Men spend just £2.38 a year on skincare

If the 21st century sounded the start of a new generation of metrosexual men with sensitive interiors and moisturised exteriors, the vast majority of British males were not listening.

Although sales of male skincare products have quadrupled in the past five years, the average man spends just £2.38 a year looking after his skin, according to a report by Mintel.

At £57m a year, the male skincare market was worth less than a tenth of the £602m women spent on skincare in 2007.

The report said the men's toiletries market was worth £806m, with the biggest share, 43 per cent, coming from aftershave. By contrast, women spent £3.3bn last year on toiletries.

When asked by Mintel, just 45 per cent of men under 65 thought using skincare products was acceptable, while a meagre 17 per cent of over-65s thought the same. Just 35 per cent of British men agreed that it was important to remain young-looking, compared to 55 per cent of Spaniards and Frenchmen.