REVOLUTIONARY BLOG

5 Lessons we have Learned about Men’s Skincare Men’s Skincare is fascinating— from the high level industry projections down to the individual man deciding if washing his face in the morning is worth his time. There are so many different archetypes of clientele be it the skincare enthusiast or the three in one shampoo guy. For the past few years, we have landed on some key insights into the current state and future of men’s skincare and what this means for you as an esthetician. What Estheticians Need to Know about Men’s Skincare 1. Men Don’t Care as much about Skin Despite the “Men’s Skincare Industry” growing year over year (mainly due to beard care), most men do not care as much about their skin. Don’t panic. Of course some men do (myself included!), but at the mainstream level, the average man is washing his face a heck of a lot less than the average women. This is a fact. The sooner estheticians accept this, the sooner they will be able to start reaching more male clientele. Sure, there are men that care about their skin, especially when there are severe skin issues. Who wouldn’t care about major acne breakouts, Rosacea, or Eczema? But the fine lines on the forehead or the dark circles under the eyes? To most men that is just normal skin. Estheticians, of course, know that these are signs of underlying changes in the body, which leads us to… 2. Why Men’s Skincare is Men’s Health Care For as little that men may care about slightly dark circles or smile lines, they certainly do care about their physical health. You may be reading this thinking, but aren’t they the same thing? Isn’t your skin a direct reflection of your physical health? Couldn’t you argue that skin health is the only physical thing about health??? You are exactly correct. Men’s Skincare is directly related to their overall Health Care. Understanding this is crucial to start speaking men’s language— especially when it comes to marketing to men… 3. How Estheticians Need to Market to Men So far we know that most men don’t care about the “little things” in skincare that most of us spend our entire days focussing on. We also know that men really care and prioritize their physical wellbeing. Marketing to men is about connecting the dots on how healthy skin is just one of the many parts of their overall holistic health. It is about showing them how skincare fits into their existing health routines. What is the best cleanser to use post workout (and why do you need to do that)? What morning routine can help you wake up better after a poor night of sleep (and what dark circles are really telling you about your blood flow)? Marketing to men is about connecting skin to their holistic health and educating them on why it is important… 4. Why Education is the Answer Simply put, most men don’t care because more men don’t know. Take the opposite: look at your existing male clients that do understand skin. They probably care MORE than your female clients about their skin. It is the education that makes a difference. As an esthetician, you have the unique opportunity to introduce men to a new, healthy way of living. Educate them on this one facet of health and how it impacts the entire rest of their body. Why? Because… 5. You Cannot have Healthy Skin without a Healthy Body Ok, we already knew this one. But why is the entire skincare industry still trying to convince us otherwise? Year after year, brands introduce new serum after new serum to make you think that the product we put on our faces is enough for healthy skin. But what about the fact that our skin is an organ? Why is no one acknowledging that skin as an organ is directly impacted by what we put in our bodies, our activity and stress levels, our quality of sleep, and so much more? Only when these holistic pillars are working in unison with the right skincare products can your clients see and truly feel what healthy skin means. What GM Revolution is doing for Estheticians As an Esthetic Skincare line, GM Revolution is committed to setting up estheticians for success when treating men’s skincare. We have simplified the product line to make it easy to master as a professional in order to even more easily educate your male clients. We have seen how loyal men are when they find something that works. GM Revolution is the answer you have been looking for to introduce your male clientele to an affordable product line treats the skin from the holistic perspective. Talk with our team to learn how you can introduce your clients to GM Revolution so that you can expand your client list all while doing what you do best: educating the consumer on what healthy skin really means.

Why Men Don’t Care about their Skin In all of the professional articles you read about men’s skincare, they always start with the data on how men’s skincare is ~booming~. These posts are an attempt to normalize men’s skincare just by talking about it. But here’s a tough pill to swallow: men just don’t care about their skin as much as women. Sure, the statistics on men getting into skincare may be increasing year over year (largely due to beard care), but if you think about the men in your life are their skincare routines even remotely close to the average women’s? Of course not. This is not to say that all men don’t care about their skin (myself as living proof), but the benefits of skin health has yet to reach the mainstream man. Are men a massive untapped market in the skincare industry? Absolutely. Can men eventually care about their skin? 100%. But marketing to men the benefits of ingredient XYZ that will cure their wrinkles and fine lines is not the way to reach men. Remember: men just don’t care (as much). Men don’t see their fine lines or dark circles as underlying health conditions let alone unwanted features to spend money on removing. Three Traps of Lazy Marketing to Men The “Skincare is Manly” ApproachSeriously? Who approved that message? And yet we’ve all seen the hypermasculine ads of a man washing his face. Oftentimes this messaging is coupled with extrinsic motivation that women loooove a man with good skin. Downfall: Health should be intrinsic. Keyword: health—not appearance. The Magic ElixirThese ads are promoting all of the solutions to problems men did not know existed or even recognized as problems. Downfall: Expensive serums that solve unknown problems are not a solution. “Men’s Skin is Different”You’re a licensed esthetician. You know that skin is skin. “But men produce more oil than women.” Maybe on average, but I guarantee you have treated men with dry skin and women with oily skin. Downfall: Skin is universal and an esthetician needs to treat skin types not skin “genders.” The Only Way to Approach Men’s Skincare Now that we have identified how not to approach men’s skincare, let’s talk about what really matters. What men fail to see in their lack of care for skin problems such as dark circles or breakouts is that these are all signs of something else going on inside the body. The skin is just a window into the health of what is going on inside. Want healthy skin without a healthy body? Forget it. As estheticians, you have the unique opportunity to connect men’s skin health with the overall health of their bodies. And this is crucial for a group of people that are significantly less likely to see a doctor than women; for a group that goes to therapy at a far lesser rate than women. And yet, this is a group that on average does really care about their health. The only way to normalize men’s skincare is to do the hard work in connecting it to holistic health. Understand what your male client’s diet is, how much sleep he gets, his daily stress levels, his work environment, and how much exercise and vascular activity he is getting. Are eyes puffy in the morning after a bad night of sleep? Face breakout after eating ice cream? Most brands say they have a product for that. We say that we have a lifestyle for that. Brands that do not address the underlying problems only care about how you look. But how do you want to feel? That’s the difference we care about. Because an entire life and framework can be built inside the difference between look and feel. You already know that these all play a role in the health of the skin. When you take the time to connect these dots for men you will truly be doing the work that it takes to change habits and lives. Connect with us at GM Revolution to help you make a difference in men’s skincare.

The Modern Man: Age Management Treatments & Techniques to Know Aging is a blessing. With age comes wisdom, experience, and oftentimes, stories of those youthful days that are told to whoever is willing to listen. Unfortunately, with this also comes physical aging. For many men, looking in the mirror is confronting the physical reality of their age. As men mature, they may start to notice their face and skin showing signs of aging. Antiaging solutions are amongst the most sought-after treatments for both men and women and before knowing how to care for aging skin, one must first understand why skin ages in the first place. WHY SKIN AGES The two components of skin that impact aging are collagen and elastin. Collagen is a protein which aids the body’s connective tissue, hair, skin, and nails. It gives skin its firmness. Elastin is what keeps the skin tight and allows it to snap back if stretched. During youth, both collagen and elastin are in abundance which is why babies can smile without a laugh line appearing. When it comes to collagen, a bonus for men is that they have a higher collagen density than women. Their skin is structurally thicker and tougher. However, as men age, the collagen and elastin begin to break down due to numerous reasons: toxin and pressure sun damage free radicals stress All of these are reasons why a man’s skin ages, and while none of them are entirely avoidable, men can certainly manage these causes to slow the physical aging process down. When it comes to skin’s collagen and elastin, the most common cause of breakdown is due to overexposure to the sun. Men are not to use sunscreen or reapply as often as they should. Managing the direct exposure to the sun with proper sunscreen and apparel will positively affect the health of their skin. Furthermore, the toxins and pressure that men expose themselves to in their daily lives has a strong impact on aging skin. These toxins include everything from the food they eat to the air they breathe. It is important to remember that one’s skin is merely a reflection of the health of the rest of the body. By maintaining a proper diet, exercising, sleeping well, and managing stress, men can begin proactively caring for their skin and slow the aging process. But what about managing premature aging that is already showing? HOW TO REVERSE AGING FOR MEN The good news is that the demand for men’s skin care services has never been higher. Men are starting to pay attention to their skins’ appearances and are looking for ways to treat the health of their skin. The best treatment for men certainly exists in the treatment room. Oftentimes, spas will have a dedicated facial treatment labeled and marketed as an antiaging facial or even more specifically as a men’s facials. These facials should be using antioxidant ingredients that work to increase circulation in the skin, even skin tone, and diminish fine lines and wrinkles. By receiving regular antiaging facial treatments, men can start to reverse those signs of aging. Strictly relying on more advanced treatments without supplemental homecare is equivalent to putting a bandage on the bigger issue. While professional treatments are a great way to treat men’s premature aging skin, men need to continue the work outside of the treatment room instead of relying on it. This can be done by prioritizing holistic healthcare as mentioned above, but men should also prioritize the products they are using on their skin. Proper homecare is essential for age management, and it comes down to the basic reasons why men age differently than women in the first place. Typically, men look younger from the eyes down and they have less lines. This is because when men shave daily, they are exfoliating that outer layer of dead skin cell build-up. Exfoliation is critical for age management. However, exfoliation should be gentle and never abrasive. Men are more likely to age quicker around the eyes and forehead due to sun damage, products they use, and not routinely exfoliating as they do with their razor daily. This is when one starts to see deep forehead wrinkles and lines under and around the eyes. Homecare is a great way to combat these signs of aging.   PROPER HOMECARE FOR MEN When it comes to a skin care routine dedicated to reversing aging, the building block of that regimen starts with a proper cleanser. A water-based, pH balanced cleanser should be used daily to gently exfoliate the entirety of a man’s face. While this may seem like basic knowledge, men are still lacking education for proper skin care and it is the opportunity of the professional to guide them to best practices. Secondly, antiaging face serums and moisturizers have incredible properties, such as bakuchiol, niacin, and peptides can slow the aging process. Lastly, if a man is unlikely to get in the treatment room, at-home masks are a great introduction into a more advanced exfoliation. While everyone looks forward to living a long life, wrinkles are not needed nor wanted to prove the attained wisdom that comes with age. This simple routine paired with a holistic healthy lifestyle is a great first step to prevent and manage aging skin. Published on Dermascope.com

Professional Skincare for Barbers The barber industry is at a crossroads. Somewhere between innovation and tradition, the barber experience is changing. This spectrum ranges from having a cold beer with a haircut to plenty of men cutting their own hair due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  With all of the restrictions placed on the service industry, people are desperate to sit down in the chair with their favorite barber just like old times. However, the barber industry could be changed forever; that is, if you are looking to revolutionize it entirely. Personally, this past year has left me forgetting how good customer service can feel. For men, barbershops are the epitome of what good customer service can look like. Men typically do not have many one on one close interactions with other men where they can open up about their lives. But something changes when they sit down in the chair and the razors start buzzing. I don’t know… maybe it’s something they put in the Barbicide that makes men more willing to share personal information, but it is certainly true that most men look forward to chopping it up with their barber (pun intended).  With the service industry struggling in the past year, barbers are faced with a very unique opportunity. This is the opportunity to go above and beyond customer expectations when they get back in the chair. Going back to the fact that men are more willing to open up to their barber than some are to their wives, barbers are situated to be more than just a professional in the hair world, but as a holistic health guide as well. Why is this? Simply put, men lack education when it comes to their health.  Barbers as Educators Need proof of this? Just picture a typical woman’s bathroom compared to a man’s. While yes there is an oversaturation of products for women, there is clearly a difference in the education. This gap is where barbers come in.  The bridge between education and customer service is a great opportunity to introduce men to other services outside of hair care. In particular, the most natural fit is to introduce men into proper skin hygiene. Since barbers are already beard experts, it only makes sense to continue up the rest of the face. This is a chance to introduce men to proper cleansers at the beginning of a treatment as well as offering basic mask treatments or beard facials. The best part about these services is that they naturally fit into what barbers are already doing.  Barber + Skincare Treatment Start with a 30 second facial cleanse Haircut Beard (if applicable) and face facial Trim beard Moisturize beard and face and provide anti-aging solutions to the face It’s that simple. And most men are going to feel like they are in paradise getting a full treatment like this. While men are still more hesitant to go to a spa and receive a facial treatment, a barber giving a basic facial feels entirely normal and men will absolutely love it. Men come to a barber to walk out feeling good about themselves. Introducing skincare into barbering services helps men leave with good looking hair and healthy skin from the one person they trust most. With the rising demand for men’s skincare in the beauty industry, barbers are best situated to capitalize on this as skin services can easily integrate into what the shop is already doing.

The emerging trend of men’s skin care has been a hot topic in the beauty industry for the past few years. In fact, it can be said that men’s skin care is no longer emerging but rather, is here (and here to stay). While most, and certainly the best, products should be applicable to both men’s and women’s skin, it is apparent that the relative brands are marketing very differently towards each target customer. DISPARITY & TYPES If the products work for both markets, why is there such a disparity? Simply put, men and women respond differently to the way products and services are marketed and delivered. If this is true for products, it is certainly true for spa treatments and services as well. This article will be focusing on how aestheticians can revolutionize the way men experience the treatment room for the new market that has been knocking at the door for quite some time. In order to customize the spa treatment room, first, think about why men are getting treatments in the first place. Now every man is different, but there are a few common themes seen in male clientele. First is the “escapee.” This is a man that has a fast-paced lifestyle and not only comes to the spa for a skin treatment but also as a relaxing escape from his crazy life. Second is the “modern man.” Quite opposite from the escapee, the modern man is looking for a quick facial treatment, not as an opportunity to relax as much as he needs to look good, feel good, and get back to work. Finally, there is the “anti-ager.” This is a man that is going to do everything he can to keep his skin looking young and healthy and is probably in a career in which he needs to always look his best. When it comes to serving male clientele, skin care professionals need to first identify which archetype the client is and accommodate services accordingly. Once the skin care professional understands why a man is coming to the spa in the first place, the skin care professional needs to be able to best serve the client’s particular needs in the treatment room. In order to properly gauge who the client is, it is always best to start with a skin consultation that goes beyond skin concerns and touches on the fundamental reasons why he came to the spa. FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF CLIENTS Let us start with the “escapee.” When thinking of the escapee, think about how to maximize every part of his spa experience because he is looking for the works. Therefore, it is the professional’s job to exceed his expectations because he chose the spa over the golf course and the like. Start with the little things. This could be a hot towel upon his entrance or a complimentary face massage before or after the treatment. The opportunity for creativity at this point is endless. Remember that most men are not used to being pampered. Let us use this to the spa’s advantage and show them what it is all about. Secondly, there is the “modern man” who is looking for a quick confidence boost in order to look good and feel even better. The key theme to focus on is maximizing results in a shorter window of time. This type of man most likely does not have time for the full package but is still going to demand exceptional results. This is also an opportunity to introduce male clientele to a proper at-home routine. The beautiful part about serving the “modern man” is that when delivering exceptional results, he is going to come to the spa for the full package when he has the time. Finally, the “antiager” is a hybrid of the two other archetypes. This man is going to be the most passionate about the results of the service, while also demanding the whole package as well. This is a good opportunity to introduce new treatments and products that can help him advance his own routines. Ultimately, the first step to customizing the treatment room for men is to know why they are there in the first place. Once a skin care professional understands the reason, they can deliver exactly what he is looking for and cater the spa experience to meet those needs. Published in Dermascope

Men’s Mental Health and Search for Wellness Last week I wrote a blog on the top men’s skincare trends to look out for in 2021. While the trends in that skincare blog were important, there is an even more important men’s trend on the horizon: mental health and wellness. I can guarantee that throughout this year, you will continue to hear brands promoting wellness. The purpose for this week’s blog is to outline what wellness means and how to prioritize it in our lives. So what is mental health and wellness? In order to understand what mental health and wellness is, I want to start with clarifying what wellness is not. A lot of the time when we hear the word wellness, we think of a yoga, zen-like state of mind that is only achievable with deep meditation. It’s not. Wellness is also not a repost on Instagram of a positive picture. Even further, wellness is not striving to get perfect, clean looking skin.  As people continue to broadcast their lives for the world to see them, there is a desire to promote only the best of their lives. While a lot of these posts do show off moments when we were “happy,” a lot of energy is spent in validating future happiness by what others may think of us when they see that post of a beautiful beach vacation. In fact, a lot of energy is spent in general of trying to validate our own happiness through others’ eyes. This goes deeper than social media. When you think of a man’s stereotypical goals in life, it follows somewhere along the lines of a high paying job, a big house, and a family to live under it. Most men do not think to put “happiness” or “mental health” on their bucket list.  How to find wellness in our everyday lives If I have learned one thing from 2020, it is that “happiness” is not an end result. Rather, happiness and wellness are opportunities to extract from life’s every moment. All we have to do is find the right tools to get us there. For the sake of this blog, let’s call these tools our “wellness sparks.” These sparks are those moments in life when everything just feels right. For me personally, it could be standing on the tee box with my closest friends or reading a good book in a small coffee shop.  The concept of mental health and wellness is to identify these sparks. I suggest you keep a running list on your phone of those small moments when everything in life seemed beautiful. The more we identify these moments, we not only appreciate them for what they are, but they also provide a way to retrace our steps when things are not so pretty. This year, I encourage you to chase your sparks and fill life’s moments with more of them. 

When I imagine what a man should be, my first instinct is to picture one of Ernest Hemingway’s characters: the definition of a man’s man. Hemingway’s characters portrayed what he defined as courage and bravery, whether it was battling a giant fish or fighting a bull at the festival of San Fermin. Men were supposed to be tough. To him, men should never let emotions guide their principles. Take this quote from him for example:   It is not bad. And pain does not matter to a man.   To Hemingway, the very concept of life was that living was an aggressive act. To live was to be in constant battle. Now, this resonated with many men, especially those in the post-war 1920s that found it best to bottle up their emotions. And then it happened again after World War II– the best way to deal with PTSD? Don’t talk about it. You’re supposed to be tough.    This glorification certainly appeals to a lot of men. Personally, I enjoyed reading Hemingway’s work. However, there is one small issue: Hemingway himself suffered greatly from mental illness and eventually ended his own life. While one can analyze this tragic end, I will never know what it must have felt like to have participated and lived through two of the most horrific wars this Earth has ever seen. The purpose of this blog is to highlight the benefits of the concept of masculinity shifting in nature.    A Shift in Masculinity The first shift starts with expressing emotion. Thankfully, there has been a massive push for awareness of mental health, especially for men. While past generations saw a man’s emotions as a sign of weakness, it is now an act of courage to seek help. There have been great strides in the acceptance of men dealing properly with emotions, overall creating more self-awareness. We hear the term “toxic masculinity” thrown out a lot. At the end of the day, I want to show men that their own mindset can hold them back from exploring life. Life is not a battle, but rather an experience. Emotions are meant to be felt. Life is meant to be lived. I want to show men that there is another way. And this is where the concept of self-care comes into play.    If the first shift is embracing emotion and self-awareness, the second shift is the concept of self-care. Many men are prone to take care of their bodies in the gym. They try to become the “strong and tough” men they are supposed to be. However, men are still less likely to take proper care of the rest of their bodies. One huge reason is the lack of education. Men are inundated with advertisements that say hygiene should be cheap. Furthermore, most men would not be caught dead using a facial mask.     You see, the problem with this advertisement is that it portrays self-care as extrinsic motivation. Men need to be clean so that women will like them. The reality of taking proper care of your body is that it should be intrinsically beneficial. When we take care of ourselves properly, we boost our own self-esteem. Also, we are taking care of our bodies from a health perspective. A man can go to the gym five days a week, but he will never have a healthy body if he does not have healthy skin. Once again, I want to show men that there is another way when it comes to skincare.   There Is Another Way Men’s skincare is still widely considered “overly feminine” or is seen as “pampering.” It is GM Revolution’s mission to educate men on the benefits of taking care of their skin as an organ in order to prevent skin damage and premature aging. But aside from the physical benefits, “pampering” yourself is really just about taking care of yourself and giving your body the love it deserves. We have heard from countless men that use our products that they are able to relax in a way that most men have never experienced. When we intentionally take care of ourselves, we are taking strides to get in touch with our self-awareness and dedicate time for self-improvement. Ultimately, self-care is a journey on improving the way we live and the way we experience life. So, for all the men reading this, I will not shame you, but when you look at the 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in your shower tonight, I want you to remember: “there is another way.”

How to Create a Skincare Routine: A quick guide to daily skincare When it comes to knowing how to take care of a man’s skin, the only thing more important than using the right skincare products is knowing how to use them. Here is a quick guide on how to create a skincare routine. Developing a system is the first step to achieving consistent results that lead to healthy skin. So where do we start? 1. The Signature Cleanser The most fundamental part of a man’s skincare routine is his cleanser. Multi-purposed, the cleanser is the first step to starting the day. Using the cleanser first thing in the morning hydrates and exfoliates your face, giving it that clean, stimulating look. We suggest using our signature cleanser which is water-based and formulated for all skin types. This cleanser is also great for wet shaving, making it a truly dynamic and must-have part of a man’s skincare routine. 2. The Moisturizer The second step in the morning routine is moisturizing the skin. Using a men’s moisturizer is a great way to ensure that your skin stays hydrated all day. Once again, this product is multi-purposed, making it great to use as a beard conditioner as well. If you are someone who struggles with dry or sensitive skin, the moisturizer keeps your skin looking fresh all throughout the day. Not only does this moisturizer keep the skin hydrated, but it also works hard to diminish fine lines and scarring.   3. The Hyaluronic Acid The final step in the morning routine is hyaluronic acid. Once you have cleansed and moisturized, you’re ready for that extra boost of confidence to take on the day. The hyaluronic acid is a powerful product that delivers immediate results when it comes to diminishing fine lines and evening skin tone, especially around the eyes. If you are new to a skincare routine or are looking for that one product to take yours to the next level, the hyaluronic acid is a great way to deliver the results you want to go conquer the rest of your day. 4. The Signature Cleanser (… yes again!) Once again, every man’s skincare routine must start with a cleanser. Think of it like painting a wall; you have to prime the wall before you can apply anything else. That is exactly what we are doing, especially at night. Using the cleanser at night cleans your skin of all the dirt and oil that has accumulated throughout the day. Acquiring a little sweat is a great sign of some hard work, but we don’t necessarily want that to stay on our skin overnight. 5. The Anti-Aging Serum The final step in the evening routine is the anti-aging serum. Similar to the hyaluronic acid, the anti-aging serum stimulates the skin, increases skin’s overall resilience, deeply hydrates and nourishes while helping to reverse and correct sun damage. This serum’s results are immediate, giving you that fuller, younger skin that is full of energy. Once you apply the serum, you have officially closed a day of hard work. The best part about a routine? You get to wake up and do it all over again. The Purifying Mask (An extra boost to do weekly to add to your daily skincare routine) Once our skin is clean, it’s time to take it to the next level. The cleanser is great for removing that sweat and dirt from the surface of our face, but we can go deeper. Once a week it’s best to go with a face mask. Less is more. The purifying mask is a charcoal-based mask that extracts from our pores all of that hard work from a long day. What is unique about this mask is that it drives to purify the skin with activated charcoal while also hydrating the skin with avocado oil, making it a great multi-purpose product. For more tips on how to cultivate a great skincare routine for your skin type visit our sister company‘s blog for more advice