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My Boyfriend and I Tried Gender-Neutral Products for a Week — Here's What Happened

"What the heck is serum?" he wanted to know.
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The Experiment
I've worked in the beauty industry for 10 years and I've dated my BF for just as long. Ever since I got my first gig in 2008 (as a beauty intern for a magazine when I was in college), I tried to get Greg to hop on the skin care bandwagon and use some of the many products I brought home with me from the office every day. No matter how much I begged, he wouldn't budge. Sure, he'd apply sunscreen if we went to the beach and lip balm if his lips were chapped, but his routine pretty much ended there. That is until I roped him into helping me out with this very story. The two of us used Context's facial cleanser, serum, eye cream, moisturizer with SPF and face mask for a week.

Image via @contextskin

This gel cleanser features a host of good-for-your-skin ingredients, including jojoba oil, avocado oil, cucumber oil, chamomile oil, lemon and rose hips extract, and vitamins A and E.

What I thought: For starters, I really like the sleek black and white packaging on all of Context's skin care products. The cleanser was really gentle and didn't dry out my skin, which is something that usually happens when I use gel cleansers. Overall, my face looked refreshed after washing it. I'll definitely keep this one around.

What Greg thought: "It felt good to get into a routine. Christina has told me about the importance of washing my face but I haven't used a face wash since I was in my teens. I didn't really notice a difference in my appearance, but my skin did feel slightly softer. I'll probably go back to just rinsing my face off in the shower because I'm lazy, but I could see myself using this from time to time."

The skin-nourishing ingredients in this serum's formula, such as cucumber extract, aloe and vitamin E, soothe and hydrate all skin types.

What I thought: I'm a big fan of serums, especially ones with antioxidants like this one. The serum sunk into my skin almost instantly and my face looked brighter. Another thumbs up from me!

What Greg thought: "I had no idea what a serum was before trying this. My face felt smoother after using it, though. It kind of felt like a moisturizer but lighter. I would continue using this one."

Packed with antioxidants like vitamin C, this eye cream protects against free radical damage and calms sensitive skin.

What I thought: I've had a few nights recently where I've had trouble sleeping, so my dark circles are noticeable. The eye cream brightened up my undereye area so that I didn't look as dead as I've felt on the nights where I stayed up past my bedtime.

What Greg thought: "I liked the feel of it. It actually felt like my undereyes were a little less dark. I'm probably too lazy to use this every day but I would apply it again occasionally, especially if I work late nights."

This oil-free moisturizer with SPF is chock-full of antioxidants, like green tea, to protect against sun damage and conditioners, like shea butter, to provide all-day hydration.

What I thought: I'm always on the hunt for SPF that won't make me look greasy and this one fits the bill. No excess shine or breakouts from this one! Because I'm typically in a rush to get to the office in the morning, moisturizers with SPF are ideal.

What Greg thought: "I like this. It made my skin feel moist. Who would've thought a moisturizer would make my face feel moist? Christina has told me a lot about sunscreen over the years but I'm still not a true believer in wearing it every day. That being said, I could see myself using this on sunny days."

BY CHRISTINA HEISER | FEB 6, 2018 | SHARES
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