Real Men Exfoliate

Michael Slater's skincare regimen goes way beyond shaving his facial fuzz.

The 50-year-old retired police officer uses only soap-free cleanser and alcohol-free toner, he slathers on moisturizer with sun block, and he dabs on eye cream to keep his skin looking youthful.

In the evening, he performs a similar routine, replacing the moisturizer with a night repair cream for wrinkles. He exfoliates every week and gets monthly facials.

"If you look good, you feel good," says Slater, a Palma Ceia resident who uses a men's line from Derma Swiss. "Taking care of your skin is another way of taking care of yourself, like going to the gym. My mother and my sisters always told me, 'Take care of your skin, your hair and your nails.' It's become a way of life."

Slater, who works out regularly and shuns red meat, says it's not uncommon for friends, men and women, to ask him what products he uses to keep his skin looking so good.

"A lot of men are intimidated by beauty products because they don't know what to look for. No woman wants to be with a guy that looks like Shrek. I want to look good for my wife. She appreciates it. I think they call it 'metrosexual.' But I don't like sticking labels on myself. I just want to look the best I can."

Men no longer have to secretly dip into a girlfriend or wife's wrinkle cream, thanks to an expanding beauty market aimed specifically at guys.

Mintel Beauty Innovation, a leading market research company, tracked more than 500 new men's personal care products in the United States last year, a substantial increase from the 375 launched in 2007. Men's personal grooming sales surged from $15 billion in 2005 to more than $17 billion in 2008, with skincare leading the pack.

Mintel's research also showed that 85 percent of men mostly use grooming products designed specifically for them, while 7 percent use unisex products.

Marketers of men's products say there has been a shift in cultural attitudes that makes it more acceptable for men to primp and preen and still feel plenty macho.

"Men's grooming is getting a higher profile," says Patricia Finn, director of marketing and product development for the Jack Black line of men's products. "It's become a lot more visible. Men feel it's not only OK to take care of their skin and look good; they feel they have to do it so they can look better down the line."

With its masculine product names and handsome blue and black packaging, Jack Black's products are simple to use and designed to appeal to the male consumer ( www.getjackblack.com).

"We were among the first companies to specifically target men," Finn adds. "Now we're seeing a new competitor every day."

In the past few years, upscale, guy-specific lines like Jack Black, Anthony Logistics and Zihr have grown in popularity. And brands known to cater predominately to women such as Avon, Lancome, Nivea, and Ole Henriksen have launched lines devoted entirely to men. Even rapper 50 Cent is introducing a men's skincare line.

"Men are out of the closet when it comes to grooming products," says Ole Henriksen, who founded his namesake retail skincare line in 1999.

When Henriksen opened his Face/Body Spa in Los Angeles, most of his clients begged for secrecy.

Taking care of your skin was associated with being feminine or girly," says Henriksen, whose clients include David Bowie, Prince and Hugh Jackman. "That attitude has completely changed. Today a man will walk into a store and ask for a face scrub or mask as easily as he would a shaving cream."

Last year, Henriksen introduced his men's line and put it in a kit aptly called "Men's Kit." It features a cleanser, hair wash, facial moisturizer and scrub ($70, www.olehenriksen.com) and is quickly becoming a best-seller.

"You want your skin in the healthiest condition possible," Henriksen says. "And everyone wants smooth, supple, clear skin - even men."

Men have specific skincare needs. They have to deal with razor burn and ingrown hairs from shaving. Their skin also tends to be oilier than a woman's.

But even if there are special products and tools just for them, convincing guys to use them takes a little strategy. Packaging, for instance, must take the male mind into account, says Valee Gallant, communications manager for ACE for men, a company that began selling men's grooming implements last year.

ACE took popular grooming tools - tweezers, clippers and brushes - and made them larger, added grips and made them more masculine ( www.aceformen.com).

"Men don't want to go to the pink aisle to get tweezers and clippers that are made for women," Gallant says. "They want products that look masculine. They don't want to feel too metrosexual; it's become a bad word. They just want to feel like men."

Scott Braun agrees with that assessment.

The 45-year-old graphic designer's regimen includes products from Aveda Men and a line called aMENity. He also uses pure aloe vera on his face from a plant he grows at home.

"It's foolish for a man not to take care of his skin," says the Ybor City resident. "Your face is the first thing people see. You want to project a nice appearance."

Reporter Cloe Cabrera can be reached at (813) 259-7656 or ccabrera@tampatrib.com. a shift in cultural attitudes that makes it more acceptable for men to primp and preen and still feel plenty macho

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