9 Grooming Products We’re Excited About Right Now

With rosemary oil, protein, and ceramides in the formula, this shampoo is designed to help curb hair thinning. (Rosemary oil has been shown to make some improvements in that area.) While that may be true, I haven’t used it long enough to really see a difference in my hair—plus, thinning isn’t really a big issue for me yet (knock on wood). What I can say about this shampoo is that I love it for two reasons. First, it makes my scalp feel amazingly clean but not dry or itchy after I use it. In fact, my generally itchy-ish scalp feels calmer. Second, the scent is amazing. It fills my shower with an earthy, herbal smell that makes me feel like I’m showering outdoors in a garden. Sometimes I use it just so I can smell it.

I’m no stranger to retinol, but out of the hundreds of retinol products I’ve tried, I have to say that this is one of the most impressive. It uses retinaldehyde (aka retinal), which is a precursor to retinoic acid. In order for your skin to utilize retinol, it has to convert it to retinoic acid, and the more steps it takes to do that, the less powerful the ingredient becomes (and the more potential for irritation there is). Retinal is only one step away, so it’s more easily converted, making this more powerful and more gentle. The bottle of this stuff is shockingly small, but you only need the tiniest amount to get all the antiaging, skin-boosting benefits of retinol. This is rapidly becoming my favorite.

Like many of you out there, I am very sensitive to the texture of products. I don’t like anything that feels heavy or oily on my face, especially in warm weather (chalk it up to my combination skin). For that reason, I’ve never really been able to use the original (and iconic) Sisleya L’Integral cream even though I’ve always heard how great it is. Well, now I can. This new texture is like a gel-cream hybrid, which is ultra-lightweight and sinks into my skin almost immediately with no oily finish or filmy residue. It’s packed with 50 active ingredients (yes, you read that right) that target all the stages of aging. I love that the texture feels cool and smooth when I put it on, and I can actually wear it during the day without feeling like it’s melting off when I sweat. It comes with a bit of sticker shock, but from where I’m standing, it’s worth the investment.

Did I mention I love a gel-cream texture? I’m a big fan of La Mer products, but again, the creams have always felt a little too heavy on my skin to wear during the day (though I do use them at night during the winter). This lightweight “Fresh” gel-cream, however, is designed for oily skin, so it’s the first time I’ve been able to wear a La Mer cream during the day. I have to say, I love it. It feels super moisturizing but doesn’t leave my skin looking shiny or greasy. Plus, anyone who has used the original Creme de La Mer knows that it can take a bit of getting used to. (You have to warm it up very well in your hands before applying.) This one is perfect right out of the jar. It doesn’t have as many antiaging actives as the above cream, but that’s okay by me—especially when it’s (still expensive but) about half the price.

Skin care isn’t a game, but it can be cool when it feels like one. This innovative new serum stays fresh because upon opening it, you remove the “vitamin ball” at the top of the bottle and drop it into the serum, allowing it to dissolve. (You can shake it around a bit if you want.) It’s fun and interactive and actually serves a purpose. Vitamin C serums tend to oxidize and lose effectiveness quickly. By keeping the ingredients separate and allowing you to mix it, it ensures you get the freshest possible serum for best results. And those results? Pretty great. The combination of vitamin C and niacinamide helps to brighten skin, even skin tone, and reduce the appearance of dark sports. I started to see a difference in my skin after about a week.

If you’ve read this column before, I bet you’ve been waiting for the sunscreen. What list of new spring products (or any products) is complete without sunscreen? I’ve been hard at work testing both old and new ’screens to get ready for summer, and this crystal-clear, antioxidant-packed sunscreen has become my daily favorite. The texture is a little silicone-y, so it gives my skin a slightly blurred velvety texture and since it’s a clear gel, I don’t worry about a white cast or ghostly finish. It also has antioxidant vitamins C and F and bio-fermented clary sage that helps even skin tone. I’ve been applying it every morning—and even carrying it in my bag for reapplication throughout the day—and have loved how quickly I forget it’s there.

This, my friends, is a serum made for your butthole. Hear me out. I was totally skeptical of this product—and couldn’t really wrap my head around the why—until I tried it. It sounds crazy and dangerously close to venturing into TMI territory (though, for the record, I don’t really believe in TMI when it comes to grooming). I will be the first to admit that. But since it’s my job, I decided to give it a try. The theory here is that our butthole skin is sensitive and thin and can get irritated from things like wiping, exercise, sitting too long, harsh soaps, and more; this can lead to irritation, itchiness, and inflammation. I’m not going to say that my butt ever felt especially itchy or irritated, but after a few weeks of using this hydrating daily serum that contains things like ceramides, vitamins E and B5, soothing plant extracts, and irritation-reducing allantoin, I did notice it felt more comfortable. Who would have thought?

I’m a fan of Noble Panacea’s single-serving, travel-friendly products, particularly the Chronobiology Overnight Mask, which delivers active ingredients timed to your body’s circadian rhythm. This new exfoliating treatment uses that same technology to deeply exfoliate yet allow you to wake up with calm, redness-free skin. After applying this cream before bed, alpha and beta hydroxy acids go to work in the first four hours to remove dead skin cells from both the surface of your skin and your pores. After that, it’s soothing time, when your skin is inundated with calming ingredients to reduce redness. I was shocked the first time I used this at how smooth and cleared my skin felt without a single trace of the redness my skin is prone to. It’s expensive, but the good news is that you need to use it only once a month. (It’s that powerful.)

Not to get too astrological here, but Leo is all about powerful solar energy, and as days get sunnier and warmer, I am all about harnessing that vibe. This new fragrance from the opulent Gucci Alchemist’s Garden collection is all about solar Leo vibes. It’s the perfect spring cologne because it bridges the gap between cold and warm weather so well. At the top is sweet, fruity black currant, and while I’m not usually a sweet fragrance guy, I love that it adds a seasonal feeling without the usual citrus. I also love that it’s quickly grounded in olibanum (a woody, spicy, balsamic-type note) and then the base of myrrh reveals itself to give it a warm, smoky, resinous quality. It’s a powerful, confident cologne that I’m going to be wearing all season (and probably beyond).