Ok, I'll come clean (no pun intended), I was initially very happy to review Ahava's range of face and body products for men because of its looks. Call me superficial, but i was extremely keen to see the crisp clear blue and white tubes and bottles in my brand new bathroom - which just so happens to be the same nautical colours.

Hurrah, now I can legitimately throw out my partner's random hotch potch of shampoos and gels and start again on a more visually pleasing foot. And once he was through tutting at me for my wastefulness, he had to admit that the Ahava stuff looks pretty good to him too — functional rather than sexy.
Text continues below image

Aesthetics aside, I then gave him a brief induction on the benefits of Ahava, utilising as they do minerals from the Dead Sea, before launching him into a top to toe regime. The mineral-rich Dead Sea is obviously renowned world-wide for its healing properties and the Dead Sea Laboratories, which creates the Ahava ranges (for women as well as men) was the first company to take advantage of this natural resource for the skincare industry. A combination of active minerals together with other natural ingredients produces a formulation that helps to hydrate the skin cells, calm irritations, fight bacteria and generally rejuvenate — all good news for battered male skin.

But what's it like and does it work? He started the day with the Deep Cleansing Gel (£12.60 - 100ml), an unfamiliar experience as it contains grains that exfoliate dead skin cells and wash away embedded grime. "feels really cleansing and not too scratchy' was the verdict. And it had the added benefit of making the shave that followed a slightly smoother operation.

A hair-wash everyday kind of man, my partner gets through buckets of the stuff and considers himself to be a but of an expert on the subject. But Ahava for Men's Mineral Shampoo — gentle for frequent use — (£9.50 - 200ml) got the thumbs up: "it lathers really well and feels like it's really getting in deep and cleansing the scalp and hair". That and the Mineral Shower Gel (£9.50 - 250ml) both have a faintly ozone-y, aromatic smell, which has always been a favourite in our bathroom. Apart from minerals the shower gel also contains natural moisturisers and skin conditioners, which leaves the body feeling softened as well as squeaky clean. Whether a man wants his skin to feel soft is a moot point, but I'm in favour of this.

A fairly recent convert to the decent moisturiser, he was keen to to try the Protective Moisturizing Fluid SPF15 (£21.95 - 50ml). "It takes a while to rub in, but that a positive thing," he says. "It gives you an indication of where you have and haven't put it and makes you spend a little longer massaging your face." After a month of using it, his skin definitely feels smoother and looks clearer. The Hand Cream (£10.25 - 100ml) also went down well — no oily feel and quick to be absorbed. The fact that he's still using all the products — and demanding more — is a sign of success!