Moisturizer is going manly. And it's bringing scrubs, buffers, oils, creams and eye gels with it.

According to recent studies, skin care is a growing interest of the modern man. In a 2004 survey by WSL Strategic Retail, men say they bought 16 percent more skin care products than they did in the previous year. Women reported spending only 10 percent more on skin care.

The target market of this niche are men ages 18 to 34, says Candace Corlett, principal of WSL.

"Young men grew up hanging out at the mall and are much more comfortable shopping," Corlett says. "And they are shopping to take care of themselves - clothes, hair, skin."

As American men pay more attention to their skin, companies are paying more attention to men. Leading the trend is Nivea for Men, according to Corlett.

Nivea for Men launched its American line in 2001, although it has been in Europe for 20 years, says Joe Venezia, marketing manager of Nivea for Men.

"The line was pretty successful from the get-go" in the U.S., Venezia says. "But we couldn't launch (the line) five years before."

In 2001, although many high-end men's skin care lines were available, nothing existed in the mass-market area before Nivea introduced its initial seven products. The line was expanded to include shaving gels, aftershave balms, face washes, scrubs and moisturizers. The focus of the line is geared toward cleansing, shaving, soothing and caring for the skin, Venezia says.

"We are trying to teach them a regimen," Venezia says. "And men are becoming more comfortable with it."

Comfort and convenience are major concerns of male shoppers. This is why the men's skin care market is seeing its biggest gains among mass-market retailers. To reach male customers, Nivea's products are introduced alongside razors and deodorant.

Market growth comes from the bottom, says Paco Underhill, author of "Call of the Mall." Beyond that, men think that incorporating a skin care regimen into their daily routine will be time-consuming and complicated, he says.

Curran Dandurand says she recognized these potential hurdles while developing Jack Black men's skin care line in 2000. A 17-year veteran executive of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Dandurand says she stepped out to fill a "real void in the market" by developing a high-end, masculine line of products because most of what she saw were offshoots of women's cosmetics.

Dandurand described her line as distinctive, genuine and approachable.

"Most guys have never used anything but Barbasol," Dandurand says. "So we kept the concept simple, not too confusing, and it doesn't remind him of what his wife is using."

Department stores including Nordstrom have moved men's grooming products away from the women's cosmetic areas into the men's department.

"We try to make shopping convenient and comfortable," says Deniz Anders, spokeswoman for Nordstrom. She added that the move was because men were more comfortable shopping for grooming products within the men's department.

Of the products, the Beard Lube and Hand Healer are the best sellers, says Dandurand.

Soul Haus is a men's clothing store in Denver that carries several high-end men's skin care lines including Jack Black. Owner Stephanie Shearer says she has carried the product since 2002 but has seen a surge in the men's skin care market since the launch of the Bravo network's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" reality show.

Before the show aired, men experimented with products "but weren't admitting it to their buddies," Shearer says.

Shearer and her husband, Chris Bacorn, watch the show together, and he says that "the tips are awesome." He now only uses cold water to shave, but still admits that he "shaves against the grain."

In the past year, Bacorn has switched from using a grocery store brand shaving gel to a higher-end product called Colonel Conk. He admits that he first tried it because his friend used it and thought it was cool. He also uses an alpha hydroxy moisturizer on his face.

Jack Black's advantage is that it has trained associates who consult with men and educate them on the products that are best for them, Dandurand says.

"Initially, education is what a guy needs so he gets the right products," she says.

In the line's first few years, 75 percent of its initial sales were by women shopping for men. Now, those numbers have shifted to 50 percent of men making their first purchase of Jack Black, Dandurand says.

"Men are like women; they like products that make them feel good," Dandurand says. "But the key to succeeding with men is too keep it simple, keep it real, and keep it masculine so they feel comfortable and feel that it is for them."