The men’s grooming segment is making a ballsy move to prioritise male intimate hygiene

Homegrown players are catering to a largely underserved yet steadily burgeoning niche—the men’s grooming market

Like many Indian men, Roy, who wanted to be known by his first name only, has experimented with different body hair looks. He’s settled on a mix of trimming, shaving, and leaving certain areas untouched, and even though he’s had his fair share of waxing treatments, the 35-year-old investment banker has never taken it below the belt. “I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, which is how I ended up presenting my perineum to the ladies at Mumbai’s Strip: Ministry of Waxing for a “boyzilian,” or “a Brazilian for men,” he says. 

Strip is currently one of only a handful of places in India that offers a Brazilian wax for men in addition to add-ons to choose from, including removing hair from your butt, butt crack, perineum (the area between your scrotum and anus), and more. 

Roy says there are two reasons he chooses to get a ‘boyzilian’ once every 45 days. “One, my partner prefers it that way. Some women like a cleaner look. Also, she tells me my manhood looks bigger after a session. Two, it's sanitary. Given that I sit at my desk for long periods of time, it’s the best decision I’ve made because it’s about feeling clean and comfortable.”

Cultural reset

Traditionally, Indian men have invested very little in maintaining intimate hygiene. Their go-to regimen? A morning and evening scrub with a bathing bar, followed by a generous sprinkle of talcum powder for fragrance. But a new generation of men is changing this narrative, opting instead to invest in products that allow them to cultivate a more personalised routine for their nether region. 

For decades, the beauty and grooming market in India has primarily targeted female consumers, with only a passing nod to men. Products have been specifically made for women, with few products aimed at men, barring shaving creams, aftershave lotions, razors, colognes and fragrances. ‘Manscaping’, once considered taboo, is another opportunistic area for market participants. Today, most men opt for hair removal creams or sprays specially made for them. Moreover, numerous brands add men’s intimate hygiene products to their roster of offerings.

New players

Nuutjob, a male intimate hygiene and grooming brand of Shark Tank India fame, released a bunch of cheeky advertisements in August last year, drawing attention to the skewed perception of male intimate hygiene in Indian households. While it may be a hush-hush conversation, Nuutjob dares to address it least uncomfortably with humour, drama and wit.

Started by cousins Ananya and Anushree Maloo from Ahmedabad, the idea to venture into the space stemmed from their need to find a worthy solution to maintain good hygiene, which they feel is sorely lacking. “Women have more options to choose from when it comes to intimate hygiene. This isn’t the case for men, who don’t often speak up about these things. We realised there was a market gap there and decided to tap into it,” says Ananya. 

Even though they were clear about their business plan, the ladies had to tackle sexism. “When we would pitch our product to investors or even manufacturers, we were told: ‘If you don’t have the parts, why should we take you seriously?’ Our mothers and grandparents were also concerned about our business venture, mainly because we were both at a ‘marriageable’ age. They were worried that our venture would block potential marriage proposals,” she adds. 

However, after much convincing, their family finally bought into the idea. “In fact, our fathers supported us the most. They were convinced that we are passionate about our business plan, and they stood with us throughout,” shares Ananya.

The duo, who conceived their business idea in 2020 during the lockdown, spent a year conducting extensive research and testing prototypes of the products they wanted to sell. “We bootstrapped around ₹5 lakh as an initial investment, and launched our products online in 2021. Then, Shark Tank happened during the same year and changed our lives,” says Ananya.

Currently, Nuutjob offers nine products: an intimate wash, a deodoriser, a hair removal spray, and an intimate moisturiser, among others. “The products work towards anti-chafing, preventing irritation due to sweating, preventing bad odour and itching, and helping maintain a good pH balance,” adds Ananya.

A numbers game

According to a report by Future Marketing Insights, the global sales of men’s intimate care products are valued at around US$ 217 billion. As per detailed industry analysis, the global men’s intimate care products market is anticipated to surge at a CAGR of 9.5 per cent to reach a market valuation of US$ 451.78 billion by 2030.

Men’s intimate care products currently account for around a 77 per cent share of the global male skincare market. Rising awareness about intimate care solutions and changing lifestyles worldwide are boosting the sales of these products like never before. From 2022 to 2030, the Asia Pacific market is expected to expand at a 9.4 per cent CAGR. Increased spending on personal care products across South Korea, China, Japan, and India has fuelled demand for personal care and grooming products among men in developing economies, owing to an increase in the number of men working, more so across the corporate and fashion industries.

What men want

For Mumbai-based brand consultancy founder Fabian Rodrigues, personal hygiene products are primarily sought for convenience on the go. “Over some time, because I invest in them, I’ve learned they’re the last step away from a negligence-oriented issue in your nether region. While homegrown brands are making strides in the space, I feel they have a long way to go before they can rival international offerings. When it comes to the basic concept of intimate wipes and roll-ons, they’ve locked in on winning products. As far as specialised cases, issues, and problems around men’s intimate hygiene are concerned, these brands have a long way to go,” he says. 

Rodrigues says pH balance is very important to look out for when choosing an intimate wash for men. The pH level of a substance refers to its acid-basic ratio and is measured from 1 to 14, where 7 is neutral. If a substance’s value is higher than 7 on the pH scale, it is more base/alkaline; if its value is less than 7, it is more acidic. The skin on our body is slightly acidic, and the pH level for the skin is, therefore, between 5.5-7. The skin in your private area has a lower pH level of between 5-5.5. Being more acidic, the skin around a man’s private parts is better equipped to fight any bacteria or fungus naturally. That’s why pH balance becomes so important; it naturally helps your body fight off bacteria, fungus, yeast, and all the sources of itching, irritation, inflammation, and odour.

In the thick of it

Another homegrown brand making inroads in the male intimate hygiene space is SVISH-On-The-Go. Craft beer brewer Ishan Grover and advertising professional Jaideep Mahajan decided to change their career paths when the pandemic struck by entering the high-potential but highly competitive sanitisation/disinfection space and launching the D2C brand that offers a range of non-oily and eco-friendly sanitiser sprays.

Although sanitisers continue to grab sales, the D2C brand has diversified its product portfolio, aiming to emerge as a go-to brand for all hygiene and personal care needs. Currently, it offers 15 SKUs under three categories—sanitisation, hair hygiene and intimate hygiene (for men and women). SVISH claims to have served over 1.3 lakh customers and sold over 1.8 lakh products. It also raised two funding rounds from marquee investors such as Wami Capital, LC Nueva AIF and AUM Ventures. Between August and September 2022, its monthly gross merchandise volume (GMV) crossed ₹ 2.3 crore.

“What has worked for us is that we’ve made these products convenient for men who aren’t necessarily fans of elaborate hygiene routines. Think about it: Most millennials and Gen Zs have more sex now and are mindful of not turning a woman off with bad body hygiene, especially down there. The proliferation of social media, a resetting of cultural values and more awareness have spurred this segment, giving us more room to play with (no pun intended),” says Grover. 

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