If I could get Brandon to use one product in addition to his beloved bar of soap, it would be sunscreen. He's an avid golfer, and he grew up in Florida -- both of which are starting to show in the form of fine lines and sun damage. A daily SPF would help protect his skin, and hopefully stave off skin cancer.
I lecture him about this constantly, but I haven't made much progress. (Surprise, surprise, right? As any woman knows, nagging isn't exactly the best way to inspire her guy to change.) So I do an informal poll of my male friends who wear sunscreen, and they almost unanimously recommend Kiehl's Facial Fuel UV Guard SPF 50+ For Men, $38. I head over to Kiehl's to test it out. It sinks into the skin almost instantaneously and feels like nothing -- and nothing is exactly what Brandon wants. I make room for it in the medicine cabinet and hope that it catches his eye.
A few days later, Brandon packs a bag for a weekend golf trip and I notice that the SPF is missing from the bathroom. I stare in disbelief at the blank shelf space where his sunscreen now lives. Then, I remind myself that packing a product is one thing -- using it is something completely different.
When he gets back Sunday night, I notice that his skin is the same shade it was the Friday before. "Was it very sunny?" I ask coyly. "It was hot as hell," he replies. "I used that sunscreen that was in the bathroom. It was pretty good -- it didn't get all over my clubs." And then he promptly changes the subject.
I sneak into another room to do a happy dance.
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The power of a good incentive
I get invited to a men's grooming launch party, and I'm encouraged to bring a male plus one. Perfect timing. And get this: They have games! With prizes! Brandon spends two hours drinking Heineken, playing Golden Tee, and saying, "I wish my job were like this." At the end of the night, he's got the best golf score and wins a gift certificate to our local driving range.
We also leave the event with two bottles of Lab Series Pro LS All-in-One Face Treatment, $29. I assume we'll be donating them to my younger brother -- he grew up with three women and understands the appeal of a good beauty product -- but Brandon stashes them in the medicine cabinet. Victory! The lotion contains antioxidants, moisturizing ingredients, and mattifiers -- it's a major step up from his routine of nothing.
While I never see him apply the lotion, I can feel it on his face -- and his skin starts to glow. (OK, maybe not glow, but my man is definitely more radiant than usual.) He doesn't say anything, but I notice that he lingers in front of the mirror for a few extra seconds in the morning. Maybe he sees a difference, too?
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It's time to make some strategic swaps
I decide to tackle the shower. We run out of soap, and I tell Brandon we have none in our backup stash. (Lies, lies!) I replace his bar soap with Axe Shower Gel in Apollo, $4.85. It's their newest scent -- inspired by astronauts (what guy doesn't love astronauts?!). And it's more subtle and grownup than some of their other fragrances.
He emerges from his next shower smelling like an astronaut and has crazy-soft hair. I'm feeling seriously smug.
However, he can't let go of the soap. First it's: "Can you please bring some soap home from the office?" Then: "Any soap yet?" After two weeks of talking about soap, I give up and unwrap a beautiful bar of Fresh soap and pop it in the shower. He's delighted -- which is actually a victory if you think about it. How many guys obsess over a $15 bar of soap?
But here's the really crazy thing: The soft-haired-astronaut situation continues -- except with a hint of fancy soap mixed in. I don't want to ask him because I'm afraid to jinx it, but I think he's using not one, but three products in the shower.
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Final score: Me - 4, Him - 0 (sort of)
Sunscreen? Check! Anti-ager? Check! Body wash? Check! Shampoo and conditioner? Check! I pat myself on the back.
However, throughout this little experiment I find out there are a few get-ready rituals my husband will never get behind. Here's where I give up:
1) Body lotion. Which admittedly, I get. I don't put moisturizer on my legs every day -- there's no way he's going to go near the stuff.
2) Hair products. Unless I put them in his hair, he's not going to use them. And I'm OK with that. If I need to doll him up for a special occasion, I can.
Love looking at medicine cabinets? I do! Here's what green beauty experts keep in their bathrooms.
My husband Brandon's grooming products consists of a bar of soap. That's it.
Granted, it's a fancy bar of Fresh Sugar Soap -- because that's what I put in the shower -- but it's not doing much to get rid of his sun spots.
I sometimes fantasize that Brandon would help me test beauty products -- that he'd critique the latest eye cream or contemplate the nuances of a new body lotion scent. But that's probably taking it too far -- and I have plenty of girlfriends who'll happily test a $100 face cream for me.
But really, all I truly want is for Brandon to use sunscreen and wash his hair with shampoo. (Sorry, babe, soapsuds don't count -- even if they are by Fresh). Which is why I'm on a mission to revamp my husband's grooming routine.
I'm going into this with low expectations and realistic goals. I definitely don't expect him to adopt my seven-step evening skin care ritual. (Nor would I want him to -- if he starts using my favorite serums, we'll be in credit card debt as fast as you can say hyaluronic acid.) But there are so many new men's grooming products out there, and it's a shame for Brandon to not use at least use some of them.
Will I succeed at getting Brandon to change his bar-soap-only ways?
