HBSKN Skin Report 2026 — Italian Men's Skin (Data)
HBSKN Skin Report 2026 — First edition · N=155
The skin of Italian men: who truly takes care of it, what they are looking for, where market narrative goes wrong.
155 valid Skin Tests in 10 weeks (April 28 – July 7, 2026): the first primary Italian data on those actively seeking a solution for their skin. This is not a national survey — it's something that industry research doesn't have: real men describing their skin when they are looking for a solution, not panels asked to imagine it.
↓ Download the report in PDF · Reusable data with attribution: “Source: HBSKN Skin Report 2026 — hebiskin.com” · Press contacts: info@hebiskin.com
The market in 5 numbers (public data)
- ~€5.75 billion — men's skincare in Europe in 2025; estimates at ~€10.85 billion by 2035. (Precedence Research, Cognitive Market Research)
- +9.9% — growth in men's beauty spending in 2024, almost double the +5.8% for women. (Cosmetics Business)
- ~1% — in Italy, products explicitly “for men” account for ~€141.6 million out of a beauty market of €17.4 billion. (Cosmetica Italia / MilanoFinanza)
- 29% — men with a regular routine, compared to 52% who claim to use skincare products: 7 out of 10 give up. (StriveSkin, 2025)
- <15% — men who use daily sun protection, the anti-aging gesture with the most scientific evidence. (industry sources, 2025)
Summary: the category is growing at double speed, but in Italy, it is almost entirely yet to be built. The competitor of Italian men's skincare is not another brand: it is non-consumption.
What the first 155 Skin Tests say (HBSKN primary data)
Methodology: 155 valid tests completed between April 28 and July 7, 2026, on the hebiskin.com Skin Test (excluding 30 internal tests). Self-selected sample, reached via social media (59%), direct access (39%), other channels (2%). Not representative of the Italian male population; representative of those who today, in Italy, are actively seeking a solution for their skin.
1. It's not Gen Z: 8 out of 10 are over 30
30-39 years: 31% · 50 and over: 26% · 40-49: 23% · under 30: 14% (6% not specified). The image of the “TikTok boy with a skincare routine” describes those who talk about it, not those who seek it. This converges with the macro trend: according to Mintel, the 36-45 age group is the fastest-growing anti-aging segment.
2. Almost 6 out of 10 are “pragmatists”
Pragmatist: 57% — wants the minimum number of steps with a measurable result and distrusts the “beauty ritual.” Then: health-conscious 12%, athletic 6%, other profiles 25%. The Italian man does not ask for more products: he asks for maintenance. This is consistent with the 71% category abandonment rate: routines fail when they are rituals, not systems.
3. Anti-aging is priority no. 1, hydration is no. 2
Anti-age: 35% · hydration: 25% · combined needs: 23% · purification: 12% · essential base: 6%. The Italian man turns to skincare when he sees the problem: anti-aging as an entry point is the opposite of the classic female path.
4. The camera contradicts self-diagnosis
In the first 11 photographic analyses (scores 1-100, high = healthy parameter): imperfections 96, sebum 81, redness 79, hydration 74 — the weakest parameter. This is an initial signal, not yet statistical — but the contrast deserves attention: in words, men ask for anti-aging, the camera responds with hydration. Two readings less distant than they seem: dehydrated skin accentuates precisely the signs that men claim they want to fight.
The three theses of the report
1. The real customer is 30-55 years old, and no one is talking to him. Marketing chases Gen Z; data shows that those who seek and buy are adult men with a visible problem — an audience almost without dedicated offerings in Italy (~1% of the market).
2. Pragmatism is the national trait. The 57% of “pragmatists” explains the Italian paradox: high curiosity, low consistency. The category sells rituals; the Italian man wants engineering: few steps, measurable results.
3. The game is zero-to-one. With “for men” at 1%, growth does not come from taking market share from a competitor but from converting non-consumption. Diagnostic tools like the Skin Test are the bridge: they transform a category perceived as “not for me” into a personal report.
Quotable statistics
Freely reusable with attribution: “Source: HBSKN Skin Report 2026 — hebiskin.com”.
- 80% of Italian men who undergo an online skin analysis are over 30; 1 in 4 are over 50. (HBSKN Skin Report 2026, N=155)
- 57% of men looking for a routine are "pragmatists": minimal effort, measurable results. (HBSKN Skin Report 2026, N=155)
- Anti-aging is the primary declared need (35%), ahead of hydration (25%). (HBSKN Skin Report 2026, N=155)
- Only 29% of men have a regular routine: 7 out of 10 give up. (StriveSkin, 2025)
- In Italy, "for men" products account for ~1% of a €17.4 billion beauty market. (Cosmetica Italia / MilanoFinanza)
- European men's skincare is worth ~€5.75 billion and is growing at almost double the rate of women's beauty. (Precedence Research; Cosmetics Business)
The founders' voices
«We built the Skin Test because Italian men don't recognize themselves in beauty; they recognize themselves in a report. These initial data confirm it — they don't want more products, they want to know what their skin needs and why.»
— Emanuela Caminiti, CEO — HBSKN · KYRiAN Lab
«I come from a world where every decision starts with a measurement. The Skin Test applies the same method to the skin: first measure, then choose. These first 155 reports are the beginning of that measurement — and they already debunk more than one common misconception.»
— Francesco Di Geso, co-founder — HBSKN · KYRiAN Lab
About
HBSKN — Hebi Skin is an Italian men's skincare brand by KYRiAN Lab SRL. Skin engineering: high concentration of active ingredients, no frills, measurable results. Made in Italy formulations developed with a manufacturing partner with 17 years of formulation research. hebiskin.com
Press contacts: info@hebiskin.com · Report in PDF · Next edition: 12-month data.