Footballer and former Love Island contestant Reuben Collins is renowned for his gorgeous, long and healthy hair. We catch up with him to learn more about his hair routine, grooming tips, and favourite natural haircare buys.
Hi Reuben, can you talk us through your current grooming rituals?
Hey, my current daily rituals include spraying my braids with sheen and wearing my durag when I sleep and as often as possible. I exfoliate my face with salicylic acid cleanser and then make sure to put cocoa butter and SPF on after to look after my skin.
Your hair always looks so healthy and well-maintained — what’s your day-today haircare routine like?
When I wake up, I’ll spray my braids in the morning and put my durag back on for a bit before heading out. Before I go to sleep, I put my durag on to stop my hair from frizzing. My go to products are Afrocenchix Soothe and Afrocenchix Sheen Natural Hydrating Spray, as I use them the most! I spray my braids daily with Sheen to keep them moisturised and I put Soothe on my scalp whenever it feels dry or itchy so around 2/3 times a week.
How did you first get into vegan grooming, and what drew you to this approach?
My sister introduced me to Afrocenchix and at first I didn’t even realise it was vegan! After looking into it and seeing that it was in fact vegan, there was no looking back! It aligns with my values and for me that is priceless. And let’s not forget how good the products are as well!
Did you feel pressure to maintain a perfectly groomed look during your time on Love Island?
100%. I always had to look at my best as I was being broadcast in front of the nation and surrounded by some of the best-looking people in the country!! There was no space for me to be having an off day.
How did your grooming routine change once you left the show — did it become more intentional?
Yes, my grooming definitely improved after the show as I learned a few things from other people inside of their as some of them were really into their grooming. We had a lot of time to look after ourselves throughout the day so being able to take the things I learned from the villa and transfer it to the real world was great. My grooming is significantly more intentional now.
What does self-care look like for you, day to day?
Making sure I’m doing what is best for my body and mind. I make sure I’m eating well and regularly throughout the day, exercising and stretching to make sure my body is strong yet flexible. The most important thing to consider is the mind, I make sure that I take time for myself during the day to do what I want, whether that’s sleeping, playing video games, football or socialising with friends/family. My schedule can get really hectic and I can sometimes lose focus of my best interests and what my mind needs so I try to make time for my brain to relax.
How important do you think having a grooming ritual is for the confidence and wellbeing of young men?
I know it sounds cheesy but self-care is an important factor of self-love. Why wouldn’t you want to be looking and feeling at your best. When you’re at your best and most confident, that is when you’re going to be performing at your best in the game that is life!
What’s one small self-care habit that makes a big difference for you?
It used to be my exfoliating routine for my face. After cleansing, moisturising and putting on SPF my skin would be glowing which made me feel great when looking in the mirror. Now it’s definitely taking time to myself and staying off my phone. As I do a lot of content creating and social media, I am constantly looking at screens and it’s not good for my all-round wellbeing. Taking some time away from everything just to switch off has done wonders for my mental health!
Since Love Island, how challenging has it been to stay grounded while being in the spotlight?
Personally, it hasn’t been that challenging. It is a very unique situation coming off the show, in terms of the new found notoriety and the distractions that come with that. I’m quite mentally strong/disciplined and I don’t take myself too seriously (I know who I am, where I come from and what I’m about) so it wasn’t a problem going back to work and football for me. Also, I have consciously surrounded myself with people throughout my life who will keep me in check and tell me harsh truths. As soon as I come off the show, all my family and friends were the first ones to humble me and keep me grounded. Also football helped as well, how can I give it the big one when I’m kicking the ball into row Z haha!
There’s a lot of talk about how social media can affect mental health. How do you personally set boundaries with your online presence?
If I’m being honest, I don’t have much time to actually use social media. I go onto it to post my content, but a lot of my time is taken up by creating/editing content, work or football. If I’m on there and I see a post from my friend I’ll interact with it but I try to stay away from it as I’m on screens a lot anyway. Social media can have a big effect on mental health, especially for young people who constantly compare themselves to others.
My biggest advice is to focus on yourself and enjoy your life for what it is. Don’t compare yourself to others as you won’t benefit from it. Everyone is on their own journey and the beauty of your journey is that it’s REAL!! There’s no need to pretend to be something you’re not as there are plenty of people in this world who appreciate you for yourself and the journey you’re on. Just aim to be the best person you can be!!
