A lot of effort and market research goes into the way companies try to make men's grooming products sound "manly" – as if going to the bathroom to wash your face is some kind of Lord of the Rings style adventure.

Take for example the humble shower pouf thing (the technical name, of course), we all know what that is, but Lynx have decided to call their one the “ManWasher Shower Tool” (€5.49). Sorry lads, whatever way you slice it, it’s still a shower pouf thing.

Similarly the new Adidas "Ice Dive" shower gel is labeled as a "refreshing shower gel made for a man who loves the thrill of intense pleasure and dives into life headfirst." Again, this is a shower gel, lads, not an advert for a sky dive.

While not all of us are likely to admit it, we do spend some time smelling and admiring the products that adorn the cabinets if you happen to share a bathroom with a member of the opposite sex. As this tweet succinctly puts it, the unnecessary gendering of deodorants, skincare and shower gels all seems a bit much at times.

With that in mind, we turned to beauty expert Sarah Jane Lanagan, whose shelves are full to the brim with different potions and lotions, for recommendations on which products we could get away with stealing from time to time. It was also made clear that her boyfriend is under strict instructions not to touch a few of them, so stick to the ones laid out below, lads. 

For those with sensitive skin, Sarah has a few recommendations that are geared towards helping that, and that won’t make you smell too much like a herb garden. Here are a few that have passed the test so far:

  • Anything from La Roche Posay: Both myself and my boyfriend are in agreement about LRP on the whole. I love the Physiological Cleansing Gel (€15.99) and Physiological Ultra-Fine Cleansing Scrub (€14.99), and he’s a big fan of the Redermic R Cream (€35.99).
  • Aveda Light Elements Shaping Wax (€31): Quite pricey for a hair wax but when compared to most men's products this is much lighter, and doesn't leave your ‘do looking greasy or like Bart Simpson. Also, as my hair is longer, this works to give texture through the ends.

  • Toni & Guy Cleanse Dry Shampoo (€9.49 250ml): Unlike a lot of dry shampoo which can smell sickly or over perfumed, this one has a fresh lemon fragrance that I love. Unfortunately so does himself so I just bought him his own one in the end.
  • Dr Weil For Origins Mega Mushroom Skin Relief Mask (€48): This soothing mask instantly reduces visible redness to leave skin calm and comforted. I often use it after exfoliating to even out skin tone again but it works just as well post shave or hot shower if you’re prone to blotchiness.
  • Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter (€34 200ml): Dry skin be gone! This rich cream might be a bit much for all over body use (depending on your skin) but it works wonders on flaky patches to rehydrate & smooth skin.

Do you dip into the reserves of your other half or housemate for any grooming products that you find useful? And do you have any other unisex products to add to our list?