Get your groom on

2006-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

New Year, New You

It's that time of year again, when the tube is flooded with ads for nicotine patches and weight-loss programs. Here are some grooming tips that will make you better off, and are easy to keep up with even after your resolution-guilt fades:

Twice-a-day keeps the oil away:
We have bad memories of our moms restraining us with one arm and smothering our 4-year-old faces in a saliva-dampened hanky. Result: We don't wash our faces nearly enough. Aim for at least twice a day--first thing in the morning and then again every night. Wash after your workout, too. (Try Billy Jealousy Bar None Face Wash)

Use a scrub twice-a-week:
Facial scrubs contain fine abrasives that gently exfoliate dead skin cells. They make your complexion look healthy and vigorous, as if you've just come in from doing something a lot more fun than office work. (We recommend Sharps Daily Prep Foaming Scrub)

Maintain moisture, soldier.
Moist skin both looks better and protects you more effectively. When you wash your face, you stimulate the oil glands, which keep your skin moist. That offers better defense against pollutants that can block pores, contributing to acne and infections. Apply a moisturizer every morning. (Check out MenScience Advanced Face Lotion)

2005-12-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

For the Sensitive Man

Here's a question we often get from our users: "My skin nicks pretty easily, and then burns after I shave. Is there a shave cream that will help?"

Let's see Mr. Sensitive. Lots of men find that shaving goes more smoothly when they use an aloe- or glycerin-based shave cream (try Sharps Kid Glove Shave Gel). These soothe your skin and put wings on your razor. Massage the cream in and then go chill for a few minutes (check your fantasy football team, flip on The Golf Channel, etc.) while the shave cream softens your beard. Shave with the grain, then against it, and follow up with a vitamin-enriched aftershave balm (Anthony Aftershave Balm) instead of an alcohol-based aftershave.

2005-11-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

Soap bars... details, details, details

I was visting a friend in Chelsea (Manhattan) over the weekend for a get together dinner, and he had one cool bathroom in his condo. From the towels, to the lit candles this friend was all about the details; even all the way down to the soap dish and soap bar. I noticed he had two soap bars on the counter, one for hand washing but the other specific to his face. The all-purpose soaps like Lever 2000 are great if you've been working in the yard or in the garage, but go with the great stuff like soap bars from Sharps or Baxter with it's multi-vitamin composition.

2005-11-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

What's in your medicine cabinet?

The medicine cabinet is really a peak into your life. Are you a mess; are you generic; do you take care of yourself; are you active? You think no one looks in your medicine cabinet, but even your best of friends have an overwhelming curiosity. Gone are the dorm days of college where you stuffed cotton swabs and condoms in there. You've got a life, a job and a lot of other things going for you. Don't let a medicine cabinet undermine your image. Stock it up with great grooming products, like Baxter, Billy Jealousy or Jack Black and you'll impress your friends for sure.

2005-11-05T18:46:00.000-08:00

Drink water to hydrate and moisturize your skin

I said in an earlier post that I suffer from terribly dry skin in the winter. I always thought water was the way, so I'd shower forever and splash water on my face in the restroom. I also drank a ton of water. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily keep the skin moist. The outermost layer of your skin is really dead skin and does not absorb water that well. Moisture level of skin is influenced by external factors. So moisturize and keep drinking water.

2005-11-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

Men of outdoors

Whether it's on the slopes of Whistler, fishing in Alaska or simply driving the back roads in wine country, you like the outdoors and it likes you. Men are outdoors more often than women, and therefore you're battling the elements more. Unfortunately, you can't escape the sun, debris, toxins and pollutants, and you can't escape the inevitable... aging. That makes it tough to maintain skin elasticity, so look for products that will tone your skin and apply at least 3-5x week.

2005-11-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

What part of your face or head is most missed when applying sunblock?

People always forget to apply sunblock to their ears. After a day of golf you'll feel the heat around your ears and your buddies will call you randolph the red ear reindeer.

2005-10-31T18:13:00.000-08:00

Why purchase men's grooming products?

Most skin products out there were made for women, or made for acne treatment. It's not until recently has there been a handful of products made for the tough and oily skin on men's face. Men's grooming products are formulated differently, and are not "me too" products with a "for men" label on them. Using the wrong product for your skin could lead to a matte finish, overly dry skin or perhaps a nice glaze. Careful of the stuff you find in drug stores, because it's made for the masses without much distinction in formulation. Take care of your skin and your face, and think of each application as a deposit into the skin bank. And.... don't forget to dress well.

2005-10-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Facial scrub tips

From our friends at Baxter, a few facial scrub tips to consider -- Scrubs contain granules that gently buff away impurities and dead surface cells, stimulating skin renewal and revitalizing the complexion. Scrubs also serve as a great preshave treatment that lifts facial hair resulting in fewer ingrown hairs.

Facial scrubs and clay masks keep the pores of your skin clear of the material that forms blemishes and blackheads.
Never use facial scrub if you have moderate to severe acne. This process may aggravate the condition.

2005-10-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Lubricate!

Lubrication is the means to.............. smooth skin.

2005-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Every man ...... every well groomed man needs a GREAT SUIT!

In NYC you see it all: tall, fat, skinny or short men. Doesn't matter what proportion you are - what will make you look sophisticated and elegant is a complement of great skin and a great suit.

My personal favorite though not sold at BuzzSkin.com is Brioni. Though it's Trumps favorite suit (and that's not the reason why I wear it), it's simply an incredibly well tailored suit with fantastic fabrics. A great suit will never go out of style. Sure there are double breasted and 3 button suits to choose from, but a great fitting 2 button is simply classic. My best advice when purchasing a suit, men often buy a suit that's a size too big and you can easily see the shoulders falling off the sides like Niagra Falls. A great fitting suit will hug those shoulders. And one last note, sure Tiger Woods wears pleated pants on the course, but go with the flat front pants when picking a suit. Fabrics will only look great if the suit actually fits you.

2005-10-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

How to shave?

I was watching a weekend morning show on a network and it wasn't bad a'tall. What was the best advice..... shave after a hot shower because the blade glides over the skin better. Oh how true. Otherwise, your blade will have a nice offroading experience leaving you with little bandages over your face. Hydration is key to a great shave and a smooth face.

Check out these great shaving kits at BuzzSkin.com!

2005-10-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Wear it daily and in the winter

Wear sunblock in the winter?! What am I talking about? If you've read the earlier posts, you know how I'm a staunch advocate for wearing sunblock, and not just in the summer. Ask a dermaotologist if you should and I'm pretty confident they'll say yes. There are two schools of thought on the therapeutic effect of sunblock: it's the actual blocking of the sun OR the chemicals that are helping your skin. Well the net is your skin is better off with sunblock - even in the winter. What have I been applying every morning? Billy Jealousy

Why? Sunblock, aloe and antioxidants
VITAMIN A, VITAMIN E, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, and SPF 30 Sunscreen

Apply every morning and make sure you rub it in and so you don't leave a white film on your face which I occassionaly do. Now only if Billy Jealousy would come out with jeans. They've got the coolest logo. Don't forget to use the 15% discount code: BZ05LCH

2005-10-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Jack Black on winning 1st place for "Best Grooming Brand" from FHM (Issue Nov 2005). Keep it rolling and keep it smooth.

2005-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Get 15% OFF your next BuzzSkin purchase!

That's right, here's the promotional code or discount code when checking out to get a 15% discount. And on top of that, there's FREE shipping as well!

Go to BuzzSkin.com and use Promo Code: BZ05LCH

2005-10-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Chill in the air - Stop the dry skin before it starts

Ahhh, the winter months are upon us and I can feel the chill in the air. There are two things that invariably effect me in the winter, the flu bug and dry skin. Well, the flu is hard to avoid in NYC subways. But with dry skin, a combination of hydration and great lotions is best for the long, dark and cold winter months. What I didn't realize in my youth was that hydration occurs from the inside, and not by taking long showers in the morning.

Today I drink lots of water and I use Maxwell's Hand and Face cream during the very brutal months I'm in the Northeast corridor. It maintains my smooth skin and nourishes it as well with Vitamin C - an antioxidant. Speaking of which, there's been a lot of antioxidant press and certainly worth investigating because of the many benefits its proposed to do.

2005-10-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Over Armor - we gotta protect our face!

The tagline from Under Armor apparel resonates in my head all the time, "we gotta protect this house!" Though they have some corny commercials of guys with 2% body fat playing in an imaginary league reminiscent of Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx's "Any Given Sunday," they do have an excellent point though I may be taking liberties with the interpretation.

Skin care is really giving yourself the over armor. I cannot emphasize enough the harmful effects of the sun. Yes we've all had that dream of looking like a tan man from Wild on E! from Ibiza, but in reality that look will only accelerate the aging process of the skin. I bring this up because as noted in an earlier post, I've been traveling and found myself very low on my skin care portfolio -- an underestimation during packing. As a result, my face and forearms took a beating from a recent excursion on the Las Vegas golf courses. Protect that skin, and you'll be looking smooth for a while.

2005-10-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Keeping it clean and smooth with Anthony's glycerin soap bar

I've been using multiple products for the past month, and let me first say that I religiously used Cetaphil as my daily facial cleanser, which is a darn good product that is recommended by a few dermatologist friends. However, Anthony Logistics has now changed my facial regimen. The glycerin cleansing bar from Anthony Logistics gives my face a great tone and the same clean feeling that I had previously with Cetaphil. During this past test month, I was traveling everywhere west of the Mississippi and used up all the sample bars. Thankfully I'm back from my travels and stocked up with not only Anthony, but the other super products from Jack Black, Baxters and many new favorites.

Welcome to the BUZZ in men's grooming

2005-10-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

You'll find the latest on men's grooming and style. It's about taking care of the largest organ on your body -- the skin. It's often overlooked, but immensely important. Physicians say what may be going on in the body may manifest itself on the skin. So make sure you take care of the inside, and I'll show you tips on how to take care of the outside.

If you can't remember everything or if you never read this blog again, then remember this one tip. Protect yourself from the sun and wear sunscreen.

Dermatologist Elma Baron, M.D., (Asst professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University) said at the ACADEMY ’05, the American Academy of Dermatology’s summer scientific session....... “The most important thing to know about sunscreen is that, regardless of skin type and ethnicity, everyone needs to use it, ...... for basic protection year-round, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen – one that protects from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays – with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.”
Source: http://www.aad.org/aad/Newsroom/The+Future+of+Sunscreens.htm

Bookmark this page and come back again and often. Get your groom on!

Warning: This is not a medical information blog or web site. This blog is intended solely to share the latest on mens grooming products and personal style. Always consult your physician for any medical advice or before purchasing and using any therapeutic or medicinal product.