by tyler steele

I’ve always been a little obsessed with oral hygiene. You kind of get that way after seeing your brothers get root canals, and your grandma lose all her teeth to decay – and then loose her false teeth to the family dog – who ate them (true story). Anyhow, never had a cavity, and hope never to either.

In addition to teeth, your tongue should be brushed to avoid or remove that gunky white stuff, which is basically stinky bacteria that will lead to some serious foul-mouth breath (halitosis).

I’ve always tried brushing my tongue with a regular brush but it’s caused a bit of a gag reflex – until I found the Tung brush and gel. The bristles are shorter and coarser, giving a scraping action. At first, it kind of feels like you’re going to first base with a cat tongue but after you spit and rinse you’ll be amazed how fresh and clean your mouth looks and feels.

$5.00 for the brush with a trial size tube of the paste. A full size tube of Tung paste will cost you $4 on Drugstore.com. Your first base partner will thank you – by letting you make a home run!

I like things to smell nice, especially my sheets, but I don’t like using synthetic perfumes. I’ll often make my own with essential oils mixed in with some distilled water and some glycerin (acts as a carrier for the essential oils). Use a 3-to-1 ratio on the water and glycerin mixture. Then add the essential oils till it reaches the fragrance load you are happy with

You can find essential oils in most health food stores, including Whole Foods, and glycerin can be found in many drugstores. You can find a water bottle with a sprayer or atomizer in most stores. I prefer a super fine mist, so I simply sanitized the bottle from my favorite spray toner and used that.

It’s been hot as a mofo the past few days in SoCal, topping 100 in the city. And the omnipresent forest fires haven’t helped, as thick smoke and ash have filled the skies. TMI WARNING! I was sweating so much yesterday that I was dangerously close to the sporting “bat wings” (where your sack sticks with sweat to your thighs – gross!).

I keep Balla Powder on hand for days like this. Regular baby powder works just as well, but the child-like smell is kinda creepy. Balla Powder is lightly scented to smell like a guy rather than a toddler. And it keeps the boys dry and fresh feeling (and smelling). Works between cheeks too.

As a guy with short to medium hair, I love Paul Mitchel Tea Tree Shaping Cream. Its a matte styling paste that allows you to become a hair architect, molding, shaping and defining your vision into place. Getting it to work takes a little getting used to. First, emulsify a tiny amount in your hands and pat it onto hair to adjust it into the style you want, or run it through your hair to give it that bedhead, messy look. Unlike gels, this allows your hair to remain pliant and moveable. And the scent is fresh and not overpowering. A jar will set you back about $12-$14, but will easily last you three months.

After falling in love with this styling hero, I had a trip down memory lane with Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Shampoo. Growing up, Paul Mitchell Systems was the haircare line carried at the nicer, more stylish salons where I lived. And my stylist always washed out my hair with this shampoo. As a teen I was addicted to Awapuhi. It smelled great, and it could be used as a shampoo and body wash.

I went to my beauty supply store and picked up a liter bottle (about $20). I was curious and also nervous to see if I’d love it as much as I did when I was 14. Nervously, I hit the shower water to warm, stripped and stepped inside, where I quickly lathered up my hair…and then everywhere. The tropical aroma filled my shower…I was back in love. Unlike some shampoo/body shower products, this won’t strip skin of its natural water content and rinses clean. The unisex packaging and aroma make it great when it’s a shower – or bubble bath – for two (ore more!).

As someone who is lactose intolerant, I have a complicated relationship with dairy products. Though digesting it can cause all sorts of drama/trauma, using it as a beauty aid is something I can’t get enough of, because it’s highly effective and exceptionally affordable.

Lactose is a thorough alpha hydroxy acid that is extremely thorough, but is also non-irritating to skin, unlike Glycolic acid, which has a smaller molecule that can be irritating and even damaging to skin. Lactic acid scavenges desmosomes (glue that hold dead cells together) to slough off skin.And milk fits any budget: you can pick up a box of powdered milk or jugs of it at $.99 only stores.

Here’s how:

Masque

• Mix the powdered form with water to form a paste that you set onto your skin like a mask for 10 – 15 minutes.

Home Spa

• Put a cup or so into a bathtub of water and give yourself a good soak.
• Afterward, rinse off with water so you don’t end up smelling like baby puke.

Whether you masque it or bath in it, you’ll be amazed how smooth your skin feels after.

I had a belated birthday party on a recent Saturday night and got severely drunk…to the point that I have to trust my friends that a.) I had a good time and b.) I didn’t embarrass myself. They did a good job on selling me on point A.

Anyhow, the following morning my mug was the epitome of the term “shit faced.” Thankfully, I have a few face-fix rescue tricks:

1. In the shower, use a good gentle scrub or a Clarisonic brush. This will get the circulation in your skin moving and put some color in your complexion (and get your exfoliation in).

2. Use a light, hydrating serum-type product that contains Hyaluronic Acid. This is a humectant (water binding agent) that works like an ant of skincare—it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, keeping your skin healthy and hydrated— even if your liver is saying otherwise. A few that I like are Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster ($54 / 1 oz) and Peter Thomas Roth VIZ-1000 75% Hyaluronic Acid Complex ($75 / 1 oz)3.

3. Apply Nickel Morning-After Rescue Gel ($42 / 2.6 oz). This stuff picks your face up on the floor, Stat! Back in the day, beauty pageant contestants used to use Preparation-H under their eyes to get rid of puffy bags. Gross. This Nickel product works better. And even though it is for men I know lots of women who secretly swear by this stuff. It gives your face a nice tingling sensation, firms your skin, and pulls eye bags up into place. And it absorbs easily into skin without leaving any greasy residue too. The SD alcohol makes this a no-no for regular use (it will dry and irritate skin), but for a quick fix it’s better than the alternative of looking ‘To’ up from the Flo’ up!’

4. For red eyes, I usually rely on Clear Eyes (about $5, drugstores). Its tried and true, but when I’m looking especially haggard, like the morning after, I kick it up a notch with Rohto Eye Drops (about $7.50, drugstores). They’re like crack for eyes – your peepers will either run scared for their life or become totally addicted to the minty tingle!

Thankfully I don’t need this stuff too often, but I’m glad it exists for those times that I do!

I know that headline may have thrown some of you dirty minds, but when anyone asks what the one skin care or beauty item I can’t live without, Clarisonic is often at the front of my lips. Clarisonic really should be paying me—I’m their best brand ambassador! It works like this; the device has a bunch of rotating bunches in concentric rings – kind of like the Pentagon. Those rings of brushes spin in opposing directions at sonic speeds, loosening desmosomes (glue that holds dead skin cells together) to detach old, dull-looking skin cells from your face to reveal your younger skin. It also causes a bit of microcirculation, giving you that “just )(#*@) flush!

My favorite way to use this handheld tool…is to take a dash of Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, add a little water to make a paste, and work it into my skin with the Clarisonic. It yanks out blackheads and sebum (oil) to help prevent breakouts and uneven skin tone. It’s perfect for tackling t-zone drama. I can’t live without it. And if you have problem skin, neither should you!

The tool is unisex, but they do have limited edition colors – grey for guys and pink for girls. It retails for about $195 and if you’re nervous about forking over that much cash, they do sell it at Nordstrom and Sephora, who have customer-friendly return policies.

Like many children of the 80s, my first real crush took place at the mall. More specifically, in Filene’s, an upscale department store, and at the Clinique counter. No, it wasn’t with the person working there – but the actual counter and all its pretty, shining jars bottles and tubes promising better skin in just 3 easy steps! I was hooked.

During college in Boston, I used to cut through the shops at the Prudential Center mall to stop off at beauty counters at Saks Fifth Avenue and try a bunch of tester products. Was my face looking a little greasy before Voice and Articulation? Ha! Nothing a little Scruffing Lotion from Clinique Skin Supplies for Men couldn’t handle. Had I overslept and run not had time for a shower before Film Theory II? Just a pit stop at the Lord & Taylor fragrance counter and give myself a quick Puerto Rican shower with a spritz of Hugo Boss and I’m good to go!

Today, not much has changed—my love affair with skin care continues, though my apartment looks more like a deranged beauty supply store than a beauty counter. Bookshelves contain stacks of products from professional brands like Dermalogica, PCA and Eminence as well as items from Prestige brands like Kinerase, Jo Malone and Philosophy. And don’t worry—there are QVC and mass brands fighting for space too.

While some take five to ten minutes in the morning to ponder what outfit to wear, I have an internal debate on which serums, moisturizers and spf I’m going to wear that day, and which cologne (from my nearly 40) I’m going to rock.

I’ll blog about products I like, products I’ve been reviewing for my monthly column in Instinct Magazine, which you can also check out in my portfolio, and answer questions, should you have them. Enjoy!