SUMMER GROOMING PROBLEMS, SOLVED

Warm-weather hygiene woes go way beyond pit stains. Consider this deep dive into summer grooming.

Butt Sweat
Let’s start from the bottom, shall we? Butt sweat, aka swamp ass, is both uncomfortable and embarrassing – and it happens to the best of us. “The perineal area is one of those places on the body that sweats more than others,” explains Dermatologist Anthony Rossi.  “Science isn’t exactly sure why that is, but there’s certainly not much ventilation, and there’s a lot of frictional heat caused by your butt cheeks rubbing together.” Fortunately, the fix is easy. Rossi recommends using a zinc oxide paste to soothe irritation cause by long exposure to moisture, and frequently changing your undies to avoid getting a rash in the first place.

Gross Feet
Ever wonder why men almost always have grosser feet than women? The brutally honest answer, according to podiatrist Krista Archer, is that guys simply don’t pay enough attention to their feet. So pick up a pumice stone this summer and use it regularly. While showering, wet the stone before using it, which will help it glide more easily across the skin. Then, gently rub the stone against the calloused area until you’ve completely removed the dead skin.

Seasonal Acne
Sun’s out, zits out? For some, soaring temperatures can lead to a plethora of unwanted pimples. “Heat stimulates the sebaceous glands, which secrete oil, and the eccrine glands, which product sweat,” says Toronto dermatologist Lisa Kellett. To combat the extra grease, Kellett recommends switching to a clear, alcohol-based sunscreen. “It should look like water when you apply it, as opposed to a thick, creamy sunscreen,” she says. Kellett also advises using and exfoliating face wash and a gel-based moisturizer instead of cream or lotion.

Sunburned Lips
No grown man should be walking around with chapped, peeling lips, no matter how much time he spends at the beach. “For men, the lips are a very sensitive area, and often there’s not a lot of melanin to protect the skin from the sun,” says Kellett. “Basal cell carcinomas, a type of skin cancer, are much more common on the lips in men than women, mostly because women wear lipstick, which contains titanium dioxide, a sunscreen agent.” The solution, if you’re not into lipstick? Buy yourself a lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher, and apply it every time you leave the house. Your kisser will thank you for it.

Published by Dollar Shave Club