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How Dwayne Johnson Made a Skincare Brand Men Actually Buy

The ‘everyman’ skincare market is moving towards premiumisation, as brands like Johnson’s Papatui ditch traditional one-note marketing for a more considered approach.
Papatui
With a new acne care range, Papatui continues with its mission to elevate the everyday man's skincare routine. (Courtesy of Papatui)

Key insights

  • Papatui is scaling through aesthetic masstige branding and frictionless retail, capturing the surging men’s acne and skincare market.
  • Plus, the most exciting beauty products launched and announced between March 13 and 20.

Welcome to Haul of Fame, your weekly roundup tracking the new products and ideas driving the beauty industry forward.

Included in today’s issue: Beautyblender, Colorwow, Colourpop, Flewd, Glossier, Glow Recipe, Comme des Garçons Parfums, Harry’s, Evereden, Medicube, Ôrəbella, Surface Deep and Victoria Beckham Beauty.

But first…

Are men becoming more vain, or more pragmatic? Not only are they opting for higher quality body and skincare, but they care about the appearance of that body and skincare too, according to Jenna Fagnan.

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“A lot of men’s branding and product felt a bit cheap and almost talked down to the guy,” said Fagnan, who co-founded men’s skincare line Papatui alongside actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson. “But men are really caring about aesthetics, both what’s on the shelf in their household, but also, obviously, on their face too.”

On the dense, aggressive shelves of mass retailers like Target and Walmart, Papatui stands out amongst a monotonous sea: The neutral-toned, fine-fragranced line of body, skin and tattoo care has tripled its retail footprint since launching in 2024. In Target, it’s the number one bestseller across men’s moisturisers, eye patches and tattoo care. This month, it expanded deeper into skincare with an acne-targeting trio — face wash, body spray and pimple patches — and also into a trickier territory with male consumers who demand more instant benefits than female customers, noted Fagnan.

Johnson told The Business of Beauty in an email that the brand’s broader ethos is ensuring that any guy can look and feel their best. “Acne care is the number one skincare concern for men,” he said. “I wanted to address that issue.”

Priced between $10–$20, Papatui has positioned itself as an everyman brand that doesn’t sacrifice quality. “We found men had had to go to really high price points to have products they deserved,” said Fagnan, who added that both men and their partners were excited by a range that was legitimately focused on efficacy. Its pimple patches, for example, are thicker than average to extract higher levels of sebum.

Papatui Patches
The brand also designed the patches in two larger sizes to be worn overnight, as men are less accustomed to wearing them as a daytime accessory, added Fagnan. (Kat Borchart)

While established brands such as Gillette, Dove Men + Care and Old Spice still lead the men’s category, premiumised challenger brands like Papatui are growing contenders for shelf space. At Walmart and Target, the brand sits besides buzzy names including Harry’s, Goodfellow & Co and viral Dr Squatch, which was acquired by Unilever in 2025 for a reported $1.5 billion. According to Euromonitor International, men’s skincare is growing faster than the grooming category at large.

But whether it’s a bubble or a shift is hard to say for sure. Beauty forecasters have long prophesied a boom in men’s beauty, only for the reality to resemble more of a whimper. Google Trends also suggests fluctuating interest: After a peak in interest in February, searches for men’s skincare have now subsequently dulled.

But at locations where men already shop, such as Target, Walmart and large-scale drugstore chains, a Google search isn’t necessary: The product is already there. “For men’s skincare, it’s about removing as much friction as possible in finding the product,” said Marc Terlet, co-founder of men’s skincare brand Horace, which launched into 200 Boots stores in the UK on Monday.

Men’s brands such as Blvd & Co, California Naturals and Papatui are utilising these channels to reach not only men, but their wives, girlfriends and mums. “A lot of mums are shopping for a household solution,” said Fagnan, adding that the brand caters to partners, dads and sons through an ethos of simplicity, as well as light scents such as lush coconut, made in partnership with dsm-firmenich perfumer Frank Voelkl, that a whole house might enjoy.

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It works for the retailers, too, Fagnan added. “Target had the men’s care section in their stores, but men’s face care had not really broken through. It was a completely new revenue source.” The success of Papatui’s undereye patches, an instant bestseller in a category not traditionally associated with men, also suggests that they’re opening up to a world beyond shaving foam.

Papatui acne range
"We want them to take away that this is serious skincare, but it shouldn't stress you out, it shouldn't be intimidating," said Fagnan. (Courtesy of Papatui)

“We’re listening to them,” said Fagnan. “We’re asking what else they’re looking for: Papatui can create a solution.”

What else is new…

Skincare

Who: Glow Recipe x Beautyblender

What: Watermelon Glow Minis and Beautyblender set ($48)

When: March 18

Why: While mini versions of Glow Recipe’s bestselling Watermelon Mist, Dew Drops and Dewy Flush make for a solid bundle, the addition of an (albeit cute) themed Beautyblender feels confused. As senior beauty correspondent and special projects editor Daniela Morosini asked: Who applies their skincare with a sponge?

Glow Recipe Beauty Blender
The brands say that the sponge's ultra-soft texture works seamlessly across makeup and skincare, and should aid product absorption. (Juan Cazares)

***

Who: Medicube

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What: PDRN Pink Caffeine Collagen Eye Patches and 3-Step Facial Device ($24.90, $338)

When: March 13 and March 17

Why: The newest addition to Medicube’s vegan PDRN (meaning no randy salmon) line contains all the right beauty buzzwords: patches, caffeine, collagen. The Korean skincare giant also launched a three-in-one set for its device, the Booster Pro Plus, with interchangeable heads for contouring and cleansing.

***

Who: Evereden

What: Sephora launch (from $18)

When: March 18

Why: Was the whole “Sephora-tween” thing a prophecy? This week, kid-favourite Evereden entered Sephora US this week following huge success in Canada. It joins Sincerely Yours in the tween section, and brings 12 of its candy-coloured bestsellers, including kids face cream, shampoo and hair and body mists.

Makeup

Who: Victoria Beckham Beauty

What: Posh Lip ($39)

When: March 18

Why: The Beckhams have been busy. A week after news hit of Harper Beckham’s upcoming K-beauty-inspired line Hiku, matriarch Victoria has reintroduced her line’s nude-y lipsticks, newly named Posh Lip.

Fragrance

Who: Harry’s

What: Scent Labs Drops: Cold Plunge ($18)

When: March 19

Why: Harry’s is launching scents like streetwear. Scent Labs monthly limited edition body wash drops are timely and cultural — the first, called Redacted, was a Santal 33 dupe created with the con artist-turned-actual socialite Anna Delvey. This month’s — Cold Plunge — is inspired by the rising popularity of ice plunges.

***

Who: Dia Art Foundation x Comme des Garçons Parfums

What: Dia x Meg Webster

When: March 19

Why: Comme des Garçons has released its first fragrance of 2026, developed in collaboration with the sculptor Meg Webster. Naturally, it comes in a “polished silver tetrahedral box” and can be found at select CDG retailers, Dover Street Market and Dia Shop.

***

Who: Ôrəbella

What: Jasmine Blues ($100)

When: March 20

Why: Bella Hadid’s fragrance brand might be getting into drops? Her latest scent, a white floral inspired by the garden of her childhood home in southern California, is available first on TikTok Shop before rolling into Ulta Beauty stores around the world until it sells out: Then its gone forever. Or, at least, until the inevitable restock.

***

Who: Glossier

What: You Soie ($82)

When: March 26

Why: The Business of Beauty executive editor Priya Rao sat down with Glossier CEO Colin Walsh this week to find out what’s next for the brand. Up first is a new addition to its wildly popular fragrance range: You Soie, a citrusy, floral perfume — and likely a rarity as the brand pulls back on new launches.

Glossier You Soie
The "silky and sensual" scent contains notes of bergamot, evening jasmine and ambrox. (Courtesy of Glossier)

Hair care

Who: Colorwow

What: Get in Shape 2-in-1 Working Hairspray ($30)

When: March 16

Why: While a one-step shampoo-and-conditioner is still (rightfully) frowned upon, hair care is becoming increasingly multifunctional. This week, Colorwow picked up on consumer fatigue with 20-step hair care routines by combining heat protection with its latest “working” hairspray, a sister to its wildly popular Get in Shape hair mousse.

Body care

Who: Surface Deep

What: Ulta.com launch (from $19.50)

When: March 17

Why: The body care brand Surface Deep, created by dermatologist Alicia Zalka MD, is now available online at Ulta, ahead of Bloomingdale’s and QVC availability later in the year. Surface Deep was the first glycolic acid-based deodorant to hit the market: Its range of sprays, wipes, pads and washes aims to cleanse scent rather than merely masking it.

***

Who: Flewd

What: Cramp Deleting bath soak ($10.95 each)

When: March 18

Why: Stress-relief bathing brand Flewd has added menstrual care to its collection of soaks. Its new Cramp Deleting bath soak contains vitamins, magnesium and omega-6 to calm inflammation and lower stress levels, and is available in both scented and unscented multipacks.

And finally…

Colourpop Instagram
Colourpop recently made a splash by parodying brand Instagram apologies. (Colourpop via Instagram)

Colourpop dabbled in a touch of controversy marketing this week. The brand posted a spoof apology — “Addressing that deleted post” — to promote the launch of its upcoming Blush Stix reformulation. While some commenters were turned off, the post gained 90,000 likes overnight, gaining far more traction than a simple launch post. Though unsustainable, it’s an interesting example of brands’ attempts to cut through the noise.

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Want to dive deeper into an insight from this article? Check out The Brain of Fashion, BoF’s new generative AI tool where you can unlock BoF’s beauty archive with a single question.

Further Reading

Can Mikayla Nogueira Sell Fragrance, Too?

The beauty influencer is hoping her 20 million-strong following can cut through the category’s oversaturation with Only Sunshine, a tropical scent launched with indie brand Snif.

Clean Beauty’s Quiet Comeback

Credo Beauty has added stylish clean makeup brand Saie to its portfolio, as the category enters a mature, results-driven era.

Can Nars Keep Winning Complexion?

With its biggest launch in years, Nars is hoping to consolidate its reputation as a category leader in foundations and concealers. But the fight to stay on top has never been harder.

About the author
Rachael Griffiths
Rachael Griffiths

Rachael Griffiths is a Senior Editorial Associate at The Business of Beauty. She is based between St Helens and London, and covers beauty, wellness and industry news.

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