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Do You Buy Grooming Products for Your Significant Other?

by 90 Comments

Um, why is it SO HARD to get some boys to shower every day? Don’t get me wrong, I knew what I was getting into when I married El Hub — he’s more sporty than metro — and I expected occasional battles of will over things like shower gel, but I honestly didn’t think it would be THIS challenging, LOL!

I’ve resorted to just keeping the bathroom fully stocked with dude-centric body care products in the hopes they lure him into experimenting…

A girl can dream, right? 🙂

Speaking of dreams, have you seen the new Dove commercial starring Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees? It’s for Dove Men+Care.

If you look closely (I did!), Drew’s holding something that looks like a loofah.

Man + loofah = YES!

This particular implement of cleanliness is Dove’s Dual Sided Shower Tool.

Looks kinda like something used to polish automotive rims, so good job, Dove. 🙂 Dudes should like it, ha!

Next time I hit the Target, I think I’ll pick one up.

Which leads me to a question…

Do you buy grooming products for your significant other?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Speaking of buying things for your dude, Spanx now has a line of body shapers for men. The end times are officially NIGH.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I managed to get my hubs into body washes (and turned him on to Dove deodorant, Cetaphil, and lip balm) so he’s now using the new Dove for men body wash. However, I don’t think I could ever get him to use a bath “tool” other than nail clippers and a wash cloth, LOL!

    Reply

  3. Oh man this is something I struggle with also! Just getting N___. into the shower on the weekend is a feat unto itself. I have bought him “manly” versions of sunscreen, etc., but he will not use it unless I personally apply it. I keep telling him he’s gonna look 85 when he’s 40 from wrinkles, and I will look 35, but he just doesn’t care, lol!
    .-= Kelly’s last blog post… Sitting Pretty =-.

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  4. The boyfriend buys his own stuff — he even bought his own to keep at my place, including a hairdryer (!), because I don’t have one. (I don’t need one!)

    But my *brother* is a different story. My mom and I are responsible for stripping away the nasty Axe stuff and supplying him with nice cologne (Hermes, baby!) and body wash (Kiehl’s Pour Homme). I gave him the Kiehl’s body wash for Christmas, noticed he was using it by New Year’s, and when I pointed it out to my mom, she said, “Oh yes, it smells much less like gasoline around here!”
    .-= Jeanne’s last blog post… What’s Your Jam? for February 10th =-.

    Reply

    • Kiehls seems to be quite the boy favorite. I think the non-frilliness of the packaging might have something to do with the allure.

      And good call getting the Axe stuff out. GROSS!

      Reply

  5. He was very much into his own skin care when I met my boyfriend, but he always uses the same ones and didn’t see a reason for using conditioner. Now I buy him some when I’m buying my own, usually ones that I like the scent of, because he didn’t always pick the best smelling ones.

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  6. Funny you brought this question today – My husband just this morning asked me to get him some more pomade while I was at Ulta 🙂 And yes, he uses a “poof” (loofah) in the shower and has been since before we were even dating. The one thing I can’t get him to use is facewash – he still insists on using bar soap, then complains that his skin is dry and wonders why he still gets occasional breakouts…go figure!

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  8. I’ve managed to get my bf to use nicer skincare (Zirh, Kiehls, and some Lumene) products, and he’ll even ask me to get samples or get him something from Sephora now and then…but I can’t get him to use moisturizer, SPF, or eye cream for the life of me! Oily skin or not, he refuses to use moisturizer unless I apply it, and the same goes for eye cream and SPF.

    At least he’s taking better care of his beard with beard shampoo/conditioner and lotion 🙂 If I can’t get him to shave, at least he’s got a nice beard on him!
    .-= mayaari’s last blog post… My Secret Valentine from Sarah =-.

    Reply

  9. Occasionally I force him to use some of my anti-acne face lotion, or zit treatments, but other than that he pretty much buys his own stuff. He does ask me for advice on products and stuff though.

    Reply

    • also he refuses to use lotion, like a lot of guys, so the only way I can get him to use it is if I offer a back massage, or if he complains about itchy skin and then I attack him with it. And the only place he will wear sunscreen is if we go on a sunny holiday.
      Otherwise he takes pretty good care of his hair his nails and everything else.

      Reply

  11. LOL.

    Before me, my poor SO didn’t use soap every time he showered (so, once every three days or so) because his Dove body bar irritated his sensitive, eczema-prone skin, he had the craziest scary dandruff because he didn’t know how to wash his hair properly, and he didn’t wash his face at all and didn’t know why he had so much acne.

    Now, we have special cold-process handmade soap from Etsy (we’re also both allergic to many commercial fragrance oils, so it makes the whole body wash thing a bit difficult), his dandruff is totally gone (I caught him washing his hair once and was appalled and attacked him with shampoo and he whined and squealed the entire time but 2 days later his dandruff was gone forever – and he was all like ‘OMG it makes so much sense now! You have to massage it into your SCALP!’ lmao…), and he’s had about a 90% reduction in acne by starting to use my cleanser, toner and moisturizer (Soapalaya Soaps Chamomile Calm, Ole Henriksen Pick Me Up Tonic and a mix of jojoba oil + olive squalane in case anyone’s interested)! I also introduced him to benzoyl peroxide acne cream (he only ever tried salicylic and it didn’t work for him) to shrink the nasty ones. I buy him almost all of his body lotion and I even got him to buy a Lush deodorant since I hate the smell of the Axe and Old Spice ones.

    I’m still working on teaching him how to shave properly, but he’s come a LONG, long way.
    .-= Catherine’s last blog post… Laura Mercier on HauteLook! =-.

    Reply

      • Heeheehee. It definitely took a while. Practically everything I wanted him to try came with the “Will it make my balls shrink?” question LOL. But I don’t think that he’s less manly or anything for just being clean and we’re both pretty reasonable about what he needs and doesn’t need. He drew the line at exfoliators and masks (even though I think it could really help those blackheads he still has) but when he asked me if he should use my conditioner as well I was like why?? I explained that his hair is already really nice and soft and not dry at all so a conditioner would probably just make it greasy whereas my hair gets fried if I don’t condition it.

        Because of both of our skin issues I did a lot of research about skincare ingredients and how they work and he responds a lot better to a scientific chem-based explanation rather than a “but you’re supposed to” argument. This way, it makes sense to him why he’s going through the extra steps and what he gets out of it. Well, it makes sense to both of us that way, I think because we’re both engineers. =)
        .-= Catherine’s last blog post… Laura Mercier on HauteLook! =-.

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        • Interesting. How do you think he might feel about gadgets? Maybe you can get him a Clarisonic for graduation. I bet that would help with the blackheads.

          Oh, and that’s such a guy thing to ask, LOL!

          Reply

          • Hmmmmm… similar with the scrubs, I don’t know if I can see him using something timed for two minutes even a few times a week. He already gets so impatient brushing his teeth! I got him a body brush and a hemp washcloth and he barely touches those even though he’s already in the shower, LOL….

            It might be more interesting to him if it’s electric though… I’m seriously considering getting myself one so I might try it out on him a few times and see what he thinks. He is exceptionally babyish about his sensitive skin though lol, so we’ll see.

            And LOL. I know right?!
            .-= Catherine’s last blog post… Laura Mercier on HauteLook! =-.

  12. Oh, Karen. I bought my BF this really nice face wash and exfoliator from The Body Shop, but it doesn’t ever get used. 🙁 “My face gets washed in the shower, why do I need to use a separate cleanser?” he says.

    I did at one time get him to use my super luxe body scrub from Crabtree & Evelyn, and he really enjoyed it! I was quite pleased with myself. 😀
    .-= Arianne’s last blog post… A Girls’ Day Out at LIFT Beauty Boutique. =-.

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    • That is SUCH A BOY thing to say. El Hub had some equally crazy thing to say when I caught him using my Bumble & Bumble Shampoo as a face and body wash!

      Reply

  13. I never thought of buying my fiance these things, as he tends to pick up his own at the drugstore. but he doesn’t like taking his time to pick things out, so usually I don’t like the smell. maybe I should start picking them out or buying them for him! especially body wash and deodorant.

    Reply

    • Yeah! Just buy the stuff that you think smells good (might as well since you have to sniff him) and leave it for him in the bathroom. He probably won’t even realize it…

      Reply

  14. It was simple. I just had to say how I didn’t like whatever it was on him, and now he uses a wash cloth, he washes his face nightly (borrowed my shu uemura toner the other day!), and mac’s lip conditioner (that I forced on him). Shower gels and shampoos aren’t hard, cuz he wanted to smell like me.

    Reply

  17. Karen,
    Drew Brees is soooo adorable and his son Baylen is way to cute for words!! My ex also had trouble using body lotion yet complained of dry skin. Seriously? You live in Colorado and don’t use lotion, no wonder you have dry skin!

    As for the other men in my life, my dad is very metro and was way before Ryan Seacrest ever entered the picture. Though dad is a self groomer and taught my brother the ways of self grooming. They both swear by Noxzema and Calvin Klein Obsession for Men.

    Reply

  20. I never buy my boyfriend grooming products cos he wouldn’t use them. He just don’t see a reason to do that. I can’t even get him to use conditioner despite his hair being all dry and brittle. I bough him a bottle but he only used it a couple of times. *sighs* But at least he’s using lotion when his skin is very very dry.
    .-= gio’s last blog post… Looks: Blue Pop =-.

    Reply

  21. I have to get him his own stuff because if I don’t mine seems to mysteriously go missing…. As far as spanx body spapers for men? My god that is disturbing!! If I ever saw those hanging out around the house I would throw a fit for sure. I wear spanx on occasion and that isn’t something I’m incredibly proud of….but my man? Def not. Let’s just say I’m glad he loves the gym.

    Reply

  22. I JUST picked up a 4-pack of Dove+ soaps at Target to stuff into the Valentine’s Day bag full of goodies for the boy. That was only the second grooming product I’ve ever purchased for him…the first was Gucci by Gucci men’s cologne, and that didn’t go over so well (even though I personally think it smells so sexy). So we’ll see if this one ends up being more of a hit with him.
    .-= Kristen’s last blog post… Tweezerman Stork Scissors =-.

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  23. Most of my male friends, cousins, and my dad have only one product: a bar of soap. They use soap all over their bodies and that’s it! You can’t argue with them. One time, a friend of mine hitched my shower and discovered the first time in his life the joy of conditioning his hair (I think he grabbed the conditioner bottle by mistake!) He came out and asked me, “what’s that thing in your shower that makes my hair feel so smooth?”

    Don’t get me wrong, I like guys to be clean but I don’t like bar soap as the sole cleaning product or the 12-step cleaning, exfoliating, conditioning, and pampering for males either.
    .-= Dao’s last blog post… Wonderful Wednesday =-.

    Reply

  25. Not that he needs all the help he can get … when I use girly scented products, he doesnt like it. So now he gets his own stuff! 🙂

    Reply

  26. I helped my mom pick out shampoo for her husband once. I immediately reached for the Axe shampoo. I wasn’t sure he’d like it since he likes using the girly and/or children’s shampoo. Well, turns out he liked it a lot and had to buy a new one recently. Score!
    .-= Trisha’s last blog post… How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes =-.

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  27. my boyfriend LOVES when I bring home grooming products… and he is the manliest man, but just loves primping himself. my man gotta look good! I just recently bought toner for the first time, and he uses it more than I do! lol… i surely have to pick up this dove tool. i was going to pick him up the axe version, but this one is HALF the price, and i brand i trust! 🙂

    Reply

  28. I buy him scrub gloves from the body shop sometimes.. and get him organic shampoo and shower gels, and it’s strange because he is such a manly man.. but he just asks what it is, and use it without mentioning it again.. but he’s cute, so I go with his incognito game.. lol what we put up with in the name of love..

    Reply

  29. My boyfriend takes daily showers, washes and conditions his hair (specific kinds!), uses a loofah, and some slightly girly smelling shower wash. He’s got really soft skin, and he likes it that way.

    I still can’t use him moisturizer on a regular basis. Even the non scented stuff. He gave up and started using Cetaphil on his face, because he didn’t want to buy more of what he used (Noxema..)

    The ex roommate showered maybe once a week, didn’t wash clothes the entire time he lived there that I knew (3 months, and 3 months I wasn’t around), and used excessive amounts of Axe.

    Reply

  30. I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment, but the last guy I was with… he was addicted to showers! That boy would shower more than I would! He had this thing about constantly needing to be clean, haha. Oh man, what did I give up… 😛

    Reply

  31. I don’t buy the boy grooming products because he just doesn’t use them. He washes from head to toe with Irish Spring (I want to know how he can have NO zits using IRISH FREAKING SPRING on his face and I have major breakout issues with $300 worth of products), he uses a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, and his “bathroom basket” contains toothpaste, shaving cream, and deodorant. He’s low maintenance, and since he smells fine, I don’t want to try to fix something that isn’t broken.

    Well, once I did pick him up razor blade refills. But that was because I was going to be at Target anyway. 🙂

    Reply

  33. Thankfully he buys his own grooming products and lately he’s been into anti wrinkle creams and L’oreal products for men. I think it has everything to do with being in his early 30s 🙂 Shampoo/conditioner/shower gel wise he uses what I use so no problems there. As for perfume/after shave, I help pick out since I’m the one smelling him 🙂
    .-= Cas’s last blog post… My Valentine’s Day With Tiffany =-.

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  34. My hub won’t use anything but bar soap. I do buy dove body wash or Irish spring body wash for my 12 hear old son. He doesn’t want to be the smelly one in class. lol. i’m trying to raise him right. My next purchase for him will be the dove for men.

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  35. This whole thread cracks me up! Current guy is fairly low maintenance. He recently started shaving his head and asked me to recommend a sunscreen for his new bald top. He didn’t want to smell beachy at work or look greasy. When I gave him my Neurogena dry touch to try out, I suggested that while he’s at it he put it all over his face. Now not only is he SPF fortified, he has decided that lotions aren’t so bad and thinks his skin looks great.

    Reply

      • The real test is about to begin. He thinks rather than shaving to skin, he wants to have some stubble (for lack of a better term). He likes the length when it gets past prickly and turns soft. The test will be whether or not he continues to use sunblock on his face.

        Reply

  36. Karen,

    My husband has more grooming products than I do! He is very metro. He uses a lot of the L’oreal for Men products and he even uses the Nivea firming cream for getting rid of cellulite. I don’t even use that! He used to just use bar soap and shampoo. I pick out body wash for him sometimes and I bought him the Nivea body lotion for Men. He has used the Axe body wash, but it’s way too strong for me. He has Dial body wash that smells better.

    Reply

  37. My SO usually gets loads of different shower gels for Christmas so does use them up throughout the year and he does shower every morning, twice a day if he’s been training.

    Since we got together over 8 years ago I’ve managed to sort of get him into basic skincare (but only when he has a shave) I bought him the Liz Earle for men range which he likes ‘cos it prevents razor burn which he is prone to.

    So all in all he’s pretty good, I can’t complain. (he also happily slathers on sunscreen when it’s sunny out, even though he tans easily. Other men in my life; Dad I’m looking at you!, are reluctant to use it and I don’t understand why)

    Reply

      • It’s one of lifes many mysteries! Like Man-Flu and having a Man-Look (when they say they can’t find something, you tell them exactly where it is, they say they looked there – opened the cupboard/drawer it didn’t jump out at them! Then you go to exactly the same place and put your hand on it straight away!) My SO, Dad and Brother all have this problem!

        Reply

  38. My hubby is now addicted to skin regiment. He is inlove with occitane shaving creams and anything by Biotherm, Vichy or Lush. He is aware that is skin is much nicer since i introduce him to beauty and skin products.

    Reply

  39. My guy isn’t metro but he takes care of himself 😀 I do buy products for him, but he tells me which ones to buy 😀
    He has the whole routine when it comes to his skin care – every morning he showers, put body lotion on, and after that he takes care of his face – he has oily skin and I FINALLY convinced him to buy some La Roche-Posay products to take care of that greasy problem, and thank God he did 😀 So, he has daily moisturizer, night cream, sos cream for acne, and gel face cleanser. 😀
    .-= Veky’s last blog post… Beauty addict asks… You answer! =-.

    Reply

  40. Karen, I read your blog for over a year now and last night I was showing an article here to my husband and he said: I think I recognize this girl…
    And now there is my answer about the post: My husband works for Jo Malone @ Neiman’s (maybe he recognize you from the store, who knows) and he is the one that brings home all the goodies and new beauty products. He actually has more products than I do (besides makeup).
    You rock girl, I love your blog!

    Reply

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