When Kiehl’s president Chris Salgardo was in Miami Beach recently for the book signing of his new book, MANMADE, Mommy Mafia had the opportunity to ask the sexy-bearded author about his skincare secrets. Read on to find out what he believes are the three “must-have” skincare products every man should own.
When I found out that I was going to have the chance to speak with you, I asked a handful of men (including my husband) about what kinds of skin questions they had. They all answered with some version of “I don’t have any skin questions, my skin is fine.” Why do you think some men are not interested or may be intimidated by the importance of skin care?
A lot of it is our programming. For many years we’ve been told, “don’t think about your skin, that’s for girls”, “don’t think about your skin, that’s going to make you vain.” So there’s always been all this social pressure and all of these beliefs that are just not true.
Men are starting to understand that It’s OK TO LOOK GOOD. It just means that you are taking care of yourself and you deserve it. It’s one life. Live well. Put your best face forward.
I saw on the website that there are quite a few men’s skin care sets. If I wanted to ease my husband into a first-timer’s routine, which set should I go with?
First, ask the question: What’s the skin type for this skin set and is it right for the guy that’s buying it or for the guy you are going to give it to as a gift. That one question will make all the difference. To the guy who’s as you described, we’ve got to start him off really, really simply- one product, then two products. And what he’s going to find is with just two products, he’s good. And he won’t need any thing else and it’s going to be a game changer for his skin.
What is the ONE item in Kiehl’s men’s skincare line that you think every man should use or or at least try if they have NEVER USED skin care products before?
So men, if you’re using a straight blade- a regular razor, not electric- you’re putting a cold blade across your face. You better be investing in a good shave cream that’s going to make sure it protects your face. If you’re not doing this, you are going to do some serious damage to your face. It’s not ok to nick your skin. You are causing abrasions. So a good shave cream is always important.
Next, get a moisturizer with a sunscreen. Your skin will thank you. And its the most inexpensive way to protect your skin for as long for as you possibly can.
So I’d say shaving cream, and get a moisturizer on your face. That one-two punch is going to be critical.
And I’m going to throw this last one in: I’m a huge proponent for eye cream. I’ve used eye cream my entire life. Eye Cream is a game changer. Use it and use it liberally. Don’t pat, get it in there! Make sure to moisturize those eyes. The eyes are the windows to everything. Everyone pays attention to your eyes. Its going to make you look younger, longer. Fresher and healthier.
Since you mentioned sunscreen, we know that here in Miami, sun exposure is a big deal. Can you share the Lincoln Road store’s number one selling sunscreen?
There’s two: the number one selling sunscreen for us is called Super Fluid (for women). And we have a version for men called UV Guard.
Now why these two are so important is first, they both have a SPF over 50. To get a high sunscreen and not get that chalky look, it takes a long time to get that technology really really perfect. Ours feels like you just slipped a soft cotton sweater over your face. It’s lightweight. It’s wonderful. And by far, everybody uses those two products
I saw the picture of you, and you have quite the sexy beard going on. Why is there no Kiehl’s beard line of products? For example, why no beard oil or beard wash? What products would you recommend for men with beards?
(Laughing) Well, thank you! Here at Kiehl’s we’ve used other products to maintain your beard. For a long time you could use [Hair Conditioner and Grooming Aid] Formula 133 for your beard, it’s great. Or you could use our Midnight Recovery Oil, which is my favorite product in the whole brand.
But then quietly, we were studying and looking at what would treat the beard in a very unique way. So in June we will launch our first beard oil. It’s amazing. It’s got a little bit of an exfoliant too, so not only is it going to take care of the skin underneath the beard. It conditions it. For the men in your life that have a beard, they are absolutely going to love it.
What is your favorite thing to do in Miami?
Oh just to stroll around Lincoln Road, or sit by the pool at whatever hotel I’m staying at and just decompress. Living in New York, I don’t get all the sun as much as I used to. Of course, I’m under an umbrella and using my Kiehl’s sunscreen products. 😉
MANMADE: The Essential Skincare & Grooming Reference for Every Man
The Miami Beach Kiehl’s boutique is located at 540 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida 33143
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Just For You:
What a wonderful experience that must have been . As a woman I never think about the process our men should be going through for their own skin, which is weird since we all have it, so we should all be protecting it and nourishing it. These are some great tips to share with the guys in my life (brothers) and I would love to look more into the products cited because they sound like they’d do my guys a lot of good in the long run.