P&G Veteran Francesco Urso’s New Brand The Wolf Project Draws Men Into The Sheet Mask Craze

Francesco Urso, founder of men’s skincare brand The Wolf Project, considers himself the average man.

“If I enjoy skincare, I feel my friends will enjoy it and, if I go beyond my friends, there’s a bigger market,” he says. “Men’s skincare is only 5% to 10% of what women’s skincare is, but the world is 50/50 men and women, so there’s clearly a lot of work to be done. I think the market can double over the next couple of years, and that’s billion and billions of dollars.”

While Urso’s description of himself as the average man is suspect—the globetrotter was raised in Switzerland, Italy and the United States, and served as Procter & Gamble’s brand manager for Pantene in China—his theory about men’s skincare is borne out in industry activity and shifting gender norms that are influencing consumer behavior. Brands are pouring into the men’s personal care segment (see Harry’s, Oars + Alps, Brickell, Tiege Hanley, Triumph & Disaster, Scotch Porter, Maapilim and Cardon) to chase sales increases that could exceed 5% annually and cater to guys opening up to spiffing up.

The Wolf Project
The Wolf Project’s bamboo charcoal sheet mask is specifically designed for the dimensions of male faces.

“Even before the #MeToo era, I was totally comfortable with a man being in touch with his emotional side and taking care of himself with things that are typically feminine, although they definitely don’t have to be,” says Urso. “Why should using a BB cream—a product I love when my eyes are fatigued—be particularly feminine? I fundamentally believe men should and can evolve. The time is now to evolve what masculinity means and create a concept of manhood that’s more advanced than the values we grew up with.”

BB creams could be in The Wolf Project’s future, but the brand today is distinguishing itself in the burgeoning men’s skincare field with a sheet mask designed specifically for men and mid-tier pricing. Sheet masks, a staple of women’s skincare routines and a strong revenue engine, aren’t yet ubiquitous for men. The Wolf Project’s take on the item taps Korean skincare prowess, has a larger surface area than sheet masks generally to suit larger male faces, isn’t overly goopy because guys detest excess residue and is black, a masculine color that comes from bamboo charcoal.

“Why should using a BB cream—a product I love when my eyes are fatigued—be particularly feminine? I fundamentally believe men should and can evolve. The time is now to evolve what masculinity means.”

“Face masks are an effective and efficient product,” says Urso. “They’re effective because you really see an impact after 15 minutes and you have a first-use wow, and it’s efficient because you only have to use it for 15 minutes a week. If you really want to push it, you can use it twice a week.”

The face mask joins a face cleanser, hydrating lotion and leak-resistant silicone toiletry bag in The Wolf Project’s debut assortment. A pack of five masks is priced at $24.50. In a kit with the three other products, it’s $49.50. Since The Wolf Project’s website went live in May, 60% of customers visiting it to buy the face mask decide to pick up the kit once they are prompted to at checkout. Early sales have been roughly evenly split between the face mask pack and kit. In men’s skincare overall, women often purchase the products, but it’s men that are driving The Wolf Project’s orders so far.

The Wolf Project founder Francesco Urso
The Wolf Project founder Francesco Urso

The man shopping The Wolf Project’s products isn’t a skincare neophyte, according to Urso. He figures the primary customer already has a lotion and cleanser in his skincare rotation. The customer is interested in skincare, but he’s put off by personal care that’s overly fussy. Urso explains, “He likes things that are readymade. He doesn’t want to spend too much time thinking about different products.” The kit appeals to his readymade tastes. The Wolf Project’s customer is elevating his skincare routine, but he isn’t willing to shell out $68 for a Shiseido Men cream.

“In men’s skincare, there are two different worlds. There are low-priced L’Oréal products that are the first point of entry into the market for many people at around $5 to $10. Then, once men buy into skincare, they’re upgraded to Biotherm or Kiehl’s, and those products are $30 and above,” says Urso. “I found those worlds disconnected and, through consumer research, I felt the right play was around $20 to $25 per product. The prices allow me to have healthy margins and be different from the cheaper brands. I don’t want to compete with L’Oréal.”

“I felt the right play was around $20 to $25 per product. The prices allow me to have healthy margins and be different from the cheaper brands. I don’t want to compete with L’Oréal.”

Men’s skincare is frequently thought of as a millennial phenomenon, and The Wolf Project certainly has drawn millennial customers. The age range of its customers spans 25- to 65-years-old, with 25- to 34-year-olds a key component of the audience. However, Urso points out 55- to 64-year-olds have turned out to be surprisingly avid customers. He says, “My dad is 60. Why would people like my dad buy a sheet mask? They have signs of aging, and they have disposable income to pay for skincare.”

Self-funded The Wolf Project cost less than $100,000 to get off the ground. Urso declined to share sales projections for its initial year in business. He is currently in the process of trying to secure capital to support the brand. To acquire customers, The Wolf Project is focused on social media advertising in the U.S. that promotes its skincare benefits. Traditional retail expansion is expected. Urso envisions the brand heading to a specialty retailer like Sephora, where sheet masks made for men aren’t offered. He also plans to develop a flagship experience that he compares to Heyday with services and products tailored to guys.

The Wolf Project
The Wolf Project’s skincare set comes with a lotion, cleanser, pack of five sheet masks and leak-resistant silicone toiletry bag for $49.50.

Urso chose the name The Wolf Project for his brand because it sounded masculine without having to broadcast that it’s for men. He opted for forest green as its chief color to set the brand apart from the sea of black packaging in the men’s skincare space. As unisex offerings mount in the beauty and grooming segment, Urso asserts there remains compelling reasons why products and brands geared toward men are relevant.

“Men and women react differently to different things. They are still different animals with different preferences,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but I don’t see it changing any time soon. There will be some unisex beauty care, but there’s still going to mostly be a big separation in men’s and women’s beauty care.”