by Currie Jean

Created on: August 17, 2008

The term "typical man" is rife with implications, and it's important to remember that the typical man is not the "stereotypical" man. He doesn't necessarily have a hard time asking for directions, going to the doctor, doing housework, or eating vegetables. Likewise, the typical man is not a slob: he wants to look good when he goes out, wants to impress the ladies, and wants to appear professional at work.

The "Axe" brand has tapped into this: its commercials for deodorants, body washes, and even bodywash scrubber poofs are getting the message across: a clean, good-smelling man is more attractive than a hairy, smelly, sweaty, "manly" man.

So who is the "typical" man? Age is an important factor: typical young men can be very different from typical older men. Young men, who pay more attention to popular culture and entertainment, are likely to be more outlandish in their choices, following experimental trends as they search for a stylistic identity. Older men, who in many cases are more conservative and traditional in their appearances, will make different choices.

The following list, then, covers both older and younger men. Because of this, not every listed cosmetic item applies to all of the typical men out there - although some of them do. On with the top eight!

Exfoliants and Cleansers

Part of looking clean, professional, and sexy is having as few pimples as possible. Many younger men use special soaps, usually liquid, to help minimize blackheads, pimples, and discoloration. Exfoliants have little bits of stuff, like peach pit crumbs, in them to help scrub away dead skin and unnecessary oil. Cleansers are geared more toward washing oil away, and are less abraisive. Exfoliating cleanser combinations are available too.

Most men don't really want to bother putting on makeup in the morning, especially since it can be tough to reconcile a concealer with a stubbly face. In such cases, it's best to attack blemishes at the source, in the shower, with cleansers and exfoliants geared either toward the whole body, or toward the face specifically.

Aftershave, Deodorant and Cologne

Aftershave is a method of avoiding razor burn and rashes after shaving, which can be a particularly taxing thing to put a face through day after day. Cologne is, basically, men's perfume, and usually has more "manly" scents: nothing that smells much like flowers or food.

Deodorant comes in sprays (the aforementioned Axe is especially popular) and sticks. The benefit of the spray is that it can be applied

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