Men: it’s time to stop being afraid of using beauty products

The stigma against it has gone on long enough.

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No, I am not even talking about make-up. Sure, some guys wear it and they rock it. Hell, who doesn’t benefit from a bit of brow pencilling now and then? All I know is that a lot of men feel like taking on a skin-care regime, or even buying the products needed for a regime, puts them under a category of ‘feminine’, ‘camp’ or ‘vain’. I really want to see that start to change, and I have found that these five products genuinely do help your skin, teeth and hair.

Cleanse

I understand that many student budgets do not allow for expensive products of any sorts. This product however, has saved my skin in recent months and is worth every penny. Clarins Mens Active Face Wash, £19.50 from Boots. The most expensive of the five products I have to show, however honestly – this is worth it. You use it once in the morning and once in the evening, to really clean away the dirt, build up of oil, and blackheads. Using a a tiny portion each time, mine is still going strong 5 months in.

Deep Clean

This is my secret gem – a tea tree and charcoal face mask from good ol’ Boots. At only £3.89, it’s an absolute life saver. I use it once a week when I’m having a bit of a deep clean of my face or before a night out etc, as it really cleans you out. The tea tree has antibacterial properties that cleans your face, and the charcoal particles really dig deep to cleanse your pores naturally of oil and dirt. (Gross, but fancy huh?) Use this after washing your face and leave for 15 minutes, then wash off with cold water for best results.

 

Moisturise

One word. Nivea.
Honestly, I have tried my fair share of moisturisers and no, they are not just for elderly women or people with eczema. After cleaning your face and rinsing it with cold water, you’re going to need to smooth your skin out a bit. At only £3.50 from Boots, the Nivea Mens Creme works on your hands, back, face, where ever else you throw it at. It’s non-greasy, and is a generally sound product to have. (P.s. it also lasts forever. Bonus.)

 

Teeth

Now let’s face it, who doesn’t wish they had whiter teeth? I for one, have tried basically every home-remedy and shop-shelf item out there to try whiten them. And no Oral-B, funnily enough sticking Shakira all over your adverts doesn’t actually help sell it to me. Cheers anyway.
I came across Procoal through an Instagram account, did my research, and then managed to bag one on Black Friday for only £9.99 with free postage. Winning. You can still get it at a discounted rate I believe, but even so – you want to make this investment. You brush your teeth as usual, and then afterwards, you dab your brush into the powder, and brush for 1 minute. It feels grainy and you look terrible (brilliant Snapchat potential with this one) but after using it a couple of times a week, you really will notice a difference.

Hair

Finally, hair. I know a lot of guys simply do not have any issues or even make any effort with their hair. Shaved heads and minimal-effort-dos are all the rage now and I get that. But for those of us that still actively make an effort with our hair, I want to stress one thing. Hair spray is not just for women. Period. You can have all the VO5 and Lynx as you like – once you’ve styled it, how do you make it last the day? Tresemmé have solved this for us. The Runway Collection Hairspray will stick your hair in position until you next wash it, without doubt. Sure it is pricier than others at £5.99, but it is worth it when you wake up with your hair in the same position as the previous morning. Perfect for long days, clubbing, or just generally making an effort!

Gents – over to you.