Modern men, metrosexuals

The term actually originated in an article by Mark Simpson published on November 15, 1994, in The Independent (USA). Simpson wrote: Metrosexual man, the single young man with a high disposable income, living or working in the city (because that’s where all the best shops are), is perhaps the most promising consumer market of the decade. In the 80s he was only to be found inside fashion magazines such as GQ, in television advertisements for Levis jeans or in gay bars. In the 90s, he’s everywhere and he’s going shopping.
The term greatly increased in popularity following Simpson’s 2002 Salon.com article Meet the metrosexual, which identified David Beckham as the metrosexual poster boy.
But why does everything have to have a label? Why can’t a man just happen to like certain things and not be labelled for it? It’s just one more way of keeping men who may want to try, for example, skin care products, from doing it. It’s time men stop worrying about labels and what other people think and just enjoy being a man. Of course,this means something different to every man, but in general men should not have to fit any kind of “role” that society puts upon them in order to feel good about themselves.
If a man wants to try skin care products, get a pedicure, etc., they should do so without any hesitancy.
When you look your best, you feel your best! Think about all the men out there that have the desire to look their best but are afraid to find out how because of being labelled anything or just don’t know what to do. As a result, these men aren’t feeling their best on a daily basis. It’s time to blow the roof off of any fear of being labelled a metrosexual or anything for that matter!
Real men are into grooming, getting manicures and pedicures, having regular haircuts, wanting to know how to get the closest shave, etc. To all men: let go of any fear of looking your best and you can set an example for yourself, your friends and society. Let’s help the future generations of men not have this problem and feel better about themselves, because they know they won’t be judged.
It’s a fact. Men’s skin is more delicate than women’s. Yes, you read right! The daily shaving ritual aggravates the skin, destroying the hydrolytic film on the skin’s surface, thereby increasing dryness and reducing the skin’s natural protection. What’s more, men — especially outdoor men — tend to expose their skin to a torturous array of damaging conditions including sun, wind, water, building products, chemicals, cuts, scratches and grazes.
It’s no wonder, then, that today’s man is more concerned about his skin than ever before. Unfortunately, this new-found awareness is leading some men to the conclusion that they should be using their wife or girlfriends’ skincare products. This is a mistake! A man’s skin is different to a woman’s, so it needs to be treated differently.
There are four main differences between men’s skin and women’s skin:
Sebaceous glands
Men’s skin has smaller sebaceous or oil glands. This is opposite to what most people believe to be true. Absorption of active ingredients in skin care products is primarily through these glands, and therefore this is a consideration in the formulation of products for proper men’s skin care.
Oily skin
Despite the fact that a man’s skin has smaller oil glands, men’s skin is generally oilier than women’s skin. This is due to the male hormone testosterone, which is responsible for the skin generating a higher amount of oil secretions. The female hormone oestrogen results in women’s skin secreting less oil. After the age of 50, the oil secretions in men’s skin tend to slow down making men’s skin closer to women’s skin in the degree of oiliness.
Higher oil production in the skin means that a man’s skin is more susceptible to acne related problems and other blemishes. Therefore, skin care products for men need to take this into account in order to function as required.
Skin thickness
A man’s skin is thicker than a woman’s skin. This means that women are more vulnerable to damage of the skin caused by the sun’s UVA rays and is one of the principle reasons why female skin suffers more from sun ageing.
Fragility
The skin on a man’s face is more delicate than for a woman. You wouldn’t think that this is the case. However, there are some reasons why this is true:
l Men historically have taken less care of their skin
l Men’s skin tends to be exposed more often to damaging environmental elements
l Daily shaving destroys the hydrolipidic film, leading to loss of natural lubrication and protection
l Daily shaving also causes scraping and nicks
All of these factors result in men’s skin becoming more sensitised than women’s skin and more easily irritated.
Gentlemen, please leave your wife’s cosmetics alone. There’s little point using a skincare product which is made for a woman’s skin.
Clarins men’s skincare range addresses the differences between men’s skin and women’s skin, without turning skincare into a tedious, never-ending chore. Your skin will feel less irritated, dry, and itchy.
Skincare products can maximise the skin’s elasticity, and enhance the complexion. Perhaps most importantly, it can make it far more pleasant to a woman’s touch.
If you are new to the idea of men’s skincare, we suggest you start out with a Clarins Men’s Discovery bag with trial sizes of a face wash, moisturising gel and an aftershave soother. These are available from any of the Clarins retail outlets.
Here’s a toast to just looking your best without anyone labelling you a metrosexual or thinking anything other than “wow that guy looks great!”

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