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Nic Vansteenberghe’s Love Island fame has turned him into a household name.
The Florida native and registered nurse, 24, became a reality television hit when he made his debut in the popular USA dating series, in which he was a runner-up with current girlfriend, Olandria Carthen, last summer. But before making strides in the spotlight and giving his appearance the red carpet treatment, the season 7 star tells PEOPLE that he never even had a self-care routine.
His new partnership with men’s personal care brand Dove Men+Care is changing all that.
Dove Men+Care
What a lot of Nicolandira fans might not know is that while Vansteenberghe has been on a fitness journey for quite some time, staying active through basketball, hitting the gym and running marathons (he ran his first New York City marathon in November).
Post-Love Island, he’s been working on getting back into shape, which means his deodorant is, so to speak, his wing man — much like how his fellow Islanders were on the steamy Villa set in Fiji.
“I’d have to borrow a lot of stuff, and I’d be getting acne out there in the Villa,” Vansteenberghe says. “I learned guys should start thinking about their routines with more intention. When you feel good skin-wise, hygiene-wise, you’re just better.”
It’s what’s helped get him through the countless public appearances (some as big as New York Fashion Week) he’s experienced since his TV breakout.
“…As somebody who went from not doing these at all to doing so many in the matter of two months, I think I try and have as much confidence as I can every time I step outside. As you know, social media will pick you apart, so, looking your best, feeling your best, is super important,” he says.
Getting his routine right has been beneficial to his romantic life, especially since his everyday Dove deodorant — the Midnight scent from the Mood-Boosting Collection — is his favorite for date night. “If I’m nervous for a date, I definitely want to have every edge that I can.”
Midnight, which smells of bergamot and white amber, and promises 72 hours of odor protection, is only one of the many scents offered in Dove’s range of aluminum-free deodorants, which were formulated to channel different feelings, from calm and clear to focused and energized.
To top off his routine, Vansteenberghe uses a fragrance, which just so happens to tie into his romance with Carthen. “She did give me my first cologne,” he shares.
Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock via Getty
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Looking ahead, Vansteenberghe is embracing new avenues, including DJing (and officiating weddings). And while his Love Island days are behind him, he can’t help but slip a piece of dating advice when encouraging others to lean into a routine.
“It’s cool to have this [Dove partnership] to promote grooming and hygiene,” he says, adding, “I think a lot of guys think [having a regimen is] a girls-only thing, but women love when men have good hygiene.”
