Skin Care for Men

Guys, you may not talk about skin care products and anti-aging often but you should still take great care of your skin. Your daily routine is to shower and shave, use after-shave and cologne, and for many men, that may be your complete grooming process. If this sounds like you, you are truly missing out. It’s time to take a look at an updated skincare routine.

Male Skincare Basics

As men, you tend to have thicker, oiler skin than women due to testosterone levels. However, everyone has a certain skin type. An easy to use skin type guide will help you determine your skin type:

• Normal Skin: clear skin, not sensitive
• Dry Skin: flaky, possibly itchy
• Oily Skin: can appear greasy or shiny throughout the day
• Sensitive Skin: products easily cause inflammation of the skin
• Combination: any combination of the above skin types

You can now select a product for your specific skin type and have the healthiest face at the gym.

Skin Care Routine for Men

Cleansing

Men naturally do one thing that is good for their face: they don’t overwash it.  Overwashing removes natural oils that keep skin soft and supple.   However,  washing your face morning and night keeps it free of dirt, oil, and excess dead skin cells, preventing common breakouts. In the morning, start the day with a clean, fresh face.  Choose a gentle plant based face wash product for daily use.

How you wash your face is also important:

• Open your pores with a splash of warm water prior to washing, this will help remove impurities deep in the skin.
• The best method is cleansing in circles around your face using your fingers.  Avoid a harsh scrub.
• Rinse your face in cold or cool water to close your pores.
• Lightly pat dry and don’t scrub your face with the towel.  The unnatural stretching and pulling can contribute to premature wrinkles.

Moisturizing

Moisturizer is an important step in keeping your skin youthful in appearance, reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Select an all natural plant based cream, serum, or other facial moisturizer intended to be used every day as part of your skin care regimen. In addition to using it every morning and night, you should apply it after showering, swimming, or shaving.  It’s highly recommended to look for an eye cream to use every day.  A product like eye cream has special ingredients to provide hydration and vitamins to this sensitive area, helping reduce dark circles.

Sensitive skin types should especially be looking for plant based ingredients that are made for those with sensitive skin.  Even if you have  oily skin you need to hydrate daily in order to prevent your skin from overproducing sebum, the oil your skin naturally produces, in an attempt to hydrate itself.

Apply moisturizer in small dabs and lightly rub. You don’t have to rub until it is soaked in, your skin will absorb it. If you have very dry skin, you may want to apply a small amount in the afternoon.

Shaving

Reducing facial hair and smooth your cheeks is a common skin care routine for men.  These simple tips will get you started and possibly save your skin from unnecessary injury.

• Use a multi blade razor and change the blade often to ensure that you don’t knick yourself with a dull blade.
• Don’t stretch your face too tightly when shaving.
• Wash your face with an exfoliating cleanser before shaving.
• Follow hair growth when shaving to help eliminate cuts or ingrown hairs.
• Rinse your blade after each stroke.
• Rinse your face well and pat with a warm towel.
• Moisturize after a shave.

Sunscreen

Use sunscreen daily. Look for an SPF of 30+ using titanium dioxide or zinc oxide active ingredients. Sun damage is the number one cause of skin damage, aging, and skin cancer.  Sun exposure causes wrinkles  and sun spots, which add years to your age.

Assess Your Skin

Men’s skincare should include a routine self skin assessment. Check your body for moles, bumps, lesions, scars, and any other injuries or abnormalities to your skin. Make notes of your findings and look for any of the following:

• Moles that change in size, shape, or color.
• Nodules or cysts that don’t heal for long periods of time.
• Abnormal scars or lesions that have no known origin.
• Rashes, hives, or other unexplained skin conditions.

If any of these conditions appear, you should make an appointment to see a dermatologist. If caught early, melanoma can be treated more easily than finding out later after it metastasizes.

Products for Men

Facial care routines for men don’t have to be complicated. Skin care products can be found many places and are unisex.  However, there are some companies who have created products specifically for men’s skin health and have a more musky scent.  However you choose to proceed, selecting plant based products or ingredients will provide the best results for your skin.  Getting into a daily habit will keep you looking young and keep your skin healthy for many years.