Skincare/Hair care

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Maintaining a well-groomed appearance is absolutely essential for any guy who wants to be taken seriously.  Point blank!  As men, we often cling to this notion that only females should pay attention to skincare and hair care... really fellas?  Come on.  Maybe abandoning any sort of grooming routine was acceptable when we were Neanderthals living in caves and eating raw meat but we've since evolved, so let's get with the current program!  I'll be bringing you a ton of information and advice starting with the basics of caring for your skin and hair as well as recommendations for the best products (in my opinion) on the market that serve this purpose.  Stay tuned...
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Power of the C!

      There are many reasons behind dull, lackluster skin and a lack of necessary skin nutrients is one of the main ones.  As men, our skin takes a heavy beating during our routines of shaving, physical activities with the fellas and time spent in the sun.  Because we tend to be less informed and concerned about proper skincare than our female counterparts, our skin goes a longer period of time without being cared for properly which can often worsen much of the damage its already suffered.  All hope is not lost!  There is an answer for repairing damage such as blotchiness, sun spots and uneven skin tone and even wrinkles that are the result of our stubborness and refusal to listen to our mothers' & girlfriends' skincare advice: vitamin C.  I like to refer to vitamin C as "the life vitamin" due to its power and ability to infuse our skin and bodies with vitality both on the inside and outside!  After years of taking a vitamin C supplement and hearing the noise surrounding how beneficial this vitamin is for the skin I decided to give it a try and let me say, I'm amazed!  A few weeks ago I picked up this vitamin C serum from Whole Foods and am quite pleased with the results.  Its organic and packed with enough vitamin C to where its said to help repair sun damage/blotchiness and it gave my skin an overall glow that seemed to come from below the skin as opposed to a shiny surface.  If you have sensitive or oily/combination skin, I'd advise using this serum once per day or every other day because it can be slightly greasy but the results are great!  Feeding your skin the right vitamins & nutrients will not only give you healthy skin for the moment, it will preserve your skin and allow it to age gracefully.. crocodile skin is not a good look.  Stay fly, fellas! 
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Shine it up!                                            9/7/11

      I constantly receive compliments on my hair and guys are always inquiring as to what products I use on my dome.  Well, I'm about to introduce you to one of my scecret grade A products from my arsenal.  As an African-American, it's often difficult to find products that work for my grade of hair.  And as a guy I'm not looking to use a slew of shampoos, pomades & lotions just to give my hair a nice shine and to keep my waves looking right.  After doing some research to better understand what types of ingredients best deliver shine and smoothness, I learned that citrus extract is one of the most effective yet underrated hair polishers.  Some years ago, as I was skimming the shelves full of shampoos & conditioners at Walgreens, I came across this conditioner called Citre Shine and began reading it to see what it was all about.  It read "shine miracle" and "citrus extract" which was enough for me to decide to give it a try.  The result: absolute BEST conditioner I've ever used!  I've been using this conditioner since the 9th grade (I'm now a senior in college) and the only times I've used anything else were when I was at a friend's or relative's house who didn't have it in there bathroom.  This conditioner shines & polishes my hair so well and gives my waves a smoother look and feel to where all I have to do is apply a moisturizing lotion to my hair afterward, brush it then I'm done!  One thing I've learned is that you don't necessarily have to seek out those products that you constantly see on tv commercials because let's face it, many of those products are nowhere near as amazing as the commercials talk them up to be.  Most of the hair & skincare products that are staples in my regimen don't have tv commercials or celebrity endorsements but they have worked the best.  Don't pass up those products you see on the bottom of the store shelves because most times you'll be surprised at how well they deliver!


Shine Tips:

• Once you apply it to wet hair, place a plastic cap on your head and let it sit for 10-15 mins., I usually leave it in while I shower (yes, fellas, the plastic cap works for men too!).  This will trap in heat & moisture thus opening the pores and allowing the conditioner to penetrate deeper.

• Instead of washing your hair with shampoo in the mornings prior to going out, simply apply only this conditioner.  Shampoo can sometimes thicken the hair making it harder to manage whereas a conditioner will soften and smooth it. 

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If it aint Bright, it aint Right!                                                 6/17/11

                                                                                  

Recently I heard a commercial on tv say that sexy skin is in and I couldn't agree more!  Fellas, dull, dry, unhealthy skin is NOT a good look.  For summer you want your skin to have a nice clean glow.  Granted we, men, don't need to practice the elaborate skin care routine that our female counterparts take great pleasure in practicing on a daily basis but it's still necessary for us to make the effort to use great products on our skin that are simple and get the job done.  A few months back I hit up my local beauty supply store to stock up on hair lotion, du-rags and shea butter when I came across a small square box which read "Palmer's Daily Skin Brightener," out of habit I pulled the small jar out of the box and began to read the product's details and ingredient list (it's always good to understand what you're applying to your skin) and was quite impressed by what it contained (see details below) so I decided to buy it.  For some reason I didn't start using it right away, I just tossed it into a drawer but recently I fished it out and have been using it for about 3 weeks and there's only one word to describe it: WOW!  When I first applied it I noticed it had this smooth, silky texture to it but the real magic happened a few moments later.. Just as I caught a last minute look at myself in the mirror before I walked out the door I was really impressed and surprised by how smooth and bright my face looked, it had this healthy glow as if I'd slept for days.  I even noticed the tone of my skin looked more even, basically this little white jar contains a miracle product.  Since I have combination skin I only need a small amount of this cream which I also recommend for my oily skin fellas but if you have dry skin you can use a little extra with no problem.  Here are some of this product's cool points...

• has a pearlescent formulation (this is how it brightens the skin)
• contains vitamins C & E and licorice extract (helps even out skin tone and discoloration)
• contains SPF 15 (protects skin from the sun's harmful rays which damage the skin, very important even for us ethnic folks!)

Most CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid store carry Palmer's products, however, this particular product is part of Palmer's Skin Success line and not all stores carry all of the products from this line.  Here's a link to purchase it online, the price is dirt cheap considering this small jar will probably last for months.  Fellas, keep your skin bright and you be aight!  (some ebonics there :)

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12/4/10

Winter Skincare

The winter time, more than any other season, can cause your skin a great deal of aggravation.  That brisk wind that seems to blast you in the face the moment you step out your front door, the dryness that's caused by your electric heat and don't forget the lotion that was fine during the spring/summer months but now seems to disappear as soon as you apply it.  Since all of these factors seem to wreak havoc on our skin during colder months we have to be very choosey about the products we use, as well as how we use them.  Moisturizing in the winter can be tricky; your skin needs hydration that's heavy enough to withstand the cold but not so heavy that it clogs your pores.  No need to worry, as usual your boy's got the lowdown!  I recommend 2 products:  AmLactin Moisturizing lotion (for combination skin types) and Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion (for dry skin).  I just recently started using the AmLactin lotion and quite honestly, it's the bomb!  It's a bit pricey but my skin takes on a healthy, hydrated look and feel, and since this lotion is very moisturizing a little goes a long way.  What I found to be cool about AmLactin is it has lactic acid in it (review to come) which is a natural yet gentle skin exfoliant, it helps a great deal if you have exzema, bumpy/uneven patches and it's said to help even out skin tone. 

Exfoliation is needed more during colder months to get rid of dry skin, however, you don't want to use rough or abrasive scrubs since this can cause further drying and will pretty much suck the life out of your skin.  I like to lay hot towel on my face for about 15 seconds then use my Palmer's cocoa butter soap (review below) with warm water on a washcloth and gently massage my face, this way I get the exfoliation without being too rough.  Also, cream cleansers work better on your skin when it's cold because they have a richer lather that won't dry your skin out the way liquid or foam cleansers can.  Your skin is the one organ that is exposed to the world and keeping it in good condition can be quite a task sometimes, but having good skin keeps you looking your best, what dude doesn't want that?

Tip: After cleansing in the shower, apply an oil to your skin while its still wet then towel off as usual (Palmer's cocoa butter oil works really well).  The steam of your shower and the dampness of your skin allows the oil to sink in deeper and locks in moisture to last longer.






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11/2/10

Basic Skincare Routine- Face 

I know, I know, waking up in the morning is hard enough in itself let alone adding some long, drawn out skincare routine to the mix.  Most guys scare easily when it comes to skincare because they see the elaborate routine that their wives/mothers/sisters/girlfriends practice and assume they have to adopt the same practices.  Not so.  The dope thing about being a guy is that we don't have to be so elaborate in caring for our skin; all we need is the basic formula which I call C.E.T.M (cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize, YES I SAID MOISTURIZE!).  Your regular morning ritual should unfold as follows:

1. Apply your cleanser to wet skin then rinse... when I say 'cleanser', I don't mean the decrepit bar of Dial soap sitting in your shower.
2. When your skin is dry swipe a cotton swab doused with a toner across your entire face to remove any traces of dirt (product recommendations to come).
3. Exfoliate (only needs to be done 2-3 times a week) to slough off dead, damaged skin cells that can clog the pores and lead to breakouts.
4. Apply a light moisturizer (product recommendations to come) to keep your skin hydrated.

I can almost guarantee, from experience, that you could time this regimen and it should take no longer than 5-7 minutes flat!  I told you it was simple!  More skincare info to come...
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11/3/10

My recommendation...

Best for: all skin types

    This cocoa butter bar by Palmer's has been one of my favorites for years now.  I like to think of it as an all-purpose soap since it can be used on your entire body, head to toe, but I've always used it on my face.  I have extremely sensitive skin and this soap works great for me!  It's now made from 100% organic cocoa which makes it even better for someone with sensitive skin, it has vitamin E and it helps with scars & stretch marks.  I don't even like to call it a "soap" because it doesn't do to my skin what other soaps tend to do; it's gentle, non-irritating, it has a really rich lather and it moisturizes... all of this in a soap?  Holla! I've notice over the years that I have to go to the drugstores in the, ahem, "hood" in order to find this soap, for some reason not all Walgreens and CVS stores carry it...weird.  I started buying it in bulk online where it's really cheap, this way I don't have to go on a scavenger hunt to try & find it whenever I run out.  Note:  Palmer's now makes this in a 4.7 oz. size for the same price as the original 3.5 oz. bar, ya boy was leapin' for joy when I found this out!
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Product Review: Facial Moisturizer by Target

Best for: all skin types (choose which of the 2 formulations is best for you)

(updated pic)

    
      First off fellas, get over any gripes you have about using a moisturizer!  No, it's not just for women.  Umkay?!  Your skin needs hydration in order to keep you from looking dry, dull and older than you actually are!  So let's take a moment and squash this "women only" myth, shall we...?  Cool.  Personally, I have very sensitive, combination (normal is some areas, oily in others) skin therefore it was always difficult for me to find a lotion that wasn't too light but also not too heavy where my face turns into an oil factory by lunch time.  I decided to try this lotion, which is a knock-off of the version made by the Olay brand and it turned out to be the BEST lotion I'd ever used on my face.  This moisturizer is light, oil-free, has SPF 15 (SPF stands for "Sun Protection Factor," meaning it protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays that cause spots and wrinkles), has aloe and vitamin E, it doesn't clog my pores, it's fragrance free so it doesn't cause any irritation, basically it's the bomb!  What I like about it is that it's light but still gives my skin the right amount of moisture without the excess greasiness.  It comes in 2 formulations: sensitive skin and normal skin. 

The only problem I have is that the biggest size that is comes in is 4 oz. and not 6 oz. like the Olay version, but since it's so cheap I just stock up to make make up for this.  If you're thinking of trying the Olay version I wouldn't recommend it; Olay recently changed the type of sunscreen ingredient they use, now the lotion is hecka greasy and it broke my skin out when I tried it.  I'm sticking with Target on this one, plus your boy is always up for a good bargain!  Fellas, it's ok if a product isn't labelled "for men."  As long as the product does what you need it to do that's the only thing you should care about (I know, it would help if they would start using men in these skincare commercials, geez.)
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