Launched in March, new e-tailer The 2nd features 17 men’s beauty brands across skincare, beard care, hair care, body, cologne and deodorant. Some include Oars + Alps, Jackfir, Marlowe Skin, Blind Barber, Krete Store, Scotch Porter, Grooming Lounge, Mantl, Geologie and Supply, among others. The young business has bold ambitions that stretch far beyond e-commerce, though. Aiming to become the Sephora of men’s skincare, The 2nd plans to expand into branded brick-and-mortar stores within the next five to 10 years. A subscription box portion of the business will launch within the next year.

Jack Llewellyn-Karski, founder and CEO of The 2nd, says the e-tail business was largely born out of a growing interest among younger gen Z and millennial men in grooming and personal care routines. The brand’s name, The 2nd, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to where the men’s section is typically situated in department stores.

“I think there’s a shift amongst men on understanding and awareness of this stuff,” he says. “There’s a whole generation of men that are looking at themselves and going, ‘man, I didn’t take care of myself and I really need to.’ I think the younger generations already kind of get it. We’re creating that space for them.”

Data proves Llewellyn-Karski’s argument. New survey research from market research firm Mintel shows that 52% of American men use facial skincare products, an increase from 31% in 2022. More specifically, 68% of gen Z men use facial skincare, an increase from 42% in 2022. Men are also increasingly trading up in their skincare, too. In the same survey, Mintel reported that 42% of men between the ages of 18 and 34 prefer to purchase premium facial moisturizers over those from mass-market brands.

Signals of the growing opportunity in men’s beauty abound in the market right now. Earlier this year, Unilever laid out a rumored $1.5 billion for Dr. Squatch, the natural soap brand known for its unabashed masculinity, while investment firm TSG Consumer nabbed a minority stake in Dude Wipes around the same time. Supplement and pharmaceutical company Megalabs also scooped up men’s skincare brand Geologie this year, too.

Hailey Bieber’s Rhode is also getting in on the action. In June, “Babygirl” actor Harris Dickinson was the face of the now E.l.f-owned viral skincare and makeup brand’s Glazing Mist campaign. The move elicited mixed responses from users on Reddit, confused as to why the brand would choose a straight man to head a major beauty campaign. “That view of ‘this [skincare] isn’t masculine,’ it is so dated,” says Llewellyn-Karski. “There’s this movement happening. The proof is in the brands and new brands keep popping up every day.”

He adds, “The quality focus, the ingredient focus now is so in line with the zeitgeist of what we’re all trying to be: a little bit more healthy and a little bit more aware.”

Some men might still need convincing when it comes to bulking out their skincare baskets, though. To counter that, The 2nd is focused on creating eye-catching educational content that also builds awareness for its business. It’s currently working on a social media campaign called, “Dude, What’s Wrong With Your Face?” where participants are approached on the streets of Brooklyn, NY to receive personalized skincare recommendations from a licensed dermatologist. The campaign is set to launch later this year across Instagram and TikTok. Another campaign idea in the pipeline includes going into people’s homes and discussing their skincare and grooming routines.

In addition to pushing out content, The 2nd is also maximizing its growing email list, which has about 25,000 recipients and about a 30% open rate. The business’s average customer is typically between 25- to 45-years-old.

While The 2nd is running Google advertisements, Llewellyn-Karski says it’s staying away from large paid media or influencer investments at the moment. “Let’s not just do ads, let’s make something interesting,” he says of the business’s awareness strategy. “We’re trying to create the engagement through really good content and then back into the product and the shop.”

Advertising is something that Llewellyn-Karski knows a thing or two about. He previously logged a stint at storied advertising agency Wunderman Thompson, formerly known as J. Walter Thompson, working with brands such as Rolex, Bose, Mercedes Benz, Rubbermaid, Sharpie and Yankee Candle.

However, it was a contract assignment as the head of marketing at Disco Skincare, a men’s skincare line that liquidated in 2023, that initially sparked Llewellyn-Karski’s interest in beauty. Erected under new ownership last year, Disco hired Llewellyn-Karski in October to revive its business by rebuilding its website, scaling its influencer program and launching it on TikTok Shop.

Inspired by his gig at Disco and motivated by a lifelong struggle with eczema, Llewellyn-Karski started building The 2nd in late 2024 before leaving Disco in March to launch the e-tailer. “I’ve never been able to put literally anything on my face. And now there’s a big push with all these amazing brands that are really focused on clean products. I got really excited and it all came together,” he says.

Face wash and moisturizer products are seeing the highest demand on The 2nd right now. The e-tailer, which will be in attendance at Beauty Independent’s upcoming show BITE in September, works on a drop-ship model with brands handling fulfillment. However, it plans to transition to a traditional wholesale model as it expands its business in the future. “We want to increase our margins through that and then be able to scale by using a little bit more advertising and more brand awareness campaigns,” says Llewellyn-Karski.

The 2nd is starting to engage with investors to set itself up to scale in the future. However, it’s keeping a realistic perspective when it comes to growth. “This is a long play. It’s not about trying to burn as much cash as we can to try and generate as much awareness. I’ve literally seen how that fails,” says Llewellyn-Karski. “I’ve gone through carcasses of companies and it doesn’t work. Everything is focused on being as realistic as possible and maximizing where we’re at right now.”

This article was revised on Monday, August 7.