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Beauty Board: Shaving Products

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@tampatrib.com

Published: December 6, 2008

If you're never quite sure whether the ads for popular beauty products can be believed, relax. Our 4you Beauty Board's veteran testers are ready to try the latest when it comes to all things beauty. We'll share what worked and what bombed with the hope of making life a little easier for you. This week: Our manly men's board tries shaving products. Did they soothe and smooth or make rubble of our guys' stubble?

Zia Men Dual Action Face Lotion

Available at www.amazon.com; $10.46 (discounted price) for a 2.5-ounce tube

"A post-shave balm and moisturizer in one, this oil-free lotion instantly soothes redness and razor burn with botanicals and vitamins. Marine algae, ginseng and a multivitamin complex combat dryness, lines and environmental damage."

Rating: B+

Marty says: I don't generally use after-shave or lotion, but the former calls to mind the old TV jingle, "There's something about an Aqua Velva maaaaan!" This is no Aqua Velva. It lacks that distinct, powerful smell. And no one's going to write a jingle, "There's something about a Zia man!" I mean, c'mon. It's one letter away from Zima. Still, this is much better than the watery, perfume-y stuff. It contains, among other things, sea algae, ginseng, bark extract, tapioca starch and a bunch of other stuff you've never considered putting on your face. Here's what you need to know: It smells pretty good (a hint of citrus, perhaps?), it's subtle, and it soothes dry skin and razor burn. And from the sounds of the promotional material, you're doing something wonderful for the environment while helping to attain world peace every time you use it.

Marty Strasen, 41, is the entertainment editor for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and TBOextra.com, which is almost as many ingredients as the dual-action face lotion contains, without the sea algae.

Product: Anthony Logistics for Men Ingrown Hair Treatment

Available at Bath & Body Works, Sephora and www.anthony.com; $26.50 for 2.5 ounces

"Drive one irritation out of your life."

Rating: C

Joseph says: Ever since I started shaving a few short years ago (chuckle), I have been working to keep ingrown hairs at bay. I've tried electric razors, single- to triple-blade razors and depilatory creams, all designed to keep those pesky hairs from curling under my skin. I now use small electric clippers (Andis T-Outliner) designed for edging and tapering close-cropped hair. One thing that has been a constant, even with this product, has been PAIN! But at least with this product, the pain is only an initial tingling that subsides after a few minutes. After that, my skin feels soft, smooth and even has a more youthful look. Early on, the product seemed not to help at all, but after a few weeks, I started to notice a slight reduction in the pesky puss-filled pockets of ingrown hairs. I'm not sold on it as my skin savior, but as a wake-up technique, it rivals an energy drink or double espresso.

Joseph Brown III, 42, is a photo editor at the News Center.

Clinique Post-Shave Soother Anti-Blemish Formula

Available at department stores and www.clinique.com; $17 for 2.5 ounces

"This aloe-rich lotion soothes just-shaved skin. Encourages healing of minor nicks, cuts. Special skin-clearing ingredients help reduce and prevent breakouts for closer, more comfortable shaves."

Rating: C

Dennis says: Clinique sells a line of products known as "post-shave soother," not to be confused with plain old after-shave, and charges $20 and up for a 2.5-ounce plastic bottle. Among the varieties of soothers is the "beard control" formula, which among other things, purports to soften your beard over time. The one I tried is the "anti-blemish" formula, for the treatment of acne. We're familiar with acne at my house. And with shaving, too. I'm not sure who thought of combining the two to market one product, but it gives me the creeps. (Reminds me of Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer. I love chilies. And I love beer. Put them together in the same bottle, though, and it's no good for either.) This Clinique product does contain one of the most effective anti-acne treatments, salicylic acid, so there's real medicine in the fancy-pants men's cosmetics packaging. But as an after-shave, it doesn't do much for me. It made my skin feel smoother, but not for long because the stubble starts growing back quickly. I think an after-shave should reward you with a jolt. Like Aqua Velva. Otherwise, call it the face lotion that it is.

Dennis Joyce, 52, an editor in the News Center's Data Circle, thinks most men's cosmetics are overpriced snake oil. So he gets really excited when he finds one that's worth a hoot.

DermaLastyl-m Anti-Wrinkle After Shave

Available at www.dermalastyl-m.com; $49 for 1.7 ounces

"Dermalastyl-m restores the natural flexibility, smoothness and youthful appearance to your face with a series of clinically proven anti-aging products."

Rating: B

Kevin says: The first order of business is taking a long look at yourself in the mirror and admitting that, unfortunately, that face of yours is losing its "flexibility" and "smoothness," which is not always easy for men. That's because (1.) we don't tend to examine ourselves for great lengths of time in the mirror and because (2.) we hate the wrinkles and weird skin blotches that come with age just as much as women do; we just don't talk about it as much. So, I tested out Dermalasty-m, which goes after those wrinkles. My confession: I chose it because it smelled so much better than the other products and also went on smooth, without any sort of greasy film. My wife liked it far better than any after-shave or cologne I have used in the past, so I've stuck with this. Did it remove any wrinkles? Well, close examination shows I don't have too many, yet - probably the silver lining of having a moon face. But the lotion did seem to restore moisture to my dry skin, so in that respect it performed as advertised.

Kevin Walker, 42, wrangles the Tribune's Friday Extra entertainment section each week, so he knows all about good ingredients.

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