No matter how much we dash from air conditioned car to perfectly chilled building, Houston’s heat and humidity takes aim at our skin. Melting makeup and worse, the sun’s damaging rays means it’s time to prep and protect skin for summer.
This applies to you too guys.
Kiehl’s President Chris Salgardo lays it out.
“There isn’t a day I don’t put on sunscreen. It’s the least expensive, most effective way to protect the skin,” said Salgardo, who was in the Houston area recently for the grand opening of the Kiehl's store in The Woodlands.
“Men are eager to learn about non-fussy products. The store’s unisex approach is straightforward and fun. That appeals to guys,” Salgardo said.
Men’s skincare is a booming market and while Salgardo sees it heading toward color powders and eye creams, many men just want to cover the basics.
“Men have sweaty skin. Men have thicker skin and we shave, so controlling oily skin is a concern,” Salgardo said. His answer is the Kiehl’s Oil Eliminator, a trio of products that are based on out-of-this-world technology.
The products are based on Aerolite, the lightest solid material on earth because it is composed of up to 99.98 percent air by volume, helping to provide a weightless feel on the skin. NASA used Aerogel as an insulating material on Mars Exploration Rover in 1997 because it has the highest thermal insulation per unit volume and has the lightest weight of any solid material.
You don’t need an aerospace engineering degree to use the Oil Eliminator products though. Because it’s so porous and is good at covering large surface areas, it absorbs four times its own weight in oil.
Products like sunscreen and the three-steps of face wash, toner and moisturizer are among the men’s items that are easy to use and work. Salgardo knows that’s key to reaching the male market.
“Men are eager to learn about non-fussy products. The store’s unisex approach is straightforward and fun. That appeals to guys,” Salgardo said.
That doesn’t mean women’s skincare and beauty has been forgotten. While you can reach into your guy’s cabinet for things like sunscreen (Salgardo suggests an SPF 50 — anything else won’t really give you maximum protection ) it’s products like blemish balms or BB creams that take a woman’s summer makeup routine into a fresh direction. But first, take the time to cleanse and tone, especially during the summer to keep to keep the skin’s natural PH balanced and regulated.
Moisturizer and sunscreen are musts, but as for makeup routine, Salgardo said lighter is better, especially during Houston’s notoriously sticky months. He likes starting with the Kiehl’s Skin Tone Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream because it’s lightweight, hydrating and contains a sunscreen.
“The technology of the BB cream helps diminish skin imperfections so you can show off your skin. Summer is really all about great skin, tousled hair, mascara and lip gloss,” Salgardo said. “That’s what you need.”
"Men are eager to learn about non-fussy products," says Salgardo.
