Dean Bell is a guy many people know from The Bachelor and The Bachelor in Paradise. He has since updated his image as an influencer searching for adventure. That search has led him to partner with Chevron this summer in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday. In addition to helping many drivers keep their engines in top shape this summer with his support of the gas, he is teaching us something he is adopting this season: Men’s grooming and skincare. As he gets a little older, he is figuring out, with the help of his wife (like most of us), the importance of taking care of his skin. But how is he doing that on the road this year? And how can we learn from his experience?
That’s what grooming is at the end of the day when it comes to skincare. You are basically keeping to your skin as youthful as you possibly can. – Dean Bell
The story we’re told when we’re younger
Look, if you are younger than thirty, this may be less of a reality for you. But if you are over thirty, you were brought up with a story that grooming and skincare were a woman’s thing. We all watch our significant others spend an hour every night getting ready for bed and with a forty-step skincare routine. Then we follow up with our ten-minute teeth brushing routine before we join them in bed. While it may feel like it is a privilege to be a man and our skin is less important, it is more of a failure in our education. Dean highlights that in his approach to men’s grooming and why he and the rest of us are late to the game.
“I never had a routine growing up. I think that standard is taught to women to do it, but I never had anyone tell me that I needed to moisturize. I have noticed the effects now. I never wore sunscreen until two years ago, when my wife told me to start wearing sunscreen. I think it has a lot to do with what we’re fed when we’re younger. There aren’t a lot of male-focused grooming routines I remember seeing when I was younger. It was immasculine to take care of yourself, which is insane to say. But that is the story we were told growing up so that is why men have a difficult time doing that.”
What are your road hacks?
So, now that we are in the mental space to realize we need to step it up and have a good skincare routine to keep up with our significant other, and also to stay looking as young as possible. But how intense does it need to be? Obviously, a man like Dean, always on the road with Chevron and searching for adventure, can’t do a forty-step routine. So what does he take on the road?
“It may not be the best way to do it. But it is hard to travel (especially fly) with all of your products. So at the end of the day, I at least wash my face with water. Something that simple can keep you going.” Of course, if you can travel with products, these are the ones he never leaves at home. “I am going to count these as two products, that is, face sunscreen and body sunscreen. Like I said, this is a new thing for me. My wife would be proud to hear me say that. I am a bit of a minimalist, so deodorant and face soap. The sudsy face soap at the end of the day is always nice. Then when you see the dirty water, it is nice to know you got that off your face.”
The state of men’s grooming today
At the end of the day, we are progressing as a society in that we are moving on from the idea that skincare and grooming are for the fairer sex. Men are adopting more in-depth skincare and seeing it as a longevity piece more than an aesthetic burden. We are seeing celebrities like Brad Pitt and George Clooney look completely different at sixty than actors have in the past. Men like David Beckham are launching skincare brands. This is leading men to realize that they can look amazing deep into their later years, but only if they take care of their skin. Dean talks a little bit about that.
“It is really interesting. You are seeing all these celebrities do these…modifications for lack of a better word…to stay younger longer. You will see them doing plastic surgery to maintain their youth, the best they can. When I was in my 20s, it never really mattered to me because I was already young-looking. But now that I am in my 30s, I want to look younger. If so many people took care of themselves in their 20s and 30s, they wouldn’t have to do so much as they get older.”
While we build towards our Men’s Grooming Awards in the fall, we look at some of the best brands out there for you to look your best. If you haven’t been focused on the condition of your skin, there are endless resources for you, here and elsewhere. For me, and it seems like for Dean as well, it is less about access to the information and more about helping men want the information. Keep checking back here or sign up for our newsletter and you can stay on top of the grooming products and innovations to keep you looking and feeling young.
