Profiles

Forward this to Your Guy Friends!

The men in your life could take a cue from Philippe Chantecaille, who knows his way around a shelf full of products (and has the skin to prove it).

On any given day, Philippe Chantecaille—Sylvie’s son and our brand’s Media Director—can be found on a photo shoot for a new campaign, in the “media cave” at our office overseeing video edits, or at home in Brooklyn tending his growing collection of plants. (“My green thumb has grown exponentially during these WFH months,” he says.) A photographer who once interned for Annie Leibovitz, his images of wildlife taken on family trips to Africa help us to shine a light on the impactful work of our conservationist partners on the ground. Meanwhile, Philippe has also become one of our resident explainers of men’s skincare habits as we introduce our Men’s Skincare Collection, since, well, it’s in his DNA.

“I learned the importance of taking care of my skin at an early age,” Philippe says, growing up in a home in which Sylvie was not only spearheading the development of her new plant-based skincare line, but alongside two older sisters who were equally obsessed. Later, he inevitably became a magnet for friends with questions about common skin issues. “Most of my friends only became concerned with their skin around the time they hit 30. Now, friends reach out to me about dry skin, uneven complexions, dark spots, and what to do about their under eyes. Guys also want to look awake, alive, fresh, and like a better version of themselves.”

Sylvie Chantecaille with Philippe; Philippe in Rwanda, 2017

To the new initiate, Philippe contends that good skincare is simply the logical extension of a wellness routine. “In the same way that a man might drink a green juice or go for a run, he should feel comfortable using a serum or a mask to take better care of himself and his skin,” he says. And just as he’d avoid junk food or other unhealthy additives, he continues, “he should count on natural, botanical ingredients that are good for him inside and out. It's pretty simple.”

And to those who object that life is too short to add a skincare regimen? “It can seem tedious, but it really takes no more than 2 minutes a day to take care of your skin. It’s like brushing your teeth,” Philippe says. It’s also a no-brainer to build in time for beyond-basic steps: “I truly think every guy can mask — I like to mask during a hockey game or put on a mask before bed. It’s easy and efficient.” (His favorite: the super-soothing Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask.)

PHILIPPE’S DAILY ROUTINE

Philippe’s basic three-step skincare regimen works morning and night for sensitive skin:
1. Splash water on the face, take a pea-size amount of Rice & Geranium Foaming Cleanser, rub it all over the face and leave for a minute – “it exfoliates, which helps smooth and soften the skin on your face,” he says. Rinse & pat dry.

2. For instant hydration, use 3 pumps of Vital Essence on the fingertips; apply all over the face. “This is one of my favorite products, a serum that instantly hydrates my skin. Where I live the water is very hard, so when I get out of the shower my face gets dry super quickly. This keeps my face hydrated all day.”

3. Finish with Stress Repair Concentrate+, an eye cream with anti-wrinkle hexapeptide. “It really works great for expression lines, laugh lines and in and around the eye area.” Take a pea-size amount, blend between your fingertips to warm it, then dab in and around the eye area and on facial expression lines.

“I truly think every guy can mask — I like to mask while watching a hockey game or put on a mask before bed. It’s easy and efficient.”

A FEW OF PHILIPPE’S FAVE ADD-ONS:

For in the shower:
“I use Bamboo and Hibiscus Exfoliating Cream in the shower—it’s just a good exfoliator that helps open the pores and rinses the dirt that gets into your face. Especially if I have razor bumps from shaving on my neck, I use the exfoliating cream for a couple of days and that knocks it right out.”

For post-shave:
“Bio Lifting Neck Cream has a cooling gel-like consistency that immediately soothes my face and neck after shaving. I’ve never used a better post-shave balm. It leaves my skin with a smooth and hydrated finish, while minimizing any razor burn or bumps. Yet my favorite part might be knowing that the active ingredients are also helping to tighten the skin of my neck. CBD 300 Face and Body Cream is also great for combatting redness.”

For extra moisture at night:
“I like to blend the Rose de Mai Face Oil with the Bio Lifting Neck Cream or Bio Lifting Cream+. I blend two drops of face oil into a dollop of cream in my hand, then blend it onto my face. I use it at nighttime for more extreme moisture. I always get compliments the next day that my skin looks vibrant and glowing.”

For extra smoothing:
“Blue Light Hyaluronic Serum has hyaluronic acid in it, which gives an immediate boost to fine lines. I have a lot of laugh lines, having had a fortunate life, and so I use it in between my brows and laugh lines and it really plumps the fine lines incredibly quickly.”

For repair from the outdoors:
“I use the Nano Gold Firming Treatment in the winter to help repair and restore from exposure to the elements. In the summer, it’s also good for sun damage. As a kid, I never liked wearing sunscreen; I’d always run away from my mother trying to put it on me. So I have some sun damage and like the Firming Treatment because it’s rich but not heavy.”