Everybody Loves Exfoliating Except Ray Romano

Ray Romano would like to reveal something startling about his 53-year-old self.

It's a private matter, but he will share it with StyleGoesStrong readers. Please, keep this under your designer wraps.

"The other day, I did something I've never done in my life," he begins during an interview from the set of his new series. "Okay, I'll admit it here. I exfoliated."

He says the E word as if it's illegal.

"You know, exfoliated!" says the familiar voice of TV's Raymond. "That's when you rub stuff that feels like sand all over your face. I really have to drag my wife into this because she suggested it."

Everybody still loves Raymond, but no one more than his wife of 24 years, Anne. She has helped put him on a health/looking good regime fitting for the star of the series "Men of a Certain Age" which returns on June 1. "I started taking flax seed oil. I heard that helps your skin," Ray gripes. "I haven't done an oxygen mask yet. I mean, I heard of this product. Is that where you put on an oxygen mask like they have in planes?"

No, I tell Ray. It's a light cream that infuses your cells with air.

"I just don't know how you women do it," he says. "I go into my own bathroom that I share with my wife and there are just so many bottles. I look at her bottles of beauty stuff and I don't know where any of it goes on the human body.

"We're guys. We're practical," he says. "I will say to my wife, 'Honey, I have a rash. What should I do?' Then she has to literally hand me the right cream and tell me what to do. Otherwise, I'll do the wrong thing and I'll have that rash for the rest of my life."

COMEDIC MID-LIFER

The following conversation is his own fault because of his show's title, "Men of a Certain Age." I've talked to Ray about a dozen times in the past and he knows this will be somewhat beauty related.

"Ray," I pose. "You're 53. Is moisturizing even a part of your vocabulary? As a guy's guy…is this even in your world?"

"Cindy," he says, "Moisturizing is sadly in my world now. It was never in my world when I was below 40, age-wise. But, yeah. I do moisturizing. It's not as religious as women do it. But I will look in the mirror now and say, 'Oh, there is dryness. Is that what causes lines? Maybe I should put on some gunk because it might also get rid of the rash behind my ear.' Then I get my wife and she gets the gunk out of the cabinet."

Yes, that actually qualifies as a beauty routine!

"I understand what women are talking about," he says. "It's about the little things that help you look…not as old as you are!"

MEN AND BEAUTY

"But Ray, are men as obsessive about the fine lines? Will they lament a wrinkle?" I ask.

"It's not that we don't care," he insists. "I think women just make more of it. You go out to lunch and talk about it. We don't talk about it over entire meals.

"If a woman sees a wrinkle, it ruins her entire day, week or year. Guys will still play golf like nothing is wrong," he says.

Of course, being a TV star doesn't help. He's not alluding to his current, amazing storyline on "Men," which features Ray with divorce and gambling issues.

"I'm a little different from the average dude because I'm on high def TV now," he says. "So, while it's fun to have a show about middle age, it's not fun being on high def TV looking middle age."

He says there is a perk.

"'Raymond' went off the air five years ago," he says. "At least people know what I look like now and they're not surprised when they see me in person. I'm aging and the world is seeing it. So, when I go back to my neighborhood, I never get, 'Wow, do you look old!'"

"They're watching me age on TV, so no one goes into shock," Ray says. "Meanwhile, I go home and see people I haven't seen for 15 years and think, 'Wow, he's bald!'"

MEN AND A ….DELICATE TOPIC

So, women lament a little extra padding on the hips and tummy as mid-lifers.

"Why are guys so obsessive about the hair loss?" I pose.

"I do have my hair," Ray interjects. "It's getting gray, which is weird because in some shots of the show I don't see gray, then I will see a lot of it. I don't know if I should dye it. People would know."

I repeat: "Why are guys so into their hair or lack of it?"

"Thank God, I have my hair," he says. "My face could never support baldness.

"I mean, there are people who can pull off baldness. My friend Kevin James and I have this thing. He doesn't have a full head of hair like I do. And he's pissed off about my hair.

"So, I tell him, 'Look in the mirror. This is God's way of balancing it. You have me with the hair. You, with less. We're both average men. If we flipped hair situations, you'd be a very good looking guy with your face and my hair. But if I had no hair and my face, I'd be very, very ugly.'"

MEN AND HOW THEY LOOK AT MID-LIFER WOMEN

And even tougher question: Do men in a long-term relationship really notice a line or wrinkle that forms on their Significant Other? Do they really care?

"There's a good news, bad news answer to this question," he says. "The good news is, no, I don't notice a line on my life. The bad news is I'm not paying enough attention to my wife.

"So, either way, I lose here," he says.

But what does he say when his wife comes into a room and says the fateful words: Honey, how do I look in this outfit?

Ray doesn't skip a beat.

"When my wife says, 'Ray, do I look fat in this outfit,' I immediately call the florist," he says. "Men, if you're reading this, it's very good advice! Just thank me later."

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