One from the boys

No matter how diehard your feminist credentials nor how independent you are as a woman, sometimes you just need to get a man in. Or, in my case, have to turn to male grooming products to get a satisfactory result.

It’s a bit of a cliché that men will steal your expensive night cream but if that’s true in your house then it’s time to seek revenge. The range of stuff for men on the shelves of our chemists is growing by the week and although they don’t come in the same pretty packaging as products targeted at women many of them do the job better.

Take face scrub for example. The ones I get aimed at women just aren’t scrubby enough – there’s barely two exfoliating microbeads to rub together. 

Get a man’s scrub – like this one from No 7 for men and it’s a different story with plenty of grains to really polish the skin. The only one that comes close, for me, is Clinique’s 7-day Scrub Cream, which costs a lot more.

Another example (sorry it’s Boots again) is this face wash from the Botanical range for normal/dry skin. 

I really like the scent and my face just feels much cleaner when I use it in the shower. Plus it seems to control my spots, which is the order of the day.

These products aren’t the only ones though. Have you ever tried razors for men? They are fantastic at getting a clean shave without irritating your skin. I have a conspiracy theory that razors for us girls are no longer as sharp since the recession in Britain a few years ago, yet the price has gone up, but the cost of razors for the boys has hardly changed.

Similarly I love using shaving foam for men (designed for the face) on my legs as it leaves my skin feeling softer. Maybe it’s psychological but I am convinced!

Hopefully you won’t be shy in raiding the male grooming sections of your nearest chemist, or stealing stuff on the sly from your boyfriend/husband/housemate/GBF. What items would you recommend?