Did you know that men’s skin is different from women’s skin? The higher testosterone levels mean that the skin is generally thicker, oilier and obviously hairier. Despite this, a man’s skin still needs careful cleansing, moisturising, and protection from the ageing damage caused by the sun.
Products for men need to be different to a degree, as the skin is thicker, and the product needs to penetrate stubble or beards. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all routine for every man, there are some basic steps to follow. These steps are not about beautifying yourself but instead protecting your skin from the ravages of the day and preventing premature ageing.
Skin-type assessment
Before you go headlong into the steps below, take some time to work out your skin type. Making a call on these different skin types allows you to adapt your skincare routine to your individual skin needs and therefore give it more of what it likes, and less of what it doesn’t.
- Dry skin (categorised by scaliness, flakiness or a feeling of tightness)
- Oily skin (categorised by shiny patches or spot breakouts)
- Combination skin (categorised by a mix of both of the above, in different areas)
- Sensitive skin (categorised by easily irritated skin)
- Normal skin (categorised by not having any obvious signs of the above issues)
A chemist should be able to help you out with identifying your skin type if you don’t feel confident in making the decision for yourself.
Step 1: Use a cleanser
It makes sense to use a cleanser at night as you wash away the grime of the day—the particles, the pollution and the general grease that builds up as you walk around the world. However, you should definitely do this cleansing routine in the morning, too, as you will have sweat in the night, and you will want to brush away dead skin particles. Gross, but true. Start your day with a blank canvas, and it will thank you by occasionally imposing a breakout on your day.
If you have particularly dry skin, you might want to use micellar water as an excellent option to clean the skin without stripping it of those natural oils that keep it looking healthy.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Once or twice a week, while in the shower, give your body a good scrub. You need to buff away those dead skin cells, which will make you feel and look brighter. There are some excellent exfoliating body washes on the market and ones specifically meant for your face.
Step 3: Toner
If you have oily or dry skin, you need to do something that adds a bit of balance to your skin. Toner balances the PH value in your skin. Therefore, although it might be tempting to skip this step, it can actually help your cleanser and moisturiser work better too. If your skin is dry, then you should only do this once a day.
Step 4: Serum
A serum adds some essential ingredients to your skin that will prevent ageing and inflammation. Most important are the antioxidant properties, which keeps you looking healthy and youthful. If your skin is oily, try a hyaluronic acid, which will offer some gentle treatment without clogging your pores. For those with dry skin, use something really mild to prevent irritation of the skin.
Step 5: Moisturise
Your skin will look smooth and supple if you use a moisturiser, and is a must for those of us with dry skin. Dry skin can be especially aggravated if you cleanse and tone, but forget about the moisturisation step. If you have oily skin, you might be tempted to skip this step, but a gentle, light moisturiser is still an important step to avoid stripping your skin of necessary oils. Typically, you can find which moisturiser fits which skin type by checking the product’s description or even its reviews.
Don’t forget the eyes
The skin around our eyes is some of the most delicate on our bodies, and we aren’t always as kind to it as we should be. Not getting a good night’s rest is one of the key impacts here, with typically baggy, dark eye circles, and the impact of rubbing and pulling at tired eyes. Eye cream is designed specifically to smooth small lines, reduce puffiness and brighten the under-eye area, giving a more youthful complexion.
And finally…
Don’t be too man to understand the power of a face mask. Set aside one time a week to slap on a face mask. If you do nothing else other than cleansing and a face mask, your skin will be grateful. There are also face masks to suit each skin type. It will also help you look like the sensitive type to your partner!