WELL GROOMED

FORGET SOCKS FOR DAD THIS FATHER’S DAY WHY NOT SURPRISE HIM WITH A GROOMING GIFT? JULIETTE WINTER SHARES WHICH PRODUCTS WILL BE SURE TO IMPRESS.

Follow our guide to self-care gifts dad will really love this Father’s Day.

WE OWE THE ORIGINS of Father’s Day to American poet, Sonora Smart Dodd, whose father was left to raise six children after his wife died during childbirth. The story goes that, while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her local Methodist church in 1909, Sonora was bothered that there wasn’t an official day to honour her father. The following year, Father’s Day was celebrated locally in Washington. It took decades to really gain momentum, but Father’s Day went global after President Nixon officially wrote it into history in 1972. Precisely why Father’s Day is celebrated in September here when most countries mark the occasion in June isn’t entirely clear. What’s crystalline though is that we are doing more than breakfast in bed for dads Down Under — research shows a considerable upward trend in spending for Father’s Day. Time honoured thank you gifts for dads on their big day include shaving products, deodorant, socks and jocks, but luxury items such as niche fragrances offer no shortage of options and gaining popularity. “There are three major olfactive families for men,” explains Kilian Hennessy, creator of Kilian fragrances (and a descendent of the original Hennessy cognac founder), which offer a contemporary masculine twist on traditional scents. “These are fresh, woodsy, and oriental. Depending on the scent that your father wears you should choose in the same olfactive family to avoid giving him a scent he will not be comfortable wearing.” Skincare is becoming increasingly popular as a Father’s Day gift option, fuelled by a general growing interest in men’s grooming. “It has become much less about being perceived as being feminine and more about maintenance and self-care,” says Christina Schroder, National Training and Education Manager for Natio. “Looking after yourself shows that you have respect for yourself and take pride in your appearance.” Gentlemen who do care about their complexion have, perhaps unsurprisingly, similar skin concerns to women — pigmentation, texture and oil control are top of the list according to the experts. “Anti-ageing is an increasing focus for Aussie men of all ages,” says Scott Johnson, Kiehl’s National Education Manager. “Men are becoming more comfortable with products that stretch beyond the bounds of ‘men’s’ skincare and are exploring oils, serums, toners and other targeted skincare solutions to address specific needs.” Men who dabble in complicated skincare routines are still in the minority though. One American study revealed that the majority of men don’t use a facial skincare product, but almost half are happy to slather something on their body and almost three-quarters lavish attention on their hair. Given that around 50 per cent of middle-aged males are battling baldness and the fact that hair loss tends to begin much earlier than the onset of wrinkles, the greater focus on follicles rather than skincare is understandable. “The rate at which men’s skin shows signs of ageing is different to women due to its composition,” says Scott. “Although there is variability, adult males produce about 10 times as much testosterone as women, and a man’s skin is about 25 per cent thicker than a woman. Men also typically have larger oil glands.” In other words, their skin is tougher and less prone to dehydration. Guys also have a greater collagen density (the building block of firm, youthful skin) than women, and their collagen levels don’t drop so dramatically in middle age (females lose twice as much collagen each year as males once they hit menopause, which visibly affects skin firmness). However, if they’re not sun savvy, that genomic advantage for males will come to nix because UV damage is one of the most significant factors in premature ageing. “I think men have been put off sunscreen in previous years as sunscreens were thick, greasy and made the skin feel sticky,” says Christina. “Men will put on almost anything that’s in the bathroom, we just need to make sure it’s SPF.” “It’s exciting to see more and more men becoming educated, even experimental, when it comes to looking after themselves,” says Scott. “Men are starting to become a lot more proactive about preventing ageing rather than just waiting until it’s starting to become obvious.”

“Looking after yourself shows that you have respect for yourself and take pride in your appearance.”