Kim Read of Delaware claims that once a woman tries out a men's moisturizer or face wash, she won't go back to women's products.
It happened to her. Read worked as a sales representative for Zirh men's skin-care products. One day, she decided to try out the men's facial scrub she marketed.
"My intention was to try it just once," she said. "But I never went back to using a woman's scrub." It was the same story with the moisturizer and night cream.
It's a well-kept secret in the beauty industry that many women swear by men's products. Some women believe men's products work better, because they're designed to work on men's more resistant skin.
"Men's products are stronger. Men have tougher skin, so men's products are designed to be more penetrative," Read said. "Women's products also have unnecessary fragrances added in that reduce the quality of the product."
But New York dermatologist Debra Jaliman says most companies have the same ingredients in their men's and women's skin-care products.
"The men's products are packaged differently to cater to the men's niche market. The fact that these products are stronger is just a perception. Most skin-care products are unisex," Jaliman said.
Still, men's product lines are happy to have female customers.