Issue 25
The Essential Journal | 21
STYLE
The Summer Grooming Guide: From Head-To-Toe words by JOHN THORNTON, themodernman.co.uk
Whether you’re off to a Mediterranean beach or simply sitting back in your local beer garden, keep your look as hot as the weather
SUN CARE
First up, the big one. If you only follow one step, please follow this one. Use. Sun. Cream. There’s 15,000 cases of Skin Cancer a year in the UK, and a Cancer Research study shows 86% are preventable. Good sun protection massively improves your chances so do your homework and find one with high UV-B and UV-A protection. SPF only refers to UV-B protection, check the ingredients for titanium dioxide or zinc oxide which provide UV-A protection. UltraSun and the Boots Soltan range are both great options.
HAIR
Sweat, humidity and chlorine can wreak havoc with your hair. Start by switching up your style with a shorter cut to keep things cool, then opt for a lighter styling product. Waxes, gels, and pomades are out, lightweight pastes, creams and salt sprays are in. They’ll create natural, textured looks with just enough control to keep everything in place, and they won’t melt or run in your eyes. Diving into the pool? Work a leave-in conditioner through your hair first to help protect it from the chlorine.
FACE
The hotter weather causes you to produce more oil. That, combined with sweat, will create one seriously shiny t-zone. Mattifying moisturisers and oil-control lotions will keep shine - and magpies - at bay.
CHIN
A big beard in summer is about as good an idea as taping a sweatsoaked sponge to your face, whilst a clean jaw isn’t much better sweat can cause serious discomfort to sensitised post-shave skin. The ideal length is that long stubble/short beard sweet spot.
BODY
Double down on deodorant to keep on top of sweat. Use a scent-free antiperspirant before bed so your skin can fully absorb it and form an effective barrier against sweat. Follow up with deodorant in the morning. For your fragrance, skip woody scents as they can be overwhelming in the heat. Instead opt for citrus notes to really capture that exotic summer feeling. You don’t need to be Olympic-swimmer levels of smooth before you hit the beach, but a quick-once over your back with a body trimmer won’t go amiss.
CROTCH
The nicer the weather outside, the worse the climate downstairs you could plot it on a graph (y’know, if you want to die alone). Some pubic pruning, looser underwear, and maybe a spot of talc are your best bet for avoiding a subtropical swamp and keeping the nature documentarists away.
FEET
We get it, shorts and argyle print socks don’t go - but no one wants the free tickets to the cheese factory you hand out when you go sockless. Either opt for invisible socks (an inch smaller than trainer socks, but miles ahead in class) or rock the athleis look and pull your tennis socks right up. Don’t forget to actually properly wash your feet too. (No, just standing in 2 centimetres of dirty shower water doesn’t count.)
TOP PICKS HAIR: FUDGE SALT SPRAY
Texture, volume and control, perfect for messed up matte styles
SKIN: ANTHONY INSTANT FIX OIL CONTROL LOTION
Your t-zone won’t know what’s hit it with this instantaction anti-shine formula
SUN: ULTRASUN SPF30 SUN PROTECTION
Non-greasy and easily absorbed, now you’ve no excuse for looking like a lobster