Our Gallic cousins have dispatched high-end grooming products to make up for their World Cup thievery (still not over it). JOE road-tests the La Roche-Posay and Vichy Homme ranges.
By Robert Carry
In what is probably a bid to make up for stealing a place in the World Cup finals from us (still not over it) the French are attempting to build bridges by launching a string of high-end grooming products here in Ireland. JOE road-tests the new La Roche-Posay and Vichy Homme ranges.
Vichy Homme range
The Vichy Homme range is vast, featuring numerous products designed for specific skin types. The scientists behind the range built it on a series of conclusions they came to about men’s skin, some of which are quite interesting. Vichy’s people concluded that men’s skin is:
- 20 per cent thicker and more richly irrigated
- Its metabolism requires a greater amount of energy
- Its dermal structure is richer in collagen fibres and is denser
- Men’s skin ages differently and later
- It has more sebaceous glands producing up to twice as much sebum, meaning skin is naturally greasier
- Where there is hair growth, the skin barrier is regularly under attack by shaving, thus making it more sensitive
- We plucked out the items below and gave them a run through
So, we plucked a few of the products from the range and gave them the once over to see if we couldn’t establish whether they are any use.
Homme Purifying Cleansing Gel
The claim: For oily skin – enriched with salicylic acid to help control excess sebum levels.
The verdict: News that men’s produce twice as much sebum as women means that many of us would be catagorised as having greasy or combination skin. Although the reasons for this is for the most part hormonal, topical products such as this one can have a role to play in preventing you from looking like you’ve had your head in a chip pan.
This thick gel is heavy-duty stuff and although it has no colouring and practically no smell, it does a very thorough job of cleaning down deep. Once you rinse it off, your skin feels like it has had a solid going over. Those with more sensitive skin might not want to be using it twice a day, but should still be fine with subbing it in for a lighter product a couple of times per week.
The info: 125ml bottle will set you back €9.00. Available from selected pharmacies nationwide.
Hydra Mag C Gel for hair and body
The claim: Invigorating and hydrating shower gel for body and hair with magnesium and Vitamin C.
The verdict: It’s understandable that potentially skin-irritating perfumes and scents should be stripped out of products that you’re going to use on your face. The skin on the rest of your body can take it so I would tend to lean towards shower gels with a strong, likeable smell about them. This gear is very much from that stable.
Many soap-based products can strip your skin of moisture so Vichy has gone for a soap-free product here, and to pretty decent effect.
The info: The 200ml bottle comes in at €9.00.
Homme Sensi-Baume Mineral CA
The claim: Comfort Balm for Sensitive Skin. Enriched with a micronised form of calcium, the moisturising formula helps to reinforce the skin’s cutaneous barrier so that skin is more resilient to the daily effects of shaving.
The verdict: Unusually for an aftershave balm, Vichy swung back to the scent-free end of the scale with this product. It’s also alcohol free and in fact, is a lot like a mild, non-greasy moisturiser that soaks in rapidly and leaves nothing whatsoever by way of residue. It is specifically designed for sensitive skin and has a mild, redness-reducing cooling effect that is just the job after a shave. A-plus for this product.
The info: Comes in a 75ml container, priced at €17.00.
La Roche-Posay range
La Roche-Posay pitches itself as being a brand that some 25,000 dermatologists worldwide recommend for those who suffer from skin irritations post-shave and other problems like persistent redness. The XY Homme range features four different products, two of which we’ve ran the rule over.
XY Homme Micro-Exfoliating Emollient Shaving Gel
The claim: Dermatological shaving gel for sensitive problem skin prone to ingrown hairs
The verdict: Men may well be moving to creams, oils and other new fangled shaving products but there is still a place in the market for a solid, old school shaving gel.
One of the problems people had with them in the past is the metallic bang of aerosol you get when you squirt these compressed products into your hand. This particular product suffers less from this issue than most and has quite a pleasant smell to it.
It is also far richer than many other gels and has a smoothness to it that makes for a well-lubricated shave. It doesn’t over dehydrate your skin had is quite soothing to have on your face. If you’re a man for the shaving gels, this could be the king among them.
The info: The 150ml tin comes in at €10.50.
XY Homme Normalising Anti-redness Balm
The claim: After-shave innovation that not only soothes razor burn and hydrates sensitive skin but is clinically proven to strengthen fragile blood vessels which cause post-shave irritation and persistent redness.
The verdict: People with sensitive skin will be happy to know that this comes recommended by the professionals, but even for those without, it’s an excellent moisturiser. It’s quite rich and soaks in slowly. However, it dries in fully, leaving you properly moisturised without the greasiness some can leave behind.
It is quite soothing and takes away much of the redness shaving and a piping hot shower can trigger. This will be welcome news to those with mild rosacea and other similar conditions. Another winner.
The info: €18 for a 75ml helping.
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