Amenity Blog

Oilier skin provides an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria that is 90% responsible for acne. This is why oily and acneic skin conditions often go hand in hand. In order to determine best treatments for oily skin and acne, it’s critical to understand the facts.

Myth #1 - Oil can be controlled by drying ingredients such as alcohol. Ironically, stripping the skin of oil can actually cause skin to produce more of it.

Myth #2 - A blackhead is actually dirt inside a pore. Blackheads are merely whiteheads that have reached the skin’s surface and opened up, allowing oxygen and to finally enter the follicle, causing the oil and dead skin cells within the follicle to undergo a chemical reaction known as oxidation, leading to the darker coler.

Myth #3 - Sugary, refined foods contribute to acne. Foods don’t directly contribute to acne, but some foods do trigger excess oil production.

Myth #4 - Sunscreen increases oil production. While some sunscreens’ ingredients can make skin feel greasier and can be comedogenic (clog pores), there are new, more sophisticated formulas that provide protection with skin benefits.

It’s a NEW YEAR!

Last year, the ISPA annual survey reported that over 30% of spa visits in the US are being made by men. The majority of these visits occur when men are at resort vacations, which makes sense given any man’s inclination NOT to try a new ‘treatment.’ On vacation, all the rules change and pampering becomes the number one priority. Men, despite the industry ballyhoo, are not flocking to spas in the cities that they reside in, with a few exceptions. Some men’s spas are popping up with more and more frequency. I’ve been to a few and though expensive, you feel like a million bucks when you leave. Some of my favorites include:

State Street Barbers (Boston) - Best haircut I’ve ever had, hands down. The BIG surprise was that not a stylist, but an actual licensed barber gave me the cut. No clippers, just scissors and a masterful technique left me with a salon-looking cut that was much more enjoyable than any actual salon cut I’ve had in the past.

Gentleman’s Quarters (Denver) - Built on a solid salon foundation, hair provides the entree, and this is where the spa market really begins to get accessible for men. Of the spa services, massage is the most popular choice. I was fortunate enough to receive a 2 hour Thai massage which was UNBELIEVABLE. This place is proof that in the right hands, under the right conditions, men can be persuaded to explore ’spa-like’ service options.

The Art of Shaving (New York) - This is a shaving-based men’s spa that capitalizes on the retro appeal of a traditional straight-razor shave. One of the challenges of this concept is the fact that shaving is a rare skill among barbers today, and a bad shave with a straight razor is substantially worse than than a lousy massage (or bad nails for women). Shaving, when performed skillfully in a place that specialize on it, is an outstanding experience. This is one of the best shaves around.

In general, the luxe caring for the male appearance outside of major cities definitely does not carry the premium it does in sophisticated urban markets. However, spas that create men’s only enclaves are more successful, in all cities. Men who like spas are often accustomed to the privacy and comforts of the club environment. Successful ‘mens zones’ include the ubiquitous flat-screen TV with sports or business programming, bars, and billiard tables. If you haven’t been, it’s worth a visit to see why women love their ’spa days’ so much.

1. Shave - Using the same razor blade more than a week will hurt your face. For smoothest and irritation free results, change blades weekly.
2. Aging - Even though your not thinking about aging every day, try using a moisturizer daily to keep your skin hydrated and less prone to free radical damage.
3. Hair - Most men use a hair styling product and if used correctly, you would never know. This is one of those things that ‘less is more’ really is true.

1. Use Gel Face Cleanser once or twice a day to cleanse face (and shoulder if you have acne there). Gentle, liquid or gel cleansers will not dry your skin out as many bar soaps do.
2. Always shower or wash face using lukewarm water, not hot. Hot water is drying.
3. Within 5 minutes of stepping out of shower or washing face, apply After Shave and Face Moisturizer to your skin. This will attract moisture all day long.
4. Apply After Shave and Face Moisturizer again at bedtime after splashing face with lukewarm water.
5. Invest in a humidifier to cut down on dryness in the air while you sleep. This could benefit your respiration as well as your skin (and you won’t wake up with such bad dry mouth).
6. For rough or cracked feet: apply Foot Spray to them in the morning. At night, apply The Balm and then cover with white, cotton socks. This will increase greater moisture absorption.

Fight the ravages of cold weather with this ultralight, award-winning, oil-free, high-performance gel moisturizer. After Shave and Face Moisturizer is specially formulated for men to help renew and restore the complexion while nurturing and protecting it. It utilizes Hyaluronic Acid, an advanced water-binding agent, to dramatically increase the moisture content of skin. After Shave and Face Moisturizer goes on invisible and absorbs immediately into skin, without a greasy residue, making it perfect for use anytime your skin feels dry (recommended by dermatologists to be used as part of a daily regimen).

Many men color their hair beginning in their mid-40’s (or earlier). The trick to doing this is that the hair should not look like it’s been colored. When it looks obvious (i.e, too dark or a light brown that looks orange), it’s embarrassing. The first time around, most men go for the full head dye job, that why it’s a dead give away. It’s preferable to spruce up graying temples at home (yes, I know the idea of home hair coloring is foreign to men). But it’s easy. Just buy a kit from a drugstore. But be careful, there are common pitfall. Select a color closest to your natural color (assuming you have some of that left). Limit application to graying areas only. The best trick I know is to use a cotton swab or toothbrush. Instead of leaving the color on for the prescribed 30 minutes, just wait 10 or 15 so some of the gray strands will remain for a more translucent effect (this also ensures that it won’t be too noticeable) . At the end, wash the hair and be careful to avoid stained hands (another give away of a die job). You can use petroleum jelly around your hair line to prevent the color from dripping into your face, ears, etc. If it goes awry, just get a haircut and try again.

If you’re smart, you look in the mirror while shaving. So why not shave in the shower. If you’re like me, you’re going to linger uselessly in the shower anyway, just standing there, so it makes sense to knock out your shaving during your daily standing time. Shaving while in or after your shower makes shaving easier too, because the hot water and steam open up your pores. You can buy a fog-free mirror to hang in the shower and enjoy the best of both worlds. And if you use Amenity Gel Face Cleanser, try wiping a little bit on the mirror for a totally fog-free, high definition shave!

Since razor burn usually results in micro-scabbing and raised skin, the best way to get rid of it is to allow it to heal before shaving again. There are of course, additional steps you can take to speed up the healing process:

Do:
* Use a mild exfoliant that contains salicylic acid daily. This will slough off old, dead surface skin that otherwise could clog up your pores and limit oxygen to the effected areas. Do not scrub razor-burned skin.
* Use aloe vera or a soothing after shave. They will speed up your recovery and soothe that raw feeling that accompanies razor burn.
* Shave carefully until it heals, switch to a razor with a single-blade or wire guard for a while. The shave won’t be close, but you won’t be slicing your skin up before it can heal either.
* If you continue shaving, combine these steps with the preventative steps in the next section.

Do not:
* Use products containing alcohol - it will dry out your skin and increase irritation.
* Scrub or scratch razor burned skin. It will increase irritation and the risk of infection.
* Apply colognes or perfumes to razor burned skin.

Razor bumps are created when hairs which are cut too close to the skin layer (think five blade razor close) grow back after shaving and fail to grow out of the skin. Instead, they curl over and burrow into the follicles under the skin, resulting in an unsightly bump. The inflammation in the follicle then creates a red, sore spot on the skin.

Newer razor technology is resulting in extra-close shaves. While your significant other might adore the feel, she won’t like the resulting blemishes that it causes. If you’re prone to shaving problems like razor bumps, stick with a three blade razor. Shaving with the grain can often prevent cutting the beard hair too short also. Use a product with a small amount of salicylic acid to remove dead skin cells and to uproot ingrown hairs that have started to form (which lead to razor bumps).

In one of our past Blog entries, an epic battle between manual and electric razors took place, in which manual razors emerged victorious.  Today a new battle shall take place between the traditional single blade razor and the trendy multi-blade razor.

I used to believe it was an absurd notion that two blades could shave better than one, until I tried my first two blade razor, which was given to me for free at the college bookstore as a promo.  After my first shave with my new blades, I stood in awe for about 10 minutes as I rubbed my smoother than ever, face.  I continued to use the double blade razor until christmas, when I recieved a vibrating Mach 3 turbo as a stocking stuffer.  I nearly returned the razor because there is nothing more absurd than a vibrating razor with a useless third blade(since 2 blades gave me such a close shave already).  It only took me one shave to get hooked on a third blade and I look forward to upgrading to the 5 blade Fusion, in the very near future. 

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, this is hardly a battle of the blades, but single blades do have some advantages.  Such as, according to dermatologists, men with curly hair or hair that grows in many directions within a region should use a single blade to help prevent ingrown hairs and razor burn.  The shave may not be quite as close, but for this reason you are less likely to be irritated and suffer from ingrown hairs that can be painful and unsightly. 

So you’ve heard the arguments and now for the moment of truth…And the winner is…Well, it’s actually a toss-up, so we came up with two separate awards.

Winner of the closest and smoothest overall shave: the Multi-Blade razor.

Winner of best shave for a person with curly hair: the Single Blade razor.

Hope you have enjoyed our blog and keep checking back for new entries weekly.

Best Shaves!