Men's Skin Care

[kapay]

I was just wondering what line of men's skin care do people prefer. I've searched and stumbled upon a few threads stating that people generally didn't like Lab Series moisturizers and did like Kiehl's moisutrizers. However, I was also thinking along the lines of face washes, exfoiliants/scrubs/masks, as well as moisturizers. I went to Macy's the other day and was looking at Clinique m-lotion and the employees seemed to push the entire line of Lab Series stuff more. I liked the Lab Series lip balm since it worked immediately and I have extremely dry lips even with the use of Carmex. Although people liked the Kiehl's moisturizer, I'm a little weary of it because the Kiehl's website seemed to focus their products on the shaving routine where I don't really need to worry about that so much (I use Art of Shaving stuff already). I just want a clean face and products that work.

 

[horton]

I'm no expert on this, but I use Jack Black moisturizer and like it. Would be interested in thoughts of others.

I used to use AoS products for shaving, but have switched to some of the English products you see favorably mentioned on this board, e.g., Trumpers

 

[Matt]

i basically use Body Shop everything - like it.

Shaving cream, face scrub, tea tree oil face wash, jodana body wash, tea tree oil body scrub, aftershave balm.

i am very happy with it

 

[hermes]

i find that no one skin care line can provide all your needs and as such, mixing and matching specific products from different lines is a must

i prefer products from baxter of california, korres, ren, nickel and menscience with a smattering of individual products used from molton brown, kiehl's, anthony logistics, brave soldier and kinesys sport (the latter two being more athletic specific products for guys)

i tend to avoid the big mass marketed products, they just don't perform well for me although many guys swear by them

there's a lot out there as compared to even five years ago as the men's market is still maturing

 

[Shorty Long]

here's my daily routine for my face (just switched from all Kiehls products)...

Dr. Bronners Tea Tree Bar soap
Thayer's Lemon Witch Hazel Toner/Astringent
Nancy Boy Facial Moisturizer

 

[Spencer Young]

I adore the Men-U facewash found here. I'd drink it if I could. In all seriousness, it gets my face amazingly clean, leaves no residue, lasts a long time, and travels really well.

Exfoliant wise, I'm running low on the Baxter of California stuff. It works well, but if you have very sensitive skin it could be like rolling around in gravel - the particles in it are rather large and take no prisoners. I'm almost out of the BoC mask, which has been average. I've got some Nancy Boy stuff on the way right now; I'm eager to see how that turns out.

 

[funk_soul_brother]

well, i am a total product whore when it comes to skincare. my bathroom is filled with face washes/toners/exfoliators/moisturizers/masks/serums/etc etc etc. all my friends think i'm insane, but my argument is that my skin is my first impression to the world. its my largest organ and its the one that is exposed to all the *********** air and the sun and everything else. i don't wanna be looking like i'm 50 when i'm 50, savvy? sooooo, hermes -- i love Korres as well. but there are sooooooo many options for you, Kapay, to choose from in this category. the men's grooming industry is literally exploding and there are countless different really great skincare companies. SO, first of all, you need to isolate your skin type. you can spend all the money in the world on the best products, but if you don't buy for your own skin type, its like buying a pair of expensive jeans that not only don't fit properly, but also make you look dreadful. So, there are basically 6 different skin types: Very Dry Normal (with a tendency to get oily) Normal (with a tendency to be dry) Combination (some areas particularly oily, others dry or mixed) Oily (large pores, face gets shiny and oily very soon after washing) Sensitive (skin is prone to rashes, sores, or other such blemishes) every good skincare company will have a large range of products designed specifically for your skin type. you also need to take into consideration where you live. in san francisco you have 4 distinct seasons, and each season may require a slightly modified skincare regime. So, the best overall companies, in my opinion, are (in no particular order): Kiehl's ----- trust me, not only their shaving products are great. nearly everything you buy from them is top quality. they're truly perfected the easy, no fuss, fantastic skin formula. i swear by the Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser -- it's for combination or oily skin (i have combination) and its perfectly gentle enough that it doesn't dry the non-oily parts of my face, but its great at keeping the oil in check as well. helps even skin tone, too. Plus, their Facial Fuel Energizing Moisturizer is superb. it's very light and you can put on as much as you want without worrying about clogging your pores. but, i'm in a very humid climate, so i typically avoid the oily areas on my face with the moisturizer. Aesop ---- this is an Australian company that uses almost 100% natural ingredients to make their amazing skincare products. i have and ADORE the Amazing Face Cleanser. it is supposed to be used with cool or lukewarm water and it leaves my face feeling so completely clean and smooth it's unbelievable. I also love their Primrose Facial Cleansing Mask. Its a mask designed for patchy or combination skin and i put it on every Sunday afternoon. it really keeps my skin tone ballanced. I am living in Seoul, where it's very humid and polluted, so this virtually restores my skin to its healthy base and cleans out all the environmental **** that i've accumulated throughout the week. Shiseido ---- Many people swear by this Japanese company. i have to confess that i've only tried their toner and face wash, but both are fantastic. the Shiseido Men Cleansing Foam is thick and smooth (though actually one time i got a tube that had exfoliant scrubs in it... exact same package though). it glides onto your face and when you rinse, you can hear that perfectly clean squeak. it can be a little too harsh for me to use all the time however. Malin + Goetz -- I don't have any of their products on rotation right at the moment, however I absolutely love their Vitamin E Face Moisturizer. This is a great, lightweight moisturizer that is reasonably priced and works wonders for softness. i did notice that if i put very much of it on the areas of my face that get oily, it did add to the problem. But that's not to say that this is a bad product. on the contrary, its quite awesome and if you have Normal skin i'd definitely recommend it. La Prairie -- almost everything that they produce is extremely expensive. however, they have a BRILLIANT moisturizer which i use every other month that i'm not using Kiehl's. it's called Cellular Purifying Hydrating Fluid, but what all that basically means is that this **** is the absolute best. it gets right into your skin on a cellular level and moisturizes there. this particular moisturizer is crafted to control the oil in your skin, so during the hot months when the air is so dense and my skin gets most oily, this is exactly what i use. its what i'm using right now and it just is the most amazing stuff. other great companies that haven't been mentioned: L'Occitane Dr. Hauschka Zihr Dermalogica Peter Thomas Roth hope i've helped!

 

[Artisan Fan]

Kiehl's ----- trust me, not only their shaving products are great. nearly everything you buy from them is top quality. they're truly perfected the easy, no fuss, fantastic skin formula. i swear by the Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser -- it's for combination or oily skin (i have combination) and its perfectly gentle enough that it doesn't dry the non-oily parts of my face

Heartily agree. I've tried a lot but Kiehls is terrific-use the cleanser on my face and the Close Shavers Squadron shave cream. I also like Clinique for Mean face scrub and some of the Zihr products.

 

[funk_soul_brother]

you're in Alpharetta?

do you ever hear any wild Whitney/Bobby stories? i think she used to be the most gifted vocalist in popular music, but now obviously things have changed. she also used to be impossibly beautiful. i hope she's getting back on track and leaving her abusive husband.

 

[kapay]

Wow, thanks for the info! That's great. I've heard the whole using the right products for the right skin type thing but my skin is combination. Dry where my nose meets my face and where my ears meet my face but oily everywhere else. Only thing is most products seem to either dry/normal or oily/normal but never both. I was afraid I'd have to buy two kinds for use on specific parts of my face. I also used to have rashes occasionally but I wouldn't say I was prone to them. Anyways. I'll definately give the Foaming non-detergent washable cleanser a try. I was wondering if you have any opinions on The Body Shop products. Originally that's what I intended on buying but didn't really have my heart set on it or anything.

P.S. I never even knew Shiseido sold a men's line. My mom is one of those people that swears by it. And thanks to everyone that responded. I really appreciate it.

 

[Artisan Fan]

do you ever hear any wild Whitney/Bobby stories?

We see them at stores and restaurants from time to time. Bobby is said to be quite a jerk.

What was cool recently was seeing Andre Benjamin in a yellow Ferrari last week at the movie theater on Mansell. I once sat next to him in First Class and has a nice chat for a few hours. Very nice man and knows music.

 

[funk_soul_brother]

do NOT use any of The Body Shop products on your face. their washes are full of strong fragrances and chemicals, and they will do you no good. it's truly worth it to spend the extra few dollars and get something incredible. and you're welcome!

i'm glad i could help.

 

[LabelKing]

I use a combination of Prada Skincare, Erno Laszlo, and Sisley.

 

[Get Smart]

I've been using Zihr for a couple years, but honestly don't see any effect (good or bad). It's not like I started using all this **** and looked in the mirror going "wow my skin looks great". But i still use it, just in case.

 

[LabelKing]

La Prairie tends to use a large amount of alpha-hydroxies in their products; however, their Cellular Balancing Mask is very nice.

Along the lines of La Prairie is Sisley Paris, which also tends to run expensive but lovely for an "organic" feel.

Funk_Soul_Brother, I believe you have Steven Meisel's Asexual Revolution spread for W as your icon.