{"id":106907,"date":"2025-10-27T16:38:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T16:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/106907\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T16:38:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T16:38:09","slug":"joel-dommett-and-ben-shephard-on-their-mission-to-make-men-feel-good-about-skincare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/106907\/","title":{"rendered":"Joel Dommett and Ben Shephard on Their Mission to Make Men Feel Good About Skincare"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Joel Dommett<\/a> and Ben Shephard<\/a> sit down before me it feels like I’m eavesdropping on a conversation unfolding in real time. The rhythm between them, half banter, half brotherly encouragement, has the easy warmth of two mates shooting the breeze over a pint. <\/p>\n

Only, instead of talking about marathons, TV, or their next endurance challenge, they\u2019re talking about skincare. More specifically, why two of the most recognisable men on British television have decided to launch a grooming brand and an accompanying podcast, The Business Men<\/a>. The series, they explain, will take listeners along for the ride as they navigate the process \u2013 from what to call the brand to how to formulate, package and actually sell it \u2013 with experts and friends dropping in along the way. It\u2019s a rare look behind the curtain at how something is built, in real time.<\/p>\n

‘For us, it\u2019s kind of a no-brainer,’ says Dommett. ‘We\u2019ve been friends for a long time and wanted to do something together. The obvious thing would be fitness-related \u2013 lycra or something that involves biceps<\/a>.’<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

Shephard laughs. ‘Or protein<\/a>, actually.’<\/p>\n

Dommett grins. ‘Yeah, protein! But we just realised, after talking to each other for quite a while, that we had this shared love of skincare.<\/a>‘<\/p>\n

The pair, who met on Lorraine more than a decade ago, found themselves bonding over the simple act of looking after their skin \u2013 and realising how little the market seemed to cater to men like them. ‘We thought there was a gap in the market,’ the former Men’s Health cover star <\/a>tells me, ‘and that led us to starting this podcast and hopefully building a community and developing products that people really want and love.’<\/p>\n

But The Business Men isn\u2019t just about the personal exploration of moisturisers<\/a> and serums. It’s also a reflection of how modern masculinity is changing. ‘I think it\u2019s something we\u2019re all starting to see,’ says Dommett. ‘Ben talks a lot about how his children, who are 18 and 20, are now talking to their friends about skincare and self-care \u2013 and we\u2019re talking to our friends about it. If we can be a tiny piece of the puzzle in helping men have this newfound confidence in looking after themselves, then we\u2019ve completed our challenge.’<\/p>\n

When the comedian and Masked Singer presenter looks back at his teenage years, the difference feels seismic. ‘There\u2019s been a big shift in what men are willing to admit to being interested in \u2013 worrying about, wanting to learn about \u2013 when it comes to what makes you feel and look good,’ says Dommett. ‘When I was a teenager, you couldn\u2019t possibly admit that you used hair products or that you didn\u2019t like your haircut. If you said anything about using moisturiser, your mates would ridicule you endlessly, but I love that that\u2019s changing.’<\/p>\n

‘I love that my sons are so open about it,’ adds Shephard. ‘It\u2019s healthy that they talk about looking after their skin and that they share their knowledge.’ He says these conversations among younger generations are reverberating. ‘It\u2019s filtering upwards towards my mates who are now in their fifties. They\u2019re more concerned about how their skin looks, as well as their health, hair, fitness, and teeth. Sharing our concerns and experiences is an important part of looking after your mental wellbeing.’<\/p>\n

Both men are clear-eyed about the line between self-care and self-criticism \u2013 especially in a culture where image anxiety is spreading faster than ever. Research shows that men are increasingly feeling the pressure to look good, and a survey by the British College of Aesthetic Medicine revealed a 70% increase in men\u2019s aesthetic treatments since 2021.<\/p>\n

‘We’re not just the founders of this,’ says Dommett. ‘We\u2019re also the faces of it and I\u2019d like to think we’re seen as trusted people. We\u2019re also quite natural looking; I\u2019m not shying away from the fact that I\u2019m 40 or pretending I\u2019m 25. Ben isn’t trying to not be 50 \u2013 he just looks good for 50. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to promote: looking and feeling your best at whatever age that happens to be.’<\/p>\n

Shephard agrees: ‘It\u2019s something that me and my wife talk about a lot \u2013 making sure that the boys are comfortable with who they are and aren\u2019t caught up in trying to attain something unrealistic. There\u2019s an authenticity I\u2019d like to think you get from Joel and me, which is important for this brand. We want to help people feel great about who they are. We don\u2019t want to change who they are.’<\/p>\n

‘Looking after your skin is about adding to your confidence’<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing they\u2019re both eager to dispel, it\u2019s the idea that skincare is about vanity. ‘I think men have a funny relationship with vanity,’ says Shephard. ‘Vanity is that idea that spend all day looking at yourself and thinking how amazing and gorgeous you are but looking after your skin isn\u2019t about being vain. It\u2019s about adding to your confidence and your overall wellbeing.’<\/p>\n

The pair believe that looking after your skin has as much to do with physical health as it does with confidence and appearance. Dommett adds, ‘When it comes to SPF, women are far ahead of us. My wife\u2019s been using SPF on her face for 15 years. Three years ago, I didn\u2019t know any men that used SPF on their face but we all know skin cancer<\/a> is on the rise, so your daily routine is important.’<\/p>\n

Launching a skincare brand might sound world’s apart from their usual day jobs, but it\u2019s also proved to be a humbling crash course. ‘We\u2019ve learned how useless we are at business,’ Shephard laughs. ‘That probably wasn\u2019t much of a surprise. We need pens in meetings? That was a good learning,’ he says playfully. ‘What\u2019s been brilliant is that Joel and I have endless enthusiasm to learn. The scale of what we\u2019ve taken on is really hitting us \u2013 we\u2019re starting from scratch and tracking from the beginning. We don’t have a name, mission statement, not even a business plan. We\u2019ve stripped this back to its raw beginnings.’<\/p>\n

If the learning curve is steep, neither of them seems intimidated. Both men are familiar with a challenge \u2013 Dommett once performed 100 gigs in 24 hours at the Edinburgh Fringe; Shephard completed an ultra triathlon that consisted of 46 miles of cycling, a mile of swimming and 63 miles of running over four continuous days. ‘We\u2019re ready for the challenge,’ the 50-year-old tells me. ‘We just want to bring the listeners along with us \u2013 to guide us, watch the mistakes, and hopefully celebrate the successes.’<\/p>\n

Lesson in Progress<\/p>\n

When it comes to the products they might actually create, they\u2019re still in the early stages. ‘There\u2019s products that are staples in a skincare routine \u2013 so there\u2019s probably going to be a moisturiser and a cleanser,’ says Dommett.<\/p>\n

For Shephard, the ideal product is an eye cream, noting the ironic twist that his dark circles and puffiness often appear more pronounced after a restful night\u2019s sleep. ‘If we can crack a cream that helps tired eyes and makes people feel great \u2013 that would be, for me, the magic serum.’<\/p>\n

Both men admit their own skincare routines are still a work in progress. ‘We both agree that there should be three steps in the morning, three steps in the evening. Anytime it drifts into four or five, the routine gets lost,’ says Shephard. <\/p>\n

‘I\u2019m chopping and changing because I\u2019m experimenting with different products,’ adds Dommett. ‘At the moment, I use a cleanser, then a Medik8 serum, then a night cream. In the daytime, I use an SPF and a tinted moisturiser. ‘<\/p>\n

Shephard’s approach is even more streamlined. ‘I cleanse in the mornings with a soft pH soap, then I\u2019ll have a shave and use Dove Summer Glow<\/a>‘ \u2013 something that a makeup artist forced upon him years ago. ‘They said, “Start using this, because we\u2019ve got to give you a little bit of help.” I couldn\u2019t believe the difference. It just gives you a bit of warmth, so you don\u2019t look quite so see-through \u2013 like Casper the Friendly Ghost,’ he chuckles.<\/p>\n

He also swears by eye care: ‘I use an eye cream as I wear my tiredness under my eyes quite significantly. And I love eye patches \u2013 they help reduce the puffiness.’<\/p>\n

Dommett jumps in. ‘There\u2019s a really wet one from Charlotte Tilbury<\/a> \u2013 they\u2019re too wet to wear in the mornings, but you can put them on in the evening underneath your eye mask while you\u2019re asleep. Welcome to Joel and Ben’s Beauty School,’ he jokes.
<\/p>\n

Underneath all the humour, though, there\u2019s a shared sincerity. Dommett and Shephard aren\u2019t just trying to become beauty moguls. They\u2019re trying to start a conversation \u2013 about confidence, and connection. And if that conversation happens to come with a little extra glow? Well, that\u2019s just good skincare.
<\/p>\n

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