When Joel Dommett and Ben Shephard Share a Skincare Journey

When Joel Dommett and Ben Shephard 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. Only, instead of talking about marathons, TV, or their next endurance challenge, they’re 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. The series will take listeners along for the ride as they navigate the process—from what to call the brand to how to formulate, package and actually sell it—with experts and friends dropping in along the way. It’s a rare look behind the curtain at how something is built, in real time.

“For us, it’s kind of a no-brainer,” says Dommett. “We’ve been friends for a long time and wanted to do something together. The obvious thing would be fitness-related—lycra or something that involves biceps.” Shephard laughs. “Or protein, actually.”

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.” The pair, who met on Lorraine more than a decade ago, found themselves bonding over the simple act of looking after their skin—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 tells me, “and that led us to starting this podcast and hopefully building a community and developing products that people really want and love.”

But The Business Men isn’t just about the personal exploration of moisturisers and serums; it’s also a reflection of how modern masculinity is changing. “I think it’s something we’re 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—and we’re 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’ve completed our challenge.”

Shifting Perceptions

When the comedian and Masked Singer presenter looks back at his teenage years, the difference feels seismic. “There’s been a big shift in what men are willing to admit to being interested in—worrying about, wanting to learn about—when it comes to what makes you feel and look good,” says Dommett. “When I was a teenager, you couldn’t possibly admit that you used hair products or that you didn’t like your haircut. If you said anything about using moisturiser, your mates would ridicule you endlessly, but I love that that’s changing.”

“I love that my sons are so open about it,” adds Shephard. “It’s healthy that they talk about looking after their skin and that they share their knowledge.” He believes these conversations among younger generations are reverberating. “It’s filtering upwards towards my mates who are now in their fifties. They’re 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.”

Modern Masculinity and Mental Wellbeing

Both men are clear-eyed about the line between self-care and self-criticism—especially in a culture where image anxiety is spreading faster than ever. Research shows that men are increasingly feeling the pressure to look good, with a survey by the British College of Aesthetic Medicine revealing a 70% increase in men’s aesthetic treatments since 2021. “We’re not just the founders of this,” says Dommett. “We’re also the faces of it, and I’d like to think we’re seen as trusted people. We’re also quite natural looking; I’m not shying away from the fact that I’m 40 or pretending I’m 25. Ben isn’t trying to not be 50—he just looks good for 50. And that’s what we’re trying to promote: looking and feeling your best at whatever age that happens to be.”

• Self-care is not vanity but a pathway to confidence.
• Men’s skincare routines can significantly impact mental wellbeing.
• Open conversations about grooming help to dismantle stereotypes of masculinity.

Shephard agrees: “It’s something that my wife and I talk about a lot—making sure that the boys are comfortable with who they are and aren’t caught up in trying to attain something unrealistic. There’s an authenticity I’d 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’t want to change who they are.”

A Learning Experience

Launching a skincare brand might seem worlds apart from their usual day jobs, but it has proven to be a humbling crash course. “We’ve learned how useless we are at business,” Shephard laughs. “That probably wasn’t much of a surprise. We need pens in meetings? That was a good learning,” he chimes, playful yet sincere. “What’s been brilliant is that Joel and I have endless enthusiasm to learn. The scale of what we’ve taken on is really hitting us—we’re starting from scratch and tracking from the beginning. We don’t have a name, mission statement, not even a business plan. We’ve stripped this back to its raw beginnings.”

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

Initial Product Ideas

When it comes to the products they might create, they’re still in the early stages. “There are products that are staples in a skincare routine—so there’s probably going to be a moisturiser and a cleanser,” says Dommett. 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’s sleep. “If we can crack a cream that helps tired eyes and makes people feel great—that would be, for me, the magic serum.”

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. Dommett adds, “I’m chopping and changing because I’m experimenting with different products. At the moment, I use a cleanser, then a Medik8 serum, then a night cream. During the day, I use an SPF and a tinted moisturiser.”

Shephard’s approach is even more streamlined. “I cleanse in the mornings with a soft pH soap, then I’ll have a shave and use Dove Summer Glow—something that a makeup artist forced upon me years ago. They said, ‘Start using this, because we’ve got to give you a little bit of help.’ I couldn’t believe the difference. It just gives you a bit of warmth, so you don’t look quite so see-through—like Casper the Friendly Ghost,” he chuckles. He swears by eye care: “I use an eye cream as I wear my tiredness under my eyes quite significantly. And I love eye patches—they help reduce the puffiness.”

Underneath all the humour, though, there’s a shared sincerity. Dommett and Shephard aren’t just trying to become beauty moguls; they’re trying to start a conversation—about confidence and connection. And if that conversation happens to come with a little extra glow? Well, that’s just good skincare.

Source: www.menshealth.com