Deep Patel, founder of Blu Atlas, drove a culture shift in men’s grooming, ushering in a new era of innovation and quality.
The history of men’s grooming products is one of increasing acceptance. Though a handful of celebrities, including David Bowie and Mick Jagger, wore makeup in the early 1970s, men’s skincare and hair products tended to be of low quality.
Hairspray and conditioner remained firmly in the women’s space. Men who wanted to care for their hair and skin were forced to use products specifically marketed to women, like Noxzema skin cream, Fabergé shampoo, and Aqua Net hairspray.
Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, most men were still afraid to let go of inhibitions or defy expectations. Because so many men feared rejecting the traditional standards of masculinity—or didn’t even consider it an option—no one in the cosmetics industry knew whether the emerging attitude adopted by the fringes would stick or how far it would go.
That reluctance showed in the products on the shelves. Yes, the variety of grooming products expanded to meet men’s evolving needs, but the formulations didn’t change. Men’s products remained harsh, in contrast to the gentler items that had been available for women since the 1960s.
Women had been using clean, skin-friendly products since Dr. Hauschka hit the shelves in 1967. However, men with allergies or other skin sensitivities had to resort to products that weren’t made for them.
In the late 1980s, a few small companies began offering high-end grooming products for men. In 1987, Dennis Paphitis’ Aesop began selling a line of gender-neutral personal hygiene items. Nevertheless, male grooming remained a niche category, and the products tended to be either low quality or extremely expensive.
Changing Attitudes
In the middle of the 1990s, metrosexuals came on the scene and things began to shift. Australian company Vitaman began marketing clean options for men in 1999. After that, industry mainstays like L’Oréal, Nivea, and Clinique, which had previously just dipped their toes in the water, finally decided it was safe to dive in. In 2012, L’Oréal bought Aesop for $3.7 billion.
By the late 2010s and early 2020s, all the big players in the industry were offering products for men. Advertising changed as well. Marketing in the 2020s steered far clear of Axe’s over-the-top adverts. Packaging concepts shunned the loud neons and unhinged designs of the 1990s. The 21st-century man was more refined than that.
Men gravitated toward products in sleek, stylish, minimalistic containers. The products that sold reflected the traits men desired: being capable while looking sharp.
Many men now, no matter where they fall on the gender spectrum, have no qualms about blurring the lines between what’s feminine and masculine. That boldness and confidence is defining manliness for the younger generations. These days, anyone who thinks about calling out younger celebs like Timothée Chalamet for wearing lip tint and nail polish may end up answering for it to a man wearing pigtail braids named Snoop Dogg.
In the 2020s, as gender barriers evaporated, a few sharp-eyed entrepreneurs saw what men were clamoring for: clean, high-quality grooming products that wouldn’t break the bank. One of the first on the scene was Deep Patel, whose company Blu Atlas set the standard, ushering in a new age in men’s grooming.
Clean Options for Men
Though Patel was in his early twenties when he founded Blu Atlas, he had been passionate about entrepreneurship for a number of years. At the age of 17, he’d written A Paperboy’s Fable, partly based on his father’s experiences in small business. The book was published to considerable acclaim by Post Hill Press and in 2016 was selected as the best business book by Success Magazine.
In 2019, Patel founded Penguin CBD, which was focused on offering clean, GMO-free products at an affordable price. The brand became a hit, and in 2021, he sold the company in a multi-million-dollar all-cash deal to Verma Farms.
Flush with capital, and casting about for the next stop on his entrepreneurial journey, Patel realized it was right under his nose. For years, he had struggled with sensitive skin and searched for personal care products that wouldn’t cause irritation. He brought his experience in developing clean products to bear on the problem of men’s grooming.
The result was Blu Atlas, which saw instant popularity. It was clear that Patel had cracked the code, creating affordable products that contained no harsh chemicals and, crucially, were highly effective. As men’s skincare moved from niche to necessity, Blu Atlas became one of the biggest breakout brands. Patel’s products were everywhere—on influencers’ shelves, in viral TikToks, in best-of lists.
Here’s a quick lesson for big players in any industry: If you don’t offer niche products that an entrepreneur like Patel needs, a market-shaker like Blu Atlas is the inevitable result. As Patel says, “We saw a gap—clean, high-performance formulations that didn’t compromise on scent, feel, or quality. We set out to raise the bar, and based on the response, I’d say we did exactly that.”
Masculinity in the 21st Century
Ideas of masculinity in the 21st century have changed. Men have leveled up. They’re fully aware of their own needs and have taken charge of fulfilling them. No longer shackled to gender norms, they take a fresh approach to fashion, fitness, and grooming in order to define themselves.
Men were telling the big cosmetics companies what they wanted for more than 50 years. Now, because those behemoths didn’t take heed of their customers’ demands, they’ve lost their grip. Entrepreneurs like Deep Patel and Augustinus Bader, who knew firsthand that the big players weren’t giving up the goods, took matters into their own hands.
Only after smaller companies like Blu Atlas and Byredo began offering extensive and varied product lines—including clean shampoos, cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and oils—did the big players begin to follow suit. Now, men have access to clean, skin-safe grooming and hygiene products to help with all facets of their beautifying routines, no matter how complex.
Not all of these innovators chose to keep riding the men’s grooming wave. Like Dennis Paphitis a decade before, Deep Patel decided to sell Blu Atlas in order to maintain its upward momentum and give it more options in the market. Foundry Brands bought the company for an undisclosed eight-figure amount.
Patel’s success, and that of the other leaders in the high-end men’s grooming economy, was made possible by a major cultural shift. Men in the 21st century learned what true masculinity is. It’s not what society or culture determines for them, thus limiting their choices. Men now know that confidence is what really makes a man. They’ve realized that masculinity is being bold enough to define themselves rather than living within the boundaries of others’ expectations.
They do this now through self-care: physical, psychological, intellectual, and aesthetic. They own their look. They own their attitude.
Words – Ben Tibbits
