeling, intuitive dispensing systems, and clear product communication further improve the user experience while reinforcing inclusivity. Thoughtfully designed packaging helps consumers focus on product performance rather than gender identity.
FRAGRANCE IS ELEVATING EVERYDAY GROOMING
Fragrance has become one of the fastest-growing opportunities in men's grooming, transforming everyday routines into premium experiences. Rather than simply masking odor, brands are using sophisticated scent profiles, luxurious textures, and elevated packaging to justify higher price points and encourage consumers to see grooming as a daily ritual. Meanwhile, the expanding whole-body deodorant category continues to blur the line between personal care and fragrance.
Packaging reinforces premium positioning through distinctive materials, closures, decoration, tactile finishes, and fragrance-inspired color palettes that communicate quality and stand out on the shelf. Studio One Eleven® designed a bespoke bottle for Balr Class featuring the brand's signature hexagonal shape with a three-dimensional diamond effect, a graduated semi-transparent black varnish, a silver hot-stamped logo, and a custom Zamak and leather closure.
"Scent has emerged as a primary driver of the premium user experience, with new launches heavily featuring strong, complex, and masculine fragrance profiles." (Euromonitor)
New dispensing formats-including fragrance mists, concentrated sprays, and refillable systems-are expanding how consumers incorporate scent into their routines while creating opportunities for innovation and sustainability. As every touchpoint contributes to the sensory experience, packaging becomes part of the product itself.
SCIENCE-BACKED PRODUCTS DEMAN CREDIBLE PACKAGING
Today's consumers seek products that deliver measurable results. Whether addressing skin sensitivity, aging concerns, hair loss, or overall skin health, men are becoming more informed shoppers who prioritize ingredients, clinical validation, and expert recommendations. Euromonitor identifies advanced skincare and dermocosmetics as one of the category's strongest growth opportunities, reflecting a broader shift toward evidence-based purchasing decisions. This means brands must communicate credibility quickly and clearly.
"Advanced skin care offers strong growth potential [for men's grooming), particularly products leveraging dermocosmetics and scientific formulations that address specific concerns such as sensitivity and irritation." (Euromonitor)
Packaging serves as an important trust signal. Clinically inspired desthetics, minimalist styling, ingredient transparency, and clear, benefit-focused messaging help reinforce product efficacy while making complex formulations easier to understand. Brands can further build consumer confidence by presenting certifications, dermatologist endorsements, and scientific claims thoughtfully and compliantly. Drawing inspiration from a science lab, the Studio team developed a custom packaging solution for ACT/IV. The bottle's rounded body and flat face work together to balance the efficacy of science with the softness of nature. The custom cap features a crisp-edged flip-top closure that resembles the silhouette of a beaker and enables easy one-handed opening.
LOOKING AHEAD
Self-expression, inclusivity, wellness, premium experiences, and science-backed performance are defining a new phase in men's grooming. As these expectations continue to rise, packaging has become one of the most effective ways for brands to differentiate themselves, communicate value, and create lasting emotional connections.
Successfully navigating these trends requires more than attractive packaging-it demands strategic thinking that aligns structure, materials, decoration, functionality, and sustainability with changing consumer expectations. Whether creating premium fragrance packaging, developing connected experiences, or designing inclusive product portfolios, brands have an opportunity to use packaging as a competitive advantage.
At Berlin Packaging, we help brands translate emerging consumer trends into packaging solutions that are as innovative as the products they protect. By combining package engineering, material expertise, decoration capabilities, and supply chain solutions, we partner with customers to create packaging that captures attention, enhances the consumer experience, and positions brands for long-term growth in the evolving men's grooming market.
Moira Stein
Market Insights & Brand Strategy Specialist
Moira Stein has over 20 years of experience developing insight-based branding and design solutions for clients across various categories, from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She provides Berlin Packaging customers with consumer and market insights to help grow their business and partners with the Studio One Eleven Design & Innovation division on impactful design solutions that win at shelf.
The brands mentioned in this report are trademarks of their respective owners. Inclusion of these brands in this report is not meant to imply an association with or endorsement from the respective trademark owners.