When retired swimmer Michael Klim first made a big splash, I remember reading that all the milk companies were desperate to sign him up as a spokesperson. Klim being ‘milk’ backwards. As far as I know, he never did put his face to a milk brand. Possibly because he was thinking ahead to his post-swimming career, and wanting to keep ‘Milk’ as his own brand. Which it now is. Yesterday he launched his new venture: Milk skincare for men. And yep that’s me, doing the starstruck fan thing in the middle of an otherwise cool Sydney restaurant. But I actually was really impressed - this is a serious business, and great skincare.

Many celebrities whack their name on any old product these days. And not all associations make sense. Actually, an ex-swimmer and skincare aren’t exactly the most obvious pairing. But then again, swimming is one of the harshest environments for skin. And it turned out to be what inspired Michael (yes, first-name basis now!) to dip his toe into the industry. “I could never find anything that worked for my skin,” Michael told us. So - as you do - he decided to make his own products. About two years ago, he gathered a team around him and started sourcing ingredients (such as algae, from the French west coast) and testing various mixes. The result: a body wash, an exfoliating cleanser, and a sunscreen moisturiser, all launching in Myer nationally in August (with more products to follow). “It’s my livelihood now, I’m taking it very seriously,” he told us. And when an Olympic gold-medal winner says that, you can be pretty sure he means business.

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