ferments for your skin
For many years the skincare business has been seen as a taboo for men, making deep discrimination between what’s is for a woman and what’s for men in terms of the range of products, needs, packaging, and fragrances. In the ’90s a “men” needed only a deo and an aftershave balm that should work more or less for pretty everything. Things have been slowly changed and today we have more brands that are dedicated to developing man lines with the same commitment they have for the women lines. It’s not a restriction anymore for men coming out and talking about their skincare routine and, in general, being curious about the topic. Last January the musician Frank Ocean revealed his skincare routine for Vogue: “I really do believe in a night cream, I need it, because when I wake up I feel very beautiful, moisturized, and ready to have people making eye contact with me, ready to look above my eyebrow, below the eyebrow. That’s the life hack right there.”
‘ I feel like men just go to sleep. They may wash their face or they don’t even bother—they go to sleep with the day face on. You really need to do a gentle wash and put a night moisturizer on.’
Frank Ocean
I am usually a bit suspicious when it comes with men skincare products because they are not performing, the ingredients are not good and it’s just all about the smell and the masculine packaging. Quality and good ingredients should not be something negotiable: trying out, choosing the right product that works for your skin is a right and it’s completely normal to go through the “testing phase”,
The slow skincare approach embraces the idea not only of being more sustainable but also to reduce the compulsive shopping of products that are not strictly necessaire. I started myself this decluttering process and giving away products they were not performing on me or that were not part of my daily routine. And both I and my skin are much better since then! I have also introduced and tested 3 new products from the Korean brand Whamisa over the last months that literally became the 3 most important steps of my skincare.
These products are made with natural and fermented ingredients – such as bamboo leaf extract and wild yam – and are cruelty-free. It should not be surprising that the fermentation cosmetic is coming from Korea, already known for fermented food like kimchi. This process produces skin-loving amino acids and antioxidants that imitate the skin cells function making your skin healthier and stronger!
Step 1: you really need a few drops of this cleanser to wash your entire face and a few more as shampoo or body wash. It’s packed with vitamins and nutrients and houttuynia cordata extract, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Honestly, it’s so refreshing and keeping my skin so moisturized that there are days where I just use this product!
Step 2: This is the best toner I never tried in my life. Using the toner is one mandatory step in the Korean skincare routine. It contains aloe, bamboo leaf extract, turmeric, and wild yam. Whole leaves are suspending inside the bottle that makes this product just magic. The citrus smell is calming and refreshing and the skin is completely clean and ready for the next step.
Step 3: lotions and creams are a tricky topic for men with beard. The texture of this lotion is really light, so get absorbed fast and it’s ideal also as an aftershave lotion. I use a pea size for my entire face and will be my lotion to go for the upcoming summer season to mix with a good sun protection lotion.
