Some men take grooming more seriously than others, but it's a universal truth that when it comes to shaving, saving face is the first priority. Recent years have seen an eruption of men's products, transforming a formerly bland shelf at the pharmacy into a mess of overly fragranced, testosterone-oozing salves — clearly overcompensating for the fact that they're the products of beauty companies that specialize in female bath things.

Overwhelming? Yes.

Unavoidable? No.

Introduce yourself to J. Paul Skin Care, a new high-end line of advanced skin care products designed exclusively for men. They're the inaugural line of men's toiletries from J. Paul Industries of Houston, meaning the product is conceived, produced and packaged in our hometown. The line has been under development for 18 months, with each product designed to be multi-functional, resolving many skin care needs at once.

The line's leading man is Glide, a shaving cream that calls upon the natural goodness of aloe vera and jojoba oils to create a barrier between your skin and the razor — saving face, and your wallet, as Glide is supposed to allow your razor to last three times as long.

"We went into the developing and manufacturing process with the idea that Glide shave cream had to be the best shaving cream available on the market and superior to all of the leading brands," company co-founder and CEO Paul Looney says. "The only way to do that was to ensure that our shave cream product truly addressed the ever so-common problems of razor burn, skin irritation, dryness and it had to work on the toughest beards."

Glide works alone or in conjunction with Scrub pre-shave and Ice aftershave to simplify the daily shaving ritual.

Before you head out the door, add a touch of Guard, an SPF 20 lotion that works for both the face and body. It's an essential for those of us who don't want to look 50 when we're 30.

Proud Houstonians will love J. Paul, which believes that Houston makes an ideal test-market for its line.

"Houston is fast becoming the New York of the South and it truly is a cosmopolitan city," company co-founder and president, Paul Strong explains. "Last year, the city added 141,000 new residents, many of which were from foreign countries. This is at a rate comparable with that of New York City and 50 percent higher than that of Boston or Chicago."

What's more, Houston has a network of manufacturing resources that are unique to the skincare and fashion industries — many of which the public is not yet privy to — and a wealth of investment capital.

"Coupled with the city's lower taxes, cheaper real estate and access to affordable credit and operating capital," Strong says. "Houston is a natural fit for growing a skin care company such as J. Paul. Today, you no longer need to go to New York to launch a skin care business. Houston has all of the necessary ingredients to become successful."

J. Paul's new line will soon be available at local retailers.