Women have been hogging clean, plant-based, chemical free skincare for too long – now it’s time for the chaps to have a go. Often packed with overpowering fragrances and synthetic ingredients with names that look like someone’s dropped a bag of Scrabble letters, grooming companies haven’t seemed too concerned about offering men natural products to apply to their skin.
However, a ground-breaking UAE brand is attempting to correct this injustice by providing a range of effective skincare products that use pure and natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced. “When it comes to skincare, men get forgotten,” says Danny Leese, founder of &SOM. “The brands that do exist are one dimensional and full of testosterone-disrupting ingredients.”
Leese, 34, has lived in Dubai for 10 years and was struck by the idea for &SOM after skincare products in his bathroom cabinet caused his skin to flare up. “I researched the ingredients and it was alarming,” he tells Esquire Middle East. “I was so obsessed with the research I’d wake up at 3am most nights and check it all again.” After deep dives into dermatology reports, WebMD and university studies, Leese began experimenting at home. “I made products with olive oil, argan oil, aloe vera plants, avocado, olives, blueberries and coffee,” he smiles.
The determined Brit attended beauty trade fairs in Dubai, Italy, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Germany and met numerous manufacturers in the US, Australia, China, South Korea, Turkey, Italy and France but none understood his vision and instead tried to sell him their pre-made formulas. Having gone down many dead ends, Leese eventually found a like-minded producer in a small town in Spain’s Basque Country and, after 11 revisions, &SOM was ready to launch.
The moisturiser is a gentle blend of shea butter, grapeseed oil, argan oil and upcycled caffeine (AED 143 for 50ml); the facial scrub (AED 130 for 100ml) contains charcoal powder, babassu oil, licorice root, lactic acid and jojoba oil; while the anti-ageing serum (AED 143 for 50ml) is packed with olives, lactic acid, vitamin C and radish root. Bottled in bio-plastic made from sugarcane, the packaging breaks down into natural elements such as water and carbon dioxide.
For Leese, the most fascinating ingredient he discovered on his journey was an organic antioxidant found in olives that goes into the &SOM serum. New to skincare, the polyphenol is more potent than vitamin E and protects against skin damage while promoting skin regeneration. It’s even been linked to improve cardiovascular health and prevent the growth of cancer cells. No wonder Leese calls it a “superhero ingredient”.
Leese hopes the success of &SOM will lead to a greater awareness among men of the harm they may be doing to their skin through their grooming regime. “Thankfully, the consumer now has tools at their disposal to understand the research,” he says. “I think having a conscious awareness about ingredients is becoming more popular and I hope this will force the hand of the bigger brands.”
Designed to revitalise ageing skin and reduce wrinkles, the &SOM range is streamlined to three products at the moment but any expansion plans will be guided by Leese’s principles. “As we grow, our ethos will never change: natural ingredients that are high performing while being conscious of our sustainability initiatives,” he says. “I’m on a mission to show men and the world that clean, quality, high performing skincare is possible.”