Why Genderless Products Are Changing Beauty Routines, From Reviving Undereye Patches To Serum Sunscreens

Genderless skincare has come a long way in recent years. Ash Cometti charts the next generation of skincare products that are forging a less binary path.

Sarah Harpur-Ruigrok, head of communications at Antipodes, says the queries the brand gets from male customers often make her smile.

“We get
quite a few questions into our customer service team and DMs from men asking if they are ‘allowed’ to use Antipodes,” she says, with those customers often perceiving the brand as only for women.

“[But] men’s skincare is moving away from overt ‘for men’ branding and towards simple, high-performance products that just feel good to use – after all, skin is skin,” Harpur-Ruigrok says.

It’s a shift seen in the celebrity world, too.

When Harry Styles posted a picture of himself wearing a pair of glossy black under-eye patches in January, the internet had something to say about it.

British Vogue was quick to post a snap of the Aperture singer, captured by Stella Blackmom, seated on a hotel bed with a 7-Eleven Big Gulp in hand and eye patches to refresh his skin.

According to Harpur-Ruigrok, men account for 10.6% of the brand’s customers, but adds this figure doesn’t factor in who actually uses the products at home. She says Antipodes’ products are often purchased by women and shared with their partners, husbands or teenage sons.

It’s brands like Antipodes that are leading the charge when it comes to genderless products, driven by a cultural shift towards more inclusive, ingredient-led skincare housed in minimalist packaging that favours earthy or monochrome shades.

“Men’s skin can be a bit different – their hormones can drive higher sebum production – so oiliness and texture can be bigger considerations,” she says.

“But that doesn’t mean men need a separate men’s range. Often they just want something simple, fresh, lightweight and non-greasy that they’ll actually use every day.”

Harpur-Ruigrok says she finds this broader behavioural shift interesting, as many men are now entering skincare through products that feel easy and functional, rather than through traditional cues that point to men’s grooming.

Below, we have selected some of the best new season unisex products worth trying, whoever you are.

Discover our top picks of new season buys that are built on the same principle – good skincare has nothing to do with gender.

The newest product added to Antipodes’ line-up of botanical skincare is this creamy exfoliating cleanser, designed to be subbed into routines as the first step. The transforming texture shifts from a soft gel-cream to a creamy lather, gently resurfacing skin and boosting hydration in one fell swoop. Unlike traditional exfoliants, which can be abrasive and irritating, Purity harnesses biodegradable jojoba and rosehip beads alongside AHA-rich lime caviar to slough away dead skin cells and refine skin texture, all without disrupting the skin’s delicate acid mantle.

Make like Styles himself with these new hydrating and depuffing patches from New Zealand skincare maker GULP. The branded set of two eye patches is designed to work in as little as 10 minutes, making them ideal to wear as part of your pre-party prep, or apply on tired under-eyes afterwards. Key ingredients include niacinamide and caffeine to brighten and firm, plus aloe vera, hyaluronic acid and peptides to soothe, hydrate and plump fine lines.

Building on the success of Dr LeWinn’s Barrier Protect range comes this new Multi-Peptide Serum, said to promote skin resilience, balance and health. Lightweight and velvety in texture, the unique formulation works triple duty to fortify the skin barrier, fend off transepidermal water loss and improve hydration levels. It does so thanks to its Advanced Microsphere Technology, a patented delivery system that supports the sustained release of encapsulated botanical oils that melt into the skin upon contact.

An iconic formulation for a reason, Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream is reimagined with the launch of the new Ultimate Repair Moisturiser. No matter what the day holds or the environment you’re in, this new cream is powered by an Auto-Rehydrating Complex, which detects changes in the skin’s hydration levels and adapts accordingly. It promises hydration for up to 80 hours (ideal during the doldrums of winter) and leaves skin healthy, hydrated and smooth.

Sunscreen serums are gaining traction, and this newbie from Kiehl’s features collagen peptides suspended in a lightweight sunscreen emulsion. Not only does the formula offer broad-spectrum protection to skin thanks to its UVA and UVB filters, but it’s said to fend off sun damage (including sun spots) and visibly correct the early signs of ageing, including fine lines, uneven skin tone and dullness. The best part? Kiehl’s claims its invisible finish won’t leave behind a white cast, meaning it’ll blend well into a variety of skin tones.

New at Mecca is Humanrace, a selection of fragrance-free skincare developed by Happy singer Pharrell and his dermatologist, Dr Elena Jones. In this gift set, find three of the brand’s top-rated products, including the Rice Powder Cleanser, Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator and Humidifying Face Cream. Together, the three-step system gently cleanses, exfoliates and hydrates skin.

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