LIFE JACKET SKIN | ULTIMATE PROTECTION? | REVIEW

Today I'm going to share some thoughts on the new LifeJacket Skincare range. A skin care range that isn't easily described in a tweet. As one of the co-founders Billy Boulos told me for an upcoming episode of The Menswear Style podcast, the ethos of the brand takes more than a minute to explain away. At its core, it has men's skincare and the protection and prevention against skin cancer at its heart. The full story is emotive, inspiring and worth reading on their website.

I was sent three products to sample which luckily arrived as I had one foot out the door for an Uber to the airport. The products arrived in a thoughtful branded cardboard box. It really felt like I was receiving a gift and I messaged the co-founder telling him such. In fact when you do gift this for someone, they can personalise a note for you. It's a nice touch.

An added bonus was that the 3 100ml bottles all came with a clear zip through toilet bag. I had actually been crying out for one of these for my travels and this was perfect. Enough room also for a toothbrush, toothpaste lip balm and roll on.

On to the products

Firstly the branding. I do love the name. And it makes sense that the co-founder Billy Boulos was percolating the idea for a name as he viewed "Life Jackets" on signs as he boarded a flight. These are products designed to prevent your skin from damage. A life jacket for your skin. The bottles are fairly neutral, only the colour of the labelling denotes the difference. But importantly they dispense well and stand up on the bathroom counter.

You can buy the products individually, but the three I have are available to buy as a gift set for £39. As Billy told me in the interview, it was a process getting the 'non-greasy' label attributed to the brand. And I can confirm there is no left over residue on my hands and I don't feel like I need to mop my girlfriends bathing robe or pillow in order to clean my hands. (We all do that with the cheaper stuff though right guys?)

The SPF30 moisturiser is my daily application now. It says use twice a day but in the evening I use the repair cream after showering. Whilst I was in Reims we were blessed with some scorching weather. I normally have to wear a cap to protect my bald head from the elements. This time it felt good to go cap-free and use the SPF50 cream instead on my scalp, face and arms. After a few hours I did put the cap back on because I didn't want to be subjected all day to the sun, but this was really force of habit. I didn't burn, and I felt confident not wearing a cap and being protected (finally) for most parts of the day.

The creams are unscented so nothing to comment on there. One last note, is the moisturiser does show as a little white through my stubble. But I'm guessing that's because it has more going on with the formula than a regular moisturiser. It wasn't unpleasant and with some more vigorous rubbing of faces and hands it did absorb. But maybe something to note for anyone with a thicker beard.

This is only my first week of trialling the creams and so far the experience has been great, and maybe there will be a knack to getting the cream to apply to the face better through my stubble if I experiment with a beard oil or two.

In summary. A great idea for men, especially men like me who hate having to wear a cap when the sun is out. It does hydrate the face and is a perfect travel companion.