Hair Gel FYI


Since so many men rely on their moms, wives, and girlfriends for hair products, when they need to buy something themselves, they usually just turn to plain old hair gel. They must think that if hair gel worked in high school, it will work fine today. Unfortunately, men who just use hair gel do not know that there are many other types of hair products today and those hair products can do unique things to hair that gel cannot do. But, since our Guys Essentials kits come with traditional hair gel, we thought it would be interesting to share some information about the easy-to-use hair product.


Hair gels have been used for centuries, as there is evidence that ancient people actually used the a gel-like compound in their hair to keep it in place. The first “modern” hair gel was Brylcreem, which was created in the 1920s, and then Dep became the go-to brand later in the 1900s. Now, hair gel is available in different strengths, prices, and fragrances.


Hair gel is made from chemicals that allow the hair to stay put. Since consumers appreciate it when manufacturers put natural ingredients in their hair gels, more manufacturers are doing this. However, the ingredient that keeps hair in place are the polymers that coat the hair, but are not absorbed in the hair.


Once people realized how many styles that could do with hair gel, they began to take their hair to new heights. Men who wanted to draw a little more attention to their hair used hair gel (a lot of hair gel) to style their hair into gravity defying mohawks. Men also used their hair gel to accentuate the type of hair they had, since hair gel makes curly hair look curlier and wavy hair have better waves.


Hair gels that are made for men come in a variety of different types. There are hair gels that will help hide gray hair and there are some that will help prevent dandruff. Some of the better hair gels will also provide nutrients to hair to make it stronger. Some hair gels will also help condition the scalp, too. Many of the lower priced hair gel will hold hair in place, but that is about it. Some men and women do not like to use hair gel because they think they have too much alcohol - which can dry the scalp. However, many hair gels companies are reducing the amount of alcohol they use because of customer awareness.


Even though men are more likely to use hair gel than women, many men do not know how to properly apply hair gel. Men should put their hair gel onto slightly damp hair. Too many men put their hair gel on wet hair, and it will not stay in place that way. Men should also rub gel onto their hands and then rub the gel onto the hair, not the scalp. Men should also know know that hair gel will not cause hair loss because hair gel does not hurt the hair, but if it is used excessively, it could reduce hair growth by excessive hair gel residue blocking pores on the scalp.

Uses for Cotton Swabs

Every kit at GuysEssentials comes with a package of Q-Tips. While most people use their cotton swabs to clean their ears, we felt it was important to share a few more interesting uses for cotton swabs. Since these are included in our three most popular kits, you will always have a new box of swabs once your kit arrives in the mail so you can use them as often as needed.


When you do use them in your ear, it is best to not stick them all the way in so you do not damage your ear canal. You should only use them around the outside of the ear. If you need to remove ear wax, there are special tools that can help.


Ok, on to the uses for cotton swabs:


* Use them to clean your bellybutton. No one wants lint in there!


* If you are dying your hair, you can use them to clean up the hair dye that gets on your skin and ears.


* They are excellent tools for face painting. You can entertain your young nieces and nephews for a long time with face paint.


* If you are going tailgating and you need to paint your car windows for the event, use cotton swabs and tempura paint. You will not get very messy that way.


* Cotton swabs can be used to apply eye ointment, so your fingers will not contaminate the ointment.


* They are also excellent tools to use for first aid jobs. If you need to apply antibacterial ointment to someone else’s skin, a cotton swab will keep your hands out of the mix.


* Use a cotton swab on a cut to soak up the blood.


* A cotton swab work is an excellent tool for lighting birthday candles. Set the cotton on fire and use the end to start any kind of fire. Just be sure to have a little glass of water around to douse the flame.


* You can also use cotton swabs so you can apply glue and you do not want to get your fingers messy.


* Cotton swabs are excellent tools for dusting small places, like computer keyboards.


* If you like to wear cologne and you need to have it on for a long period of time, soak a cotton swab and put it into an airtight container, like a baggie. Then, when you need to reapply your cologne, you just swipe the cotton swab on your pulse points.


* Cotton swabs are good for cleaning jewelry, because they allow you to clean in the small areas.


* They also work nicely to clean battery connections. All you need to do is put a little rubbing alcohol on the cotton ends and clean the connections. Be sure you do not use a soaking cotton swab.


* Get your stuck zipper unstuck by using a cotton swab and some vegetable oil or olive oil. The slippery oil will get those zippers moving more freely.


* When you are painting or staining intricate furniture, cotton swabs give you access to the small decorative areas so those look nice, too.