April Grooming Guide: Looking Younger Than Springtime

"April showers bring May flowers" - which sounds promising.

But then there's also "April is the cruelest month" - which sounds less so.

What a quandary is the month of April. You're ready for spring fever, but suddenly, it snows. You're imagining your summer share, but you've still got your winter weight.

Sooner than later, you're going to have to face the fact that your clothes are going to come off - so get started now and make your skin shine.

Remember, your skin is your largest organ (don't start...), so use the month of April to spring clean those pores with some of our new favorite products.

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Blissoma: Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser

Few things are as stimulating as citrus in the morning. Here's our new favorite morning routine: orange juice, grapefruit juice - and Blissoma's Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser. This daily facial cleanser, suitable for all skin types, is derived from organic whole brown rice flour, along with willowbark extract, for a gentle exfoliation in the morning. But it's the fresh scent of organic citrus oils that make us smile. Like a squirt of orange on the face, your skin bursts with an infusion of vitamin C.

Founded in 2005, Blissoma is sold at Whole Foods, Abe's, and Amazon (as well as more than 200 international retailers) - a marketing success that is all the more remarkable when you consider that Blissoma eschews advertising, choosing to rely instead on positive word of mouth.

"Health is beautiful" is Blissoma's mantra and the company uses only natural essential oils and a majority of certified organic ingredients. Many products are also vegan, which is one reason why Blissoma is an approved Whole Foods Premium Bodycare line. In essence, Blissoma's products are designed to enhance total well-being for eco-conscious consumers.

Blissoma's Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser cleanses your skin (without stripping it dry) by using emollients such as apricot kernel and sunflower oils. The brown rice provides vitamin B and fatty acids to smooth the skin; organic chickweed and rose tone the skin while flushing away toxins. There's also plantain, marshmallow, chamomile, agave nectar, and coconut oil (which is very nearly a perfect recipe for a morning smoothie...). The addition of vetiver and frankincense make Blissoma's Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser a gift fit for a king (or queen) from the magi.

Blissoma founder and formulator Julie Longyear is educated in both art and chemistry, with the Irie Star studio (source of Blissoma products) located in a 100-year-old building in the Hyde Park neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Consider her products a gift from the American heartland - and be grateful for those "amber waves of grain."

PRICE: $19.50 / 4 fl. oz.
LINK: Blissoma Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser

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Kinerase: Cream

Some of us have seriously sensitive skin - and sometimes it's not easy. Sometimes it's a struggle to find a product that doesn't wreak havoc and leave us looking like cold pizza. That's why it's a joy to find a daily moisturizer that's both gentle and effective - for even the most sensitive skin.

Kinerase Cream is formulated with Kinerase's eponymous signature ingredient, Kinetin (0.1% N6 Furfuryladenine), which is a plant-based antioxidant. Horticulturists discovered that it was Kinetin that prevented the leaves of plants from drying out and withering. Think of Kinetin as the equivalent of those little floral powder sachets that keep your bouquets looking fresh. And then imagine how Kinetin might keep your own skin from withering. In other words, Kinetin is a serious anti-aging agent.

Gentle enough for post-procedures, such as chemical peels, laser resurfacing, or microdermabrasion, Kinerase Cream increases skin hydration (by 25%, according to one study), while eliminating free radicals and minimizing the appearance of wrinkles. The result is a more even skin tone, with noticeably fewer freckles and brown spots. Luxurious and gentle enough to be applied both in the morning and night, Kinerase Cream is hypoallergenic, as well as non-comedogenic (translation: no more cold pizza face).

Thanks to plant-based technology, Kinerase Cream makes you as happy as a sunflower.

PRICE: $119.00 / 2.8 fl. oz (80 ml)
LINK: Kinerase Cream

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Every Man Jack: Body Wash | Signature Mint

Okay, here's the truth: we didn't ever want this bottle to empty - and given that we're talking more than a pint of product, we didn't think it would. Every morning, Every Man Jack Body Wash in Signature Mint made the every day shower more like a holiday. Showering with this body wash was like a peppermint rainfall - and really, who hasn't wanted the clouds to rain peppermint water?

Founded in 2006, Every Man Jack's primary objective has been to make high-quality grooming stuff that is both affordable and effective - as well as free from harmful ingredients that are damaging to the skin and the environment. Wouldn't you just know that Every Man Jack is headquartered in San Francisco?

This refreshing, hydrating body wash is formulated with coconut-derived surfactants that cleanse, while essential oil marine extracts invigorate and moisturize the skin - and that Signature Mint fragrance that's as stimulating as...

Not fond of empty promises, Every Man Jack Body Wash delivers - kind of like the UPS man: sexy and no-nonsense (well, not unless he's invited in...). Free of dyes and parabens, as well as sodium lauryl sulfate, Every Man Jack Body Wash is the kind of product that's just about perfect for anyone - and isn't that exactly the sort of product that you want to keep in your shower? Because, after all, you never know when the UPS man might accept that invitation.

And best of all, at this price, you can stock up on Every Man Jack Body Wash - and give the UPS man a little something something after he delivers that package.

PRICE: $6.00 / 16.9 fl oz (500 mL)
LINK: Every Man Jack Body Wash Signature Mint

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La Roche Posay: Rosaliac UV Anti-Redness Moisturizer

Given that we're all more susceptible to stress these days (as witnessed by the ongoing struggles of our planet), it's no wonder that our skin is sometimes a reflection of our interior state. We wake up to the latest catastrophes - and stare in the mirror at our reflection, which sometimes seem a manifestation of the planet's crisis.

Of course, that inflammation could also be the result of too much alcohol. Between stress, pollution, sun, and a myriad other distressing factors, our skin sometimes seems caught in a vicious blotchy cycle.

La Roche Posay's Rosaliac UV has been formulated to combat that redness while protecting the skin. Fortified with xanthine, which calms the skin, and vitamin B3 to strengthen delicate skin cells, Rosaliac UV also protects your skin from damaging UV rays.

In short, La Roche Posay's Rosaliac UV is analogous to a protective facial shield against detrimental environmental factors. Apply this smooth and gentle cream in the morning - and you might be surprised to find the you that recently had gone missing. You know, the one with luminous skin.

As for the excessive intake of alcohol, you're on your own.

PRICE: $34.90 / 40 ml (1.35 fl. oz.)
LINK: La Roche Posay Rosaliac UV Anti-Redness Moisturizer

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