Tradie brothers’ secret to looking 10 years younger
Tradies have been known to go shirtless while on the job in the hopes of getting a tan, but two brothers have designed a product to combat this dangerous mentality.
Two tradie brothers have launched a groundbreaking male skincare product that promises to help men look ten years younger by preventing wrinkles, and it includes a secret ingredient women have known about for decades.
“Tradies like my brother Beau and I often damage our skin from sun exposure,” Zac London, co-founder of Frasé Skin, told news.com.au.
The brand has just introduced its new Sun Gear’d SPF50 Face Moisturiser, a specially formulated sunscreen which features patented Solar-D technology to let your body produce vitamin D while staying protected from the sun.
“Ask any woman, and she will tell you that sun damage accelerates ageing and contributes to wrinkles. A daily SPF moisturiser is the key to looking younger,” Beau says.
Statistics from the Cancer Council reveal that 24 per cent of tradies rarely wear sunscreen, even though 42 per cent work outdoors for more than four hours a day, exposing themselves to harmful UV rays.
The idea for the product started during lockdown when Zac was experimenting with his mum’s clay mask.
“I liked the results but didn’t want to use products marketed to women. We realised there was nothing of the same quality on the market for men. When we browsed the skincare aisle, nothing resonated with us as a brand. We wanted to create something that would encourage people like us to take skincare seriously. Everyone does it, but most seem to do it in secret,” Zac recalls.
“Before this, we attempted two or three businesses, like affiliate marketing and drop shipping, that never got off the ground.”
Despite their “failures”, the brothers were now more motivated than ever to start this venture and began working on Frasé Skin in October 2020.
“We were outside all the time as tradies, and that exposure makes you look older. When I started my apprenticeship, I asked how old my boss’s boss was. I thought he looked 70, but he was only 50. Years of sun exposure had taken its toll on his skin, making him look like he was ready for the pension!” Zac jokes.
“In the tradie industry, there is a negative culture around sun protection,” Beau explains. “I noticed that many roofers work without shirts. When I asked why, they’d reply, ‘The redder the better, mate.’ There’s a ‘she’ll be right’ mentality.”
Zac adds, “They don’t realise how harmful this is to their bodies. There’s also a stigma surrounding men using skincare or SPF. We kept our project under wraps for three years out of fear of judgment. For the first six to twelve months, we faced jabs from people who called us names and commented on how ‘girly’ it seemed. We just want to normalise skincare for everyone. After all, we all have skin, it’s just a bit of cream.”
Cancer Australia reveals that 1 in 14 men will be diagnosed with melanoma by age 85, compared to 1 in 21 women.
When discussing their marketing approach, Zac shares, “On social media, we just try to be our normal, larrikin selves. Our packaging also features things like ‘Skincare for the Aussie battler’ and ‘Certified by the boys.’
“Surprisingly, mums often buy our product for their kids, and it has become really popular among younger boys. We didn’t initially target teens or school children, but it’s great they’re engaging with skin protection so young.”
Reflecting on their success so far, Beau says, “We’ve been in business for 18 months now, and we have scaled well. We’ve had over 10,000 customers and moved from a garage to a warehouse in Burleigh. We recently hired our first staff member and are working on getting our products into retailers like Woolworths and wherever Aussie blokes shop.”
With their success, there has naturally also been challenges along the way.
“The entire concept has been difficult to navigate: two tradies stepping into the world of e-commerce and skincare has been a real learning curve,” Beau notes.
“Also, dealing with people’s comments. It can be discouraging and make you question whether it’s worth it, but you just have to keep the bigger picture in mind and lead with education,” Zac adds.
“We want to expand our SPF line for the face and develop body products, including sprays and bottles that tradies can easily toss in their cars,” Beau shares.
Leading dermatology nurse Jen Hookham issued a warning to young men after completing a skin check clinic on a construction site earlier this month: “Australian tradies, particularly young men, are ticking time bombs for melanomas. The results of our recent worksite skin check clinic were shocking, but sadly, not surprising.
“Thirteen out of the fifteen tradies tested had never undergone a skin cancer check, and the alarming reality is that skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting Australians aged 15 to 40. Yet, 95 per cent of melanomas are entirely preventable.
“One of the tradies I saw had sunburn right across his back – literal trauma to his skin. These young men don’t realise that the sun damage they’re experiencing now lays the groundwork for melanoma later in life.”
Zac believes that employers can help lower skin cancer rates among tradies.
“On large worksites, sun safety – such as hats, long sleeves, and sunscreen – are a priority,” he says, “but smaller sites often fall short. We’re calling on all employers to enhance sun safety measures so that their workers don’t become a statistic.”
When using sunscreen, always read the label. Use only as directed. Avoid prolonged exposure in the sun. Wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when exposed to the sun. Remember to slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses. Frequent reapplication or use in accordance with directions is required for effective sun protection.