Brainwash your guy on skincare

NEW YORK—I recently had dinner with Filipino friends and one of the guys—a tennis instructor—looked tanner than usual. Curious, and wanting a dose of bronze myself, I asked, “Did you go to the beach?”

He replied, “I’ve been teaching eight-hour classes everyday, back to back.” This translated to hours and hours of baking under the sun at the rooftop tennis court.

“Oh…” I trailed off. My order of shrimp satay arrived just in time to politely silence the beginning of a lengthy (unsolicited) SPF lecture—a monologue straight out of a magazine article touting the merits of proper sun protection.

I realized, most men don’t seem to care much about lines and wrinkles, especially since these days, looking sun-kissed marks a stately, healthy lifestyle that is almost like a status symbol representing lavish vacations and time spent languidly enjoying the summer sun.

So if you are attempting to convince a guy to pick up proper skincare habits, broach the subject in bite-size morsels:

1. CLEANSE AND EXFOLIATE. Dominic Vitale, manager at the Kiehl’s Flagship Store in Manhattan, gladly gave a thorough walk-through of the men’s line. Hands-down, the star product for me is the “Ultimate Man” Body Scrub Soap—a gigantic bar that fits manly hands and sloughs away dullness-causing debris, and leaves the most pleasant citrus-clean scent. It is a must for every boyfriend’s bathroom.

2. PROTECT. It’s almost cliché, but there is no getting around the subject: Everyone must use SPF daily. Thankfully, the man-friendly packaging, scent and formula of products like L’Oréal Men’s Expert Stop Lines Moisturizer and Comfort Max After Shave Balm, both with SPF 15, make it easy and simple for guys to get into the habit of slathering sunscreen—every single day.

3. REINFORCE. Much is to be said about rewarding good behavior. As you see improvements, make sure to recognize the effort, and say something encouraging like, “Your skin looks brighter now and feels softer!” Resorting to positive reinforcement ensures you don’t come across as a nag, as your man gets used to his new skincare routine and reaps beautiful, crease-free results.

Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen and Ok! Magazine. She is now based in New York City. Visit NyMinuteNow.blogspot.com.

(Original article link here.)