The well-oiled man

It’s a totally different ballgame when it comes to summer grooming for men. Did you know that a certain layer of men’s skin is three times thicker than that of a woman’s? We produce more oil and are more prone to clogging up all those little nasties that accumulate from pollution and late nights clubbing. Here are a number of tips to adapt your beauty (or handsome) routine to battle the sun while looking fresher than ever:

1. Lighten up so you don’t look saggy. Avoid heavy moisturizers that can weigh your skin down during these super humid months. Save these for the evening if you sleep with the aircon on. Heavy creams can actually clog your pores during this climate and cause you to break out. Use a light cream such as Kiehl’s Facial Fuel. Dab a few drops’ worth on your fingertips and spread in a circular outward motion on your face.

2. Prune protection. There’s a misconception for sun worshippers that putting a high SPF (30 or higher) won’t give you a tan. Totally wrong. In fact, I’ve personally discovered that putting a high SPF combined with enough tanning time (an hour or so under direct sunlight) will result in a more balanced bronzed color and will last you much longer than if you use low SPF or no protection at all. I recommend at least SPF 25 for the face and SPF 15 for the body and just reapply every 30 minutes or if you come out of the water. For the face, I recommend Shu Uemura Protector TTL Defender SPF 25 and Zirh Face Stick SPF 28. Don’t neglect your hair. Kerastasse Huile Genereuse for the hair works very well.

3. Keep it light when it’s bright. Use a light cleanser and toner at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The humidity can cause more dirt and oil to get trapped in your skin. It also does wonders to do a gentle exfoliation at least once a week to cleanse out your pores. Zirh Clean Facial Liquid Cleanser and Shu Uemura Skin Purifier leave you feeling squeaky clean without that heavy, soapy feeling.

4. Scent offense. I remember one very unpleasant olfactory experience while tanning at the beach. A man a few feet away from me reeked liked he drenched himself in some ‘80s cheap perfume. Ugh! It absolutely violated Emily Post’s first rule of etiquette: never be offensive in any manner! During the summer, keep it light. Go for citrus and light herbal scents. Keep it to two light sprays on the neck and chest area and spread the scent by rubbing it in with your hands. A friend of mine who likes to keep it really light sprays some in the air and walks into the spray. Voila! Recently, I’ve come across the most wonderful summer scents: Zirh Eau De Toilette, Gendarme and Acca Kappa, all refreshingly light and alluringly sexy.

5. Looking to get tanned without the damaging sunrays? Try hitting the tanning spas and use self-tanners that are right for your skin. Phytomer has a wonderful line of bronzing products. They leave a tan that’s especially natural-looking for Asian skin. Most of the tanning products have often made me look rather orange. Phytomer leaves a nice bronze color that looks healthy and natural. The Getaway Spa in Quezon City has a great 80-minute tanning treatment that uses Phytomer products. I recently tried it and the results were quite impressive. However, don’t expect to look tanned right after the treatment. The results usually take effect after a day. It’s a great way to look your best without having to spend hours in the sun and risking harmful skin damage.

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Acca Kappa and Gendarme are available at Essenses, Rustan’s Department Stores Makati, Shangri-La Mall and Gateway Mall. Zirh is available at Rustan’s Essenses and Men’s Inc. at SM Department Stores. Shu Uemura is available at Rustan’s Department Stores, while Kiehl’s will be available soon in Manila. The Getaway Spa is located at 26 Sgt. Esguerra St., Courtyard Bldg., Quezon City (tel. 928-9847).

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E-mail me at djmontano@pacific.net.ph.