It’s no secret that men, rather than women, have much more difficulty when it comes to purchasing grooming products for themselves. For some reason most ‘grooming products’ are still considered feminine in nature, and thus those who consider themselves on the far end of the masculinity scale basically want nothing to do with such products. Sure they’ll buy basic soap and shampoo - for some reason these are considered okay - but anything beyond that and especially anything seen as luxury or specialty in the men’s grooming category deters most men, and especially millennial men.
Millennial men are going through, I’d venture to say, much more gender identity crises than women. Women have about three choices - heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. And while the same three options to identify one’s self as are absolutely available to men, there’s different ticks on the scale of what each type could be. Take for example the spectrum of millennial men who are so overtly heterosexual to the point they are homophobic compared to those who identify as heterosexual but also display metro-sexual traits in character, personality, and much more. How these two types act, interact, want to be seen, and, of course, shop, could not be further apart.
Just to set the record straight, buying specialty of luxury male grooming products does not make one metro-sexual - or homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual… You can be of any gender identity any anywhere on the beforehand mentioned heterosexual scale to buy and use such products. I’ve dated men who are so seriously into things from cologne to scented soap and are (to my knowledge) perfectly regular heterosexual males.
Yet there’s still a stigma that exists when men venture into this product territory. Yes, it is fading, slowly but surely, but if it will ever really go away is hard to predict. Some men, even the ‘overly’ masculine ones have come to terms with specialty services that cater to their grooming needs better than they could, such as 1 Dollar Shave Club. (And we can take that as a positive sign in society.) But there is still such an array of male grooming products that actually make any man’s lives easier that the group wouldn’t fathom to touch.
Granted, one of the problems is society itself. There are at least 10 times more female oriented grooming product ads, and at least twice as many companies that cater to men than women. So while some men simply aren’t introduced to the products to know enough about them, even when they are less options are available.
For men who are comfortable in their gender and level masculinity, whatever that might be, rest assured there are products to best meet your needs, and here’s how to find them:
Men’s Shampoo
No not just any old bottle off the shelf will do. You want your hair to look and feel good - it’s a turn on. While you may be set in stone on your $4 bottle of the same thing you’ve used since college there are other better men’s shampoos out there and there’s certainly one that best compliments the hair you have.
To find the best one for yourself consider the type of hair and sculpt you have. If your hair is oily, frizzy, or thin there are shampoos created specifically for your type of hair and, yes, specifically for men. Also consider your sculpt. You likely shampoo everyday and what you put in your hair impacts your sculpt after time. If you have a sensitive sculpt, or dandruff, there’s a shampoo out there for you as well, again made specifically for men.
Men’s Anti-Aging Skincare
No, no it’s not just for women. Men may age better than women as far as society is considered - think George Clooney, but taking care of your skin is still important. Even better, you don’t have to go to the makeup section at Macy’s to get these products. Most are available in their retailer store and, to take away any excuse, also online. This is one product line where you’ll have to think slightly in traditionally women’s terms to find the best product.
In general, men’s anti-aging facial creams fall into categories of preventative and treatment-based. The preventative anti-aging creams are the ones you’ll want to use as early as possible. The treatment based ones come in a wider variety and usually depend on the area you want to treat, such as around the eyes, and the type of skin you have, such as those made for men with sensitive skin. If you’re still hung up on the idea that this male product line is too far off the charts for you, just remember, no one will know you’re wearing it.
Men’s Nail Care
While some men proudly go into nail salon, others wouldn’t ever consider the thought of it. That’s okay if you’re adverse to them, but like it or not your nails are a body part you need to take care of. Some psychologist and dating experts even say what women look at first is your shoes, smile, and nails, so you’re doing yourself a favor by taking care of them.
Men’s nail care products often come in brash, manly-looking cases and feature all the nail care grooming items you would need such as a file, tweezers, scissors, cuticle recessor, finger nail clippers, and toe nail clippers - the works. Now this may be an area you’ll have to do a little YouTubeing to figure out how to use what, but chances are once you start paying attention to your nail hygiene, you won’t be able to imagine going back to ignoring it.