Male vanity comes of age (3)
17 Jun 2009 6 Comments
by riomay1962 in Bad Idea, Junking Soap, More Expensive Skin Cleansers, More Oil, More Sophisticated Skin Tags: Alcohol-based Astringents, Astringents, Bad Practices, Conventional Wisdom, Deadly Cycle, Drying Effect, Evening Functions, Excess Oil, Harmful Practice, Harsh Astringents, Nail Polish, Oil-regulating Line, Oily Skin, Opposite Effect, pH Balance, Regular Washing, Skin Cleansers, Sophisticated Skin
Bad practices
Like people at My Beauty Hub, King and her colleagues at Nivea have taken pains to correct consumers’ commonly accepted but harmful practices in skin care.
Conventional wisdom, for instance, dictates that the best way to manage oily skin is via regular washing with soap and water. Some even resort to strong, alcohol-based astringents to keep the shine at bay. Bad idea.
King describes such practices as part of the “deadly cycle.” Since soap and harsh astringents have a drying effect, they strip the skin of its so-called pH balance. That’s not the end of it.
Stripping your skin of excess oil has an opposite effect. In no time at all, the brain will feel something is amiss with your skin and signal it to produce more oil. In short, the more you strip your skin of oil, the oilier it becomes.
“That’s why we have an oil-regulating line,” King adds. “The trick isn’t to strip the face of oil, but to regulate it.”
It seems Gonzalez and Coscolluela are right in junking soap and water in favor of more sophisticated and expensive skin cleansers. But are they brave enough to use makeup for men, especially if doing so will make them look like a brooding Johnny Depp?
“As long as it’s not too obvious, why not?” says Gonzalez, “If the occasion calls for it, especially during evening functions, I don’t see anything wrong.”
“I’m not going to say no, but neither am I going to say yes,” says Coscolluela. “I think they’re good products, and if they work for you, then use them. I draw the line at lipstick and nail polish. The eyeliner is something I have to think about.”
Eyeliner for daily use? Men have indeed come a long way from their soap-and-water days. – Alex Vergara avergara@inquirer.com.ph
