BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to skin care and grooming products and methods, particularly for men with facial hair.

[0003] DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART

[0004] Grooming products, particularly those that are targeted towards hair and skin, are well known. However, these products are often designed for women and the products and methods that are available for men are lacking in many ways. One area where this problem is particularly apparent is for the care of facial hair and the skin underneath. This is a problem that is specific and unique to men and that consequently is largely unaddressed in the facial and hair care industry. And, this is particularly troublesome for men, as facial hair becomes a barrier and obstacle in the removal of dead skin cells, excess oils, and bacteria that regular washing and general products are largely less effect in removing. The damaging effects of these issues include itching, irritation, acne and ingrown hair, which can further lead to additional dermatology issues.

[0005] What is needed, therefore, is a method of skin care and accompanying device that are particularly designed to treat and care for facial hair and the skin beneath.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The invention is a method for facial care and a device for performing the method, namely a brush that is designed to apply a moisturizer to the skin beneath a beard and to the beard itself. The first step in the method is to apply a facial wash that includes exfoliating components to the user's face, typically by use of the user's hand. Once the user's face is washed and rinsed, the second step of the method is to use the brush to apply moisturizer through the beard to the skin under the user's facial hair.

[0007] The brush that is designed for the method is sized and shaped to fit comfortably in the user's hand. The bristles are relatively long and stiff when compared to common cosmetic brushes so as to allow the bristles to penetrate the beard and apply the moisturizer throughout the hair and to the skin beneath the beard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the brush according to the invention.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the brush.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a side view of the brush.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the brush.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a front view of the brush.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a top view of the brush.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the brush. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0017] The facial care method according to the invention involves two steps. The first step is to apply a facial wash that includes exfoliating components to the face by hand and then removing the wash by rinsing with water. This step removes dead skin cells, excess oils, bacteria's, dirt, or food particles, in order to prevent acne, ingrown hairs, itch and irritation. The second step is to apply a skin moisturizer and facial hair softener using a specially designed brush to evenly spread the moisturizer through and throughout the hair and onto the skin to revitalize and sooth the skin and soften the beard. This second step is particularly complicated for men with beards, because applying moisturizer to the face through the beard is both difficult and messy. The brush also disrupts the position of the hair so as to free it from becoming ingrown or matted down onto the skin.

[0018] FIGS. 1 - 7 illustrate a brush 100 according to the invention that is designed for use with step two of the facial care method, including a housing 10, bristle base 20, and a plurality of bristles 30. The housing 10 is a molded

component having a floor 12 and a sidewall 14. Grips 15 may be affixed to the outside of the sidewall 14. The housing 10 is sized to be comfortably cradled in an average user's hand and has a top end 16 and a bottom end 18, the top end being curved and smaller in circumference than the bottom end 18 that is straight. The length and circumference of the housing 10 is such that the user can comfortably grip the brush 100 with his fingers located near the bristles 30. This "cradling" effect provides the user with exceptional control of the brush, which is especially important to the function of the brush considering that the bristles must work on the user's skin beneath the hair of the user's beard.

[0019] The bristle base 20 is sized and shaped to fit firmly within the sidewall 14 of the housing 10, and is affixed inside the housing using any suitable conventional means.

[0020] The bristles 30 are affixed in the bristle base 20 and arranged in a configuration that allows the user to easily cover different areas of the face depending on the amount of and length of facial hair. More specifically, the bristles

30 are grouped into a plurality of bristle pods 31 , each pod having between approximately 30 and 50 individual bristles. The individual bristles are relatively strong and maintain only moderate flexibility so as to have the necessary stiffness to penetrate the hair and yet allow for a comfortable and even distribution of the moisturizer on the skin. The bristles 30 are made of synthetic components that are resistant to allergens, preferably nylon. The length of each bristle is preferably between approximately 0.2 inches and approximately 0.7 inches above the base 20. In the embodiment shown, the bristle length is approximately 0.5 inches. The pods

31 are placed close to one another, with the base of each pod 31 approximately 0.1 to 0.2 inches from its neighboring pods 31.

[0021] In the embodiment shown, the top end is approximately 3.5 inches from the bottom end, and the base is approximately 2.5 inches across at its widest point. There are approximately 140 pods 31 , each pod 31 having approximately 40 bristles 30. The length of the bristles 31 combined with the number of bristles 30 in each pod 31 and the placement of pods 31 relative to one another provide the brush 100 with the strength and flexibility required to complete the second step of the facial care method.

[0022] It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the steps in the method and construction of the device may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.