Talking with H.I.M-istry CEO Darnell Henderson

Men Aesthetics — By ObviousMag on November 19, 2010 4:23 PM

Dermatitian Darnell Henderson is the founder and CEO of H.I.M-istry Grooming & Skincare. He discovered that few skincare products could be found in the market that met both his needs and skin care issues belonging to thousands of men with light and dark skin. After attending Florida College of Natural Health, he invested in his skincare empire which is proving to make dynamic changes in the way major retailers provide skincare options for men.

Words by Beauty Editor: Jen Prudhome

JP: Why do you believe that something as important as skincare comes with such a stigma amongst men?

DH: Because of the word ‘cosmetics.’ For most men if you throw the word grooming on there, it makes it okay because ‘grooming’ encompasses shaving creams, fragrances, and shampoos. But when [men] look at the word ‘skincare’ they start to think ‘makeup.’ They start to think ‘cosmetic.’

JP: How has H.I.M-istry risen above these stigmas?

DH: I think that stigma is there simply because of the terminology. One of the things we do at H.I.M-istry is use Grooming & Skincare so that guys can understand that that through their familiarity with grooming products, they can also explore H.I.M-istry grooming and eventually explore H.I.M-istry skincare products. Knowing the male customer, when they’re shopping at a department store, what they’re already familiar with is a fragrance. I knew that in order to get skin care in their hands, I had to meet those customers where they were at the time. I knew I had to provide a great fragrance and in my gift set but incorporated skincare as opposed to a body lotion or aftershave balm. The set included our fragrance, cleanser, exfoliate, and moisturizer so our customer had no choice but to try it.

JP: What are the leading skin conditions that you find men looking to treat with H.I.M-istry Skincare?

DH: Most men have the same concern as women, especially African-American, Latino, and Asian women that have melanin in their skin and the discoloration. Over a period of time when they’re in their twenties where they experience a pimple or injury to the skin, they’re not healing as quickly as they were in that time period. What they’re seeing now is an uneven skin. They also tend go out into the sun without SPF so they’re exposed to getting rebound hyper-pigmentation. Men are also starting to be more conscious of wrinkles and dark circles around their eyes.

JP: What H.I.M-istry products do you recommend to treat these issues?

DH: For hyper pigmentation, exfoliate with H.I.M-istry’s rapid exfoliatant called Alpha Hydroxy Clearing Pads. These clearing pads not only exfoliate the skin, they also reduce acne because of the Salicylic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, and Lactic Acid. Bearberry and Kojic Acid ingredients focus on hyper pigmentation and can deal with razor bumps. This product is great in combination with the Alpha Arbutin Serum for treating discoloration and thick leathery skin. For anti-aging, our CoQ10 (QC-10) Moisturizing Serum infused with Hyaluronic Acid does wonders for reducing wrinkles.

H.IM.-istry website: http://www.himistry.com

Tags: Men Aesthetics