Over time, certain interests have been deemed as “manly” or “girly,” but that doesn’t mean that men and women don’t enjoy partaking in the activities deemed for the other.
When asked, “What are the things every man should at least try even though they are stigmatized as ‘feminine’ or ‘unmanly?'” the men of the internet didn’t hold back.
Their answers might surprise you:
1. Ordering a Fruity Drink
“Drink what you want. That passion fruit mojito sound good to you? Probably because it is, so just order it.”
“Yeah, so what if I get a peanut butter hazelnut iced latte with extra whip? It’s delicious,” said another man in support.
“Only a true man who is totally comfortable and secure with his own masculinity would be able to order fruity cocktails,” said a different user in what was the overwhelming opinion.
2. Having a skincare routine
“Apply creams, moisturizers, and/or sunblock. Your skin will age. Better take care of it,” expressed one responder.
Warned another, “Sunblock especially. My father never put some because he was ‘too manly.’ He has skin cancer all over his nose now. He waited for too long to get checked (because men don’t need doctors, you know). They may have to remove his nose entirely with more interventions.”
One man specifically expressed his love for peel-off face masks, saying, “They’re so fun. It’s like when you used to let glue dry on your hand and peel it off. Except it’s on your face and smells like cucumbers.”
See also: Skincare After 30: The ULTIMATE Skincare Routine for Glowing Skin
3. Caring for your friends emotionally
“Tell your friends you love them. If you deeply care about them, that’s love. Let your friends know they are loved.”
Another supported the emotional honesty, commenting, “If you have the slightest doubt that someone you know is going through tough times, reach out. Ask if they’re doing okay. You can make a difference.”
4. Gardening
“A woman I work with was surprised I had a vegetable garden. She said she thought I was a ‘manly man.'”
One man backed up his interest in tending his vegetables, saying, “Boys famously get dirty as kids by digging in the dirt. Farming is a famously manly profession. An older man tending to his vegetable plot is a whole thing too.”
See also: 27 Best Gardening Books for Beginners
5. Going to therapy
“Everyone should go to therapy. It’s a great way of reflecting on who you are, what your life is like, and how you could improve. My relationship with my wife now is 100x better as I’ve been able to grow as a person because of the brilliant help I have received.”
Don’t know if therapy is for you? You’re not alone.
6. Cooking
“A guy friend really wanted to take a cooking class but got steered away from it by his mom for being too ‘girly.’ I don’t get why cooking specifically is deemed girly in the first place. Imagine you’re in college and gotta make yourself some food. Are you gonna be living off of boiled eggs forever?”
Confused, an individual agreed, writing, “I especially do not understand it as top chefs are usually male. So cooking is girly unless you do it professionally?”
A third commenter joked, “The trick is to have a BBQ grill set up at all times. When people ask you where that souffle came from, just click your grill tongs together a few times, and it becomes acceptable.”
7. Getting pedicures
“I live in a small rural Midwest town. Where men wear jeans and cowboy boots and have dirt-stained nails. I walked into the nail salon last week for a pedicure. Three of the four pedi chairs held the above-described men getting pedicures. I did a double-take. It felt like I had walked into a men’s locker room. Yep, I got a pedicure too,” wrote one pedicure-loving man.
“I had a girlfriend years ago that took me to get one and yeah, it was eye-opening and mind-blowing. The foot and leg massage, the paraffin wax, the scrub, all of it. The color is just the icing on the cake,” said a different man.
8. Using scented shampoo
“My wife got this stuff that has tea tree, lemon, and hemp in it, and OMG! Best shower ever. I come out feeling like a new person,” said one excited man.
Agreeing, another man explained, “One of the few things I splurge on to pamper myself is special tea tree shampoo and conditioners. That stuff is straight up amazing, it has tea tree, peppermint and I think lavender.
“Not only does it smell fantastic, but it’s so refreshing and tingly when you use it. There is no better way to start your day than a hot shower and that icy cold feeling on my scalp.”
9. Taking baths
“Take a bath, my friends. With bubbles, candles, and bath bombs. I feel like a new man afterward,” said one relaxed commenter.
“When my daughters were still teenagers, they took pity on me after a rough day at work. Sore muscles, aching back, etc. They ran me a piping hot bath with some high-quality salts and oils and whatnot. What a difference that made! My old body was so relaxed I kept nodding off while trying to eat dinner. Went to bed a little early and slept like a rock. Zero tossing and turning,” expressed a father who was surprised by the level of self-care that a nice bath achieves.
Try a relaxing bath at least once with these essentials.
10. Any girly thing a man wants to do
“(Do) whatever you want. Nothing is more unmanly than basing things you like or want to do around what another man might think about it.”
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Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
