Male Grooming- All Input Welcome!

[Skye]

Ladies and

Gents,

I would like to ask for advice, suggestions and open a discussion on the above topic.

I was surfing the

web on some male skin care products when I thought it would be a good idea to post this here and share whatever

information could be obtained, gather some advice (esp. from the ladies) and just hear everyone\'s two cents

worth.

This post relates to:
- Male Facial / Skin Care
- Shaving advice / tips / products
- Male Shower / Hair

products.

Let me start the ball rolling.

First, some background info.

-I don\'t have a problem with acne

or zits or bad skin BUT when I do get zits, they are usually deep, cystic and take a freaking long time to

heal. Also, no matter how well they heal, I tend to get minor discolouration / scarring. I have mid-sized pores,

that can get clogged.

-I have regular skin, not too oily nor dry. But being in Chicago, the wind tends to dry

everything. So moisturizer is a must. Sensitive skin is not an issue with me too.

-I used to keep my hair longer,

but have recently decided to go for the shorter cut (ie: Nakata, Keanu Reeves type hair... they type that needs gel

or something to avoid bed hair)

Ok, here are some tips / stuff / products I use:

- First, I\'ve decided that

the only way to avoid getting big and nasty zits while the rest of my face looks fine is through daily care. So I

tend to use a scrub (Morning), soap, cleansing agent (night) and moisturizer (when I leave the house).

- I used

to use Clinique (Scrub, Soap, Scruffing lotion and M-Lotion) but I just found it a little too harsh for my

skin. So I discontinued the scruffing lotion and M-Lotion. The scruffing lotion was too strong (even the mild one)

and the M-Lotion had this oily feel that just made me feel greasy. It also had a habit of clogging my pores and

giving me multiple small bumps.

-The facial scrub and soap I still use as they are fine with me.

-I switched

to Skin Biology (Protect and Restore) for my mosturizer. This is by far the best product I have found. It does not

clog my pores and does not feel oily. However, it does smell funky....like plastic...

-Clearing of zits are

usually acomplished with the exfol cream from skin biology too (their products are very expensive, so you do have to

restrain your usage)

-Astrigent-wise, I have yet to find a satisfactory one.
(suggestions are

welcome)

-Shaving-wise, I usually shave after a morning bath.

-Then I use a regular gillette cream and a march

3 turbo razor. I let the cream sit for awhile before I shave. I use cold water to clean and wash. This helps by

stopping any cuts that I have. For my after-shave balm, I have two products to recommend. Clinique Happy and the

Issey Miyake after shave emulsion, Both are top class products that can double as a moisturizer (abeit expensive

one). They also get me into trouble very often [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

-Oh yes, a

good shaving cream other than gillette is the one from clinique. However, I ran out, and its also pricy. But I do

experience signifigantly less nicks and cuts with it.

-Hair products-wise, I have three brands. The first is

\"Osmo Essence\" (Shaper) This one smells really good, does not feel heavy or waxy but is not water-based. The

next is the \"di:fi\" brand (heavy wax), i feel this gives a strong hold,smells good too but at the cost of

feeling a bit \"gunky\"... finally \"American Crew\" (I can\'t recall which one right now...). This one gives

a pretty light hold too, but just smells abit too weird for me. Some ladies like it, some hate it... I personally

hate the smell.

-Bath products wise, soap and regular shampoo are what I use. Still, I would like to ask for some

suggestions here. Any good products to recommend? I\'d rather smell like a guy (you know folgere type of

scent). I\'ve heard that \"The Body Shop\" has great products, but I have never tried them personally.

Any

ladies or gents out there interested in contributing their views, advice and product recommendations are very

welcome.

[Bruce]

Skye,

I\'ll throw this out for what its worth, but both my wife and I had terrible problems with zits from

hell while we were living in Japan and have never had problems with them before or since.

My wife got her first

one not long after delivering our second kid. It started out as a zit on her leg about mid-calf I think it was. It

got worse and worse until she complained to me about it hurting. I put clay packs on it every day mixed with golden

seal and myrrh and it still got worse and worse until it became a serious boil. At that point we went to her doctor

who opened it and poured some serious antibiotic powder into the wound. He gave her some oral medicine too and it

went away. he said something about her hormones going back to normal after the pregnancy.

Now it starts to get

weird. Some months after that I got a zit on my nose, which is weird because I probably never had more than a half

dozen in my life, including going thru puberty. I put clay and herbal packs on it and just barely seemed to get it

under control over a period of maybe as long as a month. It would get a little better, then get worse, then finally

cleared up. It was nasty.

Then! 6 months or so after that, I got another little zit on my forearm, which I

treated the same as my nose; only this time it got as big as a larger shooter marble before I finally gave up and

went to the doc (I hate doctors btw). He did his extremely painful thing with it and gave me pills, which I

normally never like to take.

This kicked off a couple year period of zits from hell for both me and my wife.

Face, nose, *inside* of the nose, became popular spots, but they could happen anywhere.

Now the punch line of the

story. I talked to some Japanese friends and it soon became obvious that virtually *everyone* in Japan gets those

kind of zits from time to time. The difference is that they generally put antibiotic ointment on them as soon as

they appear and avoid most of the suffering. One of my students mentioned to me that he was camping in the

mountains when one of his buddies got such a bad zit on his foot that they had to take him to the emergency

room.

Anyway, I still don\'t know what the heck that was all about, but I learned a couple things over the

years.

You might try these:
Wash your face frequently with Dr. Bronner\'s peppermint soap
Get some Rachel

Perry ginseng blue clay mask (use that regularly as a preventative measure and places that you are prone to get

zits)
If you see anything that looks like it zit, hit it hard with the clay and wash well between aplications.


Keep an eye on it and if it is getting out of hand, put some antibiotic ointment on it. (I don\'t like

resorting to that, but sometimes there seems to be no other choice)

Bruce

[franki]

Is it

something in the japanese food? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Holmes]

Post deleted by Holmes

[Bruce]

I

noticed that skye is Asian in his bio. I\'m not myself, but I lived over there for about 10 years before I

started having problems. It is very humid over there. It could be the climate.

There are some physical problems

that some races suffer from more than others. The whole time I was in Japan I never met anyone (other than

foreigners living over there) who had any idea what a migraine headache was, and a few other health problems that

are common in the West.

Bruce

[Holmes]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Get some Rachel Perry ginseng blue clay mask (use

that regularly as a preventative measure and places that you are prone to get zits)

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

I\'ve heard good things about that stuff!

I love the Ajune Mochachino Body Scrub.

For

hair, consider something like Redken Rough Paste or Sexy Hair Soy Paste--something along those lines. Sumo Tech is

good, as well.


Holmes

[CJ01]

For

cleaning the skin use ispoproyll alc. It´s cheap and effective!
Those skinbio prods are good !

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Shaving, I

think if you do the recommmened shaving routine you ought to be okay! You can use the iso afterwards. Use those

and I have brilliant,thick,shiny hair [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]a good moisturizer

afterwards, don´t put aftershave stuff on right after shaving! That´s really bad for your skin.

haircare

products I can recommend: KMS and L´oreal. I use those and I have great healthy hair

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
The ones from skinbio are great too but VERY expensive!
CJ

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Skye]

Thanks

for the great advice Bruce, I\'ll definately look into the products mentioned.

Yup, I\'m Asian and I\'m

definately not used to the Chicago climate. Back home where I\'m orginally from, its totally warm, hot and

humid. (Think Florida or Southern Cali...but humidity at 95% all year)

I knew that moisturizer was a must for me

in the Windy City but I had an awful time finding the right one. The ones that felt non-greasy, would just go too

fast and my skin would end up flaking even worse. The ones that where rich or had repairing qualities would feel as

if I smeared a whole oilfield on my face and give me clogged pores.

The funny thing is, when I\'m in summer

weather or back home, all my facial woes disappear. Even regular soap and water does the trick.

Anyhow, the

point of this post (other than avoiding homework) was to share somemore stuff with all you ladies and gents.

Lip

Balm
-Dr Murad \"Soothing Lip Therapy\"
-Its part of this $35 gift set that is supposed to be $76.
(Healthy

Skin Hydrators)
-Trust me, this is good. Think nice, shiny and kissable lips.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] And I\'ve only used it for a week!

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Skin Products (esp. if you have Asian skin)
-Garnier (They

have a whole pdt range, Unisex)
-Does a great job preventing breakouts and for daily care. Its cheap as hell too.


-Unfortunately, I can\'t seem to get this in the US. All the relevant sites ship from the UK / Asia and I

can\'t see myself paying a premium for something that cost alot less where I come from. But if you are in Asia or

Europe or rich, then definately look into this.

Shaving Balm / Cologne
-I know cologne is irrelevant to this

post, but the shaving balm I recommended earlier (Issey Miyake after shave emulsion) can be bought at a steal in a

gift package at (www.sephora.com). It includes a 2.5 EDT (Issey Miyake), a bottle of the balm (with the

same scent as the cologne) and a further bottle of shampoo (which I have yet to try)
-Please bear in mind

gentlemen [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] that this particular Issey Miyake scent has been

dubbed Liquid Panty Remover by many an unsuspecting damsel. I have to say, there is some truth in this.....

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Please keep all the advice and contributions coming!

[CptKipling]

Make sure you wash your

face before you shave. Use hot water and a product that removes grease (I just use shower gel, but then my skin is

very resiliant), and wash thoroughly for a few minutes.

This opens up your pores.

When this is done take your

shaving foam (I use Gillette\'s shaving gel, and a mack 3 turbo) and gently knead it into your skin.

As for

whether to shave up or down, it\'s up to you. I always used to shave up (against the grain) because I got the

closest shaves, but after a while I couldn\'t be bothered with the whole thing, and now I shave about twice a

week. The only problem is that my skin has stopped being so used to me shaving against the grain, so now it hurts to

buggery when I try! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Sexyredhead]

And make sure you get

plenty of water every day. It may sound weird, but it can make a difference.

[CptKipling]

In fact, drinking a

good amount of water has a surprising effect on a number a things, so stay hydrated!

(I can only remember one

other one right now (for increased mass when working out), but there are other\'s that I\'ve forgotten.)

[Holmes]

A gallon a day. At

least.


Holmes

[Sexyredhead]

Are you serious?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] That much a day throws my whole system out of whack.

Eight

to ten glasses is good, unless you\'re in the heat or exercising a lot.

[Elana]

Pay attention SRH! He

isn\'t talking about water. He is talking about vodka.

[Sexyredhead]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Pay attention SRH! He isn\'t talking about water.

He is talking about vodka.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Oh! Well, that\'s different.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Obviously I haven\'t had enough today, since I\'m so slow.

Better go open another fifth....

[Elana]

</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Obviously I haven\'t had enough today, since I\'m so slow. Better go

open another fifth....

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">
or you can save a few bucks and go give

blood before you start drinking. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

[Sexyredhead]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Obviously I haven\'t had enough today, since I\'m so slow. Better go

open another fifth....

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">
or you can save a few bucks and go give

blood before you start drinking. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

True!

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Too bad it\'s Sunday night. Maybe if I just shove a straw in

my arm, it\'ll do the same thing. Hmm.. This vodka\'s working already! I have solutions for everything!

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Elana]

</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Maybe if I just shove a straw in my arm

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">


&lt;insert barfing guy here&gt;

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
That was so gross.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Sexyredhead]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
That was so gross.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

...yet so realistic! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Ever see

that needle they put in your arm when you give blood? It\'s a metal coffee-stirrer-straw-thingy with a tube

attached to it. So maybe with a straw, some aquarium tubing, and a ziploc bag, I can do the same thing right here at

home!

With vodka, who needs MacGuyver? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]




Don\'t try this at home kids! It\'s for the experts only!

[Holmes]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Was joking about the water. Yeah, 8-10 would be the norm.

I

have gone stretches with a lot more (like a gallon), but those were special circumstances.

If you really

want healthy skin and a twinkle in your eye, suck down the Kebap. It\'s a veritable genie in a bottle.


Holmes

[Skye]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] ...mmm... vodka.... (insert homer simpson drawl)

.....

skoal anyone? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[Icarus]

da poifect shayve

coitasy of de emale I sended a buddy o mine regarding da sayme subdject.



Alright dude, here to make your life

as a modern man slightly easier!

Essential Components and Equipment:

A good sharp, three headed razor

(might I recommend the Gillette Turbo) the blade of which should be changed every 2-3 shaves.

Shaving Gel

A

Shaving brush

Aftershave Balm

Moisturiser

Plenty of hot water


Tips and Prep

Don\'t

shave immediatly after getting up, wait 20 minutes or so. (this facilitates having a shower, which is a good chance

to exfoliate your face and get a good deal of hot water over your facial hair which will cause them to expand and

facilitates an easier shave.

Apply an ordinary moisturiser to your face a minute or so before you begin. This

helps in softening the beard and helps to reduce friction between the razorblade and your face.

take the dry

shaving brush and brush it over your chin in small circular motions, thus lifting the hair folicals away from your

face.

Splash your face with almost-too-hot water a few times.

Use the Brush to whip up some of the shave

gel/foam and apply to beard area evenly in small circular motions (as before)

Leave this on yer mug for about

3-4 minutes for the final softening effects.

Believe me, all this guff is worth it.

Method



Note: Throughout shave, use your free hand to gently pull and stretch your skin to create a flat-as-possible

surface for shaving.

Shave in short and slow downward sweeps with steady pressure from the sides of your ears.

The growth is less dense there and requires less lubrication, giving more time for your shaving foam to soften the

tougher growth around your neck and chin. Then start shaving down your cheeks. Before reaching your chin, shave

between your nose and top lip. The last areas that you should shave are your chin and neck, which may require

several sweeps of the razor to remove all the hair (check for stubble with your free hand). It will take some

careful contortions of the blade to lift off all the hair and you may have to attack the beard in this particular

spot with several different approaches, so flout the maxim of shaving-with-the-grain for the sake of a good result -

but go carefully. Lastly, draw the razor under your jawline and down your neck as far as your adam\'s apple,

using your free hand to check for any missed hairs. The final few strokes should be upward from he beginning of

your hair-growth to your adam\'s apple. (If you shave that stuff, I personally wait until I get a chance to get

waxed - much more fun)

Obviously keep the razor clean by dipping in the hot water and tapping it on the sink

every couple of strokes.

Finally, smooth your hands over your face to check again for any missed areas and

carefully reshave those that need it.

Now that you are done, splash your face with COLD water sever times to

further rinse and refresh your skin.

Post Shave

Gently pat your face dry with a soft towel - avoid

rubbing the face, as this weakens the elasticity of the skin and accelerates the visible signs of aging.

Apply

your Post-Shave Balm to only the areas that you actually shaved (You can apply an ordinary moisturiser to the other

parts of your face seperately)

The Balm should contain Tea Tree oil, menthol or another antiseptic to protect

your skin from infection (regardless of cuts or grazes)

Yer Pyoor Dun Big Mahn

Errr, yes. As the

title suggests, you are now ready to face a new day with a perfectly shaven face! But be careful, as there are

Nazis everywhere.


Hah! So there you have it! Shave with integrity and let gallons of rubbing alcohol flow

through the strip!

P.S. I survived Poland by virtue of Vodka alone! Had I not given myself alcohol poisoning

some nasty man and his friends were (unbeknownst to be) apparently going to prematurely shorten my ageing pattern

with some nice sharp things! I had other plans, however, and got myself p!ssing well dead-drunk and went for a nice

trip to the hospital! The intimate touch of stomach pump and catheter still soothes me in the darker

evenings.

DJANGO RULES!!!

Steve

[bjf]

Damn, I didn\'t know

shaving was this complicated! What am I going to do when I finally get laid?

[Holmes]

Stop

shaving.


Holmes

[CptKipling]

I just found that

article on the Bassnotes site, but some of the links wern\'t working so I couldn\'t read it all.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
A gallon a day. At least.


Holmes

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

One oz. per two pounds of body weight.

[Sacogoo]

skye writes:
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Any ladies or gents out there

interested in contributing their views, advice and product recommendations are very welcome.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Let\'s see - For my facial cleansing considerations: Safeguard -

White
Body: Safeguard - White
Shampoo: Safeguard - White

If I\'m feeling frisky (and out of Safeguard),

I\'ll go for Dial - Beige for my face, body and hair. (Yeah, I\'m a nut.)

Lotion: Vaseline brand in the

White Bottle

Now listening to: The Flaming Lips\' \"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots\"

[Sacogoo]

Oh,

I forgot to mention my shaving routine:

Safeguard lather with a Bic single blade disposable whenever I feel like

sculpting the facial hairs into something wacky.

[Holmes]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I\'ll go for Dial - Beige for my face, body and

hair. (Yeah, I\'m a nut.)

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Antibacterial? You wildman!

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]


Holmes

[Mtnjim]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />

Let\'s see - For my facial cleansing

considerations: Safeguard - White
Body: Safeguard - White
Shampoo: Safeguard - White

If I\'m feeling frisky

(and out of Safeguard), I\'ll go for Dial - Beige for my face, body and hair. (Yeah, I\'m a nut.)

Lotion:

Vaseline brand in the White Bottle

Now listening to: The Flaming Lips\' \"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots\"



<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Careful, you might turn into one of those \"Metrosexual\" men!

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]