honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Island Style
Island men are seeing the beauty of facial care

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Julian Kealakekua applies Lancome Hydra Control Moisturizer as part of his skin-care regimen. Traditionally, men haven't paid much attention to skin care, but that may be changing.

Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

When independent television producer Dirk Fukushima has prepared in past years for the annual Ala Moana Center Independence Day show, he has called the event a "five-zitter."

"It made me crazy. I wasn't sleeping right," he recalled.

Usually, he said, his skin reacted to the stress by breaking out in blemishes.

But this year he breezed through.

He attributes this to the fact that, for the past year, he has been taking care of his skin. And, unlike a lot of Island men who prefer to remain silent on the subject, Fukushima isn't shy about speaking out on the benefits of skin care for men.

It all started when Susan Fusuma, personal shopper at Neiman Marcus, had a heart-to-heart chat with him. "I had just turned 40, and for the first time in my life I was feeling older," Fukushima said. "Susan convinced me it was time to take some preventive measures."

Fukushima's skin regimen is simple and involves three steps, each using products by Kiehl's, a line of skin and hair products available at Neiman Marcus:

  • Cleansing with pineapple-papaya facial scrub.
  • An "astringent thing" (he couldn't remember the name).
  • Moisturizer.

This is a nighttime-only effort. In the mornings, Fukushima brushes his teeth, washes his face, puts on his shorts and slippers (he wears long pants only under duress, when his business partner, Carole Kai, tells him he must) and rushes out the door. In addition, after years of surfing in the sun without protection, he has become a convert to sunscreen, slathering it on two or three times per round of golf.

What changed his mind about skin care? "It's purely preventative. I feel the difference. When I wake up in the morning, my skin feels better. And it looks healthier now," he said.

Fukushima is one of many Island men who have realized the benefits of taking care of their skin. Another is investment banker Julian Kealakekua, 36. He discovered skin care 12 years ago when Macy's Atlanta was offering free in-store facials for men.

"I was a guinea pig," he recalled, "and I've been using (skin care products) ever since." The products used on him then were from the Princess Marcella Borghese line.

"But when I came back to Hawai'i, for some reason my skin didn't take to it. I guess it was the change in the atmosphere (humidity)," he said. Now Kealakekua uses products by L'Oreal and St.Ives. His regimen is a bit more complicated than Fukushima's:

  • Exfoliating 3-4 times a week (using a scrub to slough off dead skin).
  • A mask twice a week.
  • Intensifier (to help tone the skin and reduce pores).
  • Moisturizer.

Why all this time and trouble? "I find my skin is smoother and more manageable," Kealakekua said. When he lived on the East Coast, he found many of his friends took care of their skin. "Very seldom do you see men here in Hawai'i at a cosmetics counter, whereas on the Mainland you see it all the time."

There is clearly a reticence among some local men to admit any interest in skin care. E-Jay Maldonado of Blush said he sees men sitting on the benches outside his store while their significant others come in to ask him questions on their behalf.

He usually recommends the DDF line for men. "Men are looking for something clean, quick and easy. DDF is designed to be sleek and to fit comfortably into a man's hand." He said the product most favored by local men is DDF's foaming cleanser, available at Blush and Sephora.

Eric Barsatan, 27, of Sprint Hawaii, started using skin-care products in high school. His mother encouraged him to use her Oil of Olay to prevent further damage from the sun. (He surfs.) His use is sporadic but "I see a dramatic change when I stop using it, so that makes me start again," he said. "The wrinkles definitely diminish when I'm using it."

Barsatan said he believes a lot of his friends use moisturizers but are loath to admit it. "My friends, who are way straight, have lotions in their bathrooms, especially my friends that surf a lot. They use creams for sun damage."

Richard Kuwada of Waialua takes his skin seriously. He discovered the benefits while studying at Brown University in Providence, R.I., , where he was surrounded by students who were into skin care. He prefers the Clinique men's line and follows a strict regimen:

  • Facial scrub.
  • Facial soap.
  • Clarifying lotion.
  • Moisturizer.
  • Turnaround Cream.
  • StopSigns, anti-aging cream with SPF.

In addition, he applies an Origins clay mask once a week. While the product recommends keeping the mask on for only 10 minutes, Kuwada leaves it on for an hour to combat the effects of smoking on his skin. His motivation. "To look young is No. 1. One of the first things you notice about a person is their skin," he said. "I'm shocked at how little my friends do to preserve and clean their skin."

• • •

Where to find men's skin-care products

Sephora recently moved its men's skin-care products to a central section at the front of the store. The three most popular lines are:

  • Anthony Logistics for Men, including a sportstick, glycolic cleanser and toners and moisturizer with SPF 15.
  • Aramis Lab Series for Men, mostly shaving-related, with a skin clearing solution and Lift Off Power Wash.
  • Zihr, a complete line with facial scrub, under eye cream, face stick with SPF 28 and clarifying moisturizer. (Made famous by celebrity ex-couple Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, who reportedly used the line together.)

Curtis Lee, manager of the Liberty House cosmetics department, said stores are seeing more interest in men's skin-care products. For example, the Aramis Lab Series experienced big sales increases this year. Liberty House carries six lines made especially for men: Clinique, Biotherm, Cool Water, Polo Sport, Nautica and Aramis Lab Series.