It may sound uncommon for some, but men also practice proper skin care. Although women have mostly been the target of several skin care brands, it still doesn’t neglect the idea that there are now many products that cater to men’s skin concern, providing them with ways to achieve a clear and healthy-looking skin just like women do. Men also deal with skin concerns and get bothered by it, however, not all of them do something about it.
Before we proceed to giving you skin care tips, it’s best to know more about your skin type:
- Oily Skin
People with oily skin type have an oily complexion, large pores, and are likely to be prone to acne breakouts and blackheads.
- Dry Skin
The exact opposite of oily skin is dry skin. You may think that it’s not a problem, but having this skin type still has some disadvantages to it. People with dry skin appear to have a flaky and scaly complexion. In addition, it’s also prone to itching and fine lines are quite noticeable.
- Combination Skin
Combination skin type means dealing with both dry and oily skin. People with combination skin have oily T-zones (forehead, nose, and chin) while the rest of the areas of the face are dry such as the cheeks.
- Sensitive Skin
This may be a difficult skin type to deal with since it reacts to many products. People with sensitive skin tend to have a more reactive and irritated complexion, especially with new products or wrong combinations of active ingredients. Some common ways to determine sensitive skin is if you experience redness, rash, stinging, itching, and burning.
- Normal Skin
Unlike other skin types, normal skin is well-balanced and is neither too oily nor too dry. If you have normal skin, your complexion doesn’t easily get irritated and is less likely to react to products or be prone to acne.
Nothing to be shy about if you’re a man and you want to take extra care of your skin, right? So if you’ve been looking for a way to take good care of your skin, you’ve come to the right place because we’ll be listing down simple skin care tips for men.
1. Wash Your Face Daily
With all the pollutants around, it’s important to wash your face daily. Doing this removes traces of dirt, excess oil, and pollution on your skin. Neglecting to cleanse your face sets you up for possible irritations, breakouts, and other negative reactions, especially if you have oily or sensitive skin. Never go to bed without washing your face. On days when you exercise, see to it that you wash your face and make it a post-workout habit. It’s a must because it prevents sweat and bacteria from clogging your pores that result in breakouts and irritation.
Take note as well that you should only wash your face twice a day. Overwashing your face strips away the good moisture and causes your skin to get dry. This leads to an increase in oil production, resulting in acne breakouts, irritation, and clogged pores.
2. Use a Cleanser Instead of Soap
If you’ve been using traditional soaps, the ones that you use for your body, now’s the time to shift to using cleansers. Even if these kinds of soaps work well with your body, it won’t necessarily have the same result with your face since it’s thinner and more sensitive to different substances. Guys, please be gentle with your skin! Avoid using harsh products that can eventually cause damage to your skin.
Cleansers are gentle and mild, and don’t cause much irritation on the skin like traditional soaps. They work slower but they show good results to your skin, especially with constant use and a proper skincare routine. Although, see to it that you don’t rub your face while cleansing. Lather the cleanser on your wet hands until it creates bubbles. Gently spread it on your face and let the bubbles penetrate your skin. To allow the cleanser to work its magic, wash your face for 60 seconds. Yup, it’s 60 alright. A minute of ensuring good cleansing for your face won’t hurt, right?
3. Pay Attention to Skincare Product Ingredients
When you buy food in the grocery store, you typically check the ingredients, right? If you’re allergic to a certain ingredient, you double check if the food you’re buying contains any of those allergens. The same goes when you’re buying skincare products. You have to pay attention to what kind of ingredients it contains because it may be harmful to your skin. Instead of improving your skin, it will only worsen it.
Many skincare products and even cosmetic products contain harmful ingredients that can damage your skin. That’s why it’s vital that you pay attention to the ingredients and check the label. Alcohol, paraben, fragrances, and sulfates are some of the common ingredients that can cause irritation to your skin. However, you also need to take note that the presence of one or two of these ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean that the product can’t be used or deemed as ineffective. It will all still depend on how your skin will react to these substances, the degree of irritation, as well as your skin type. It’s vital that you know more about your skin type so that you can gauge which ingredients typically work best for you and which ones cause irritation.
4. Be Careful With How You Shave Your Face
For men who prefer to shave their facial hair, razor bumps may be the worst. So when you aren’t careful with your shaving techniques, it can cause dryness, irritation, and itching on the skin. In addition, it also brings the risk of cuts and ingrown hair that won’t really look good on the skin. This may be a common experience for many men who shave their facial hair but it’s best that you avoid it so that you don’t end up damaging your skin in the long run. And to help you out with that, here’s how to shave your face the right way according to GQ:
- Wash your face with cleanser and warm water
- Use a scrub to smooth the skin
- Use a pre-shave oil to prep skin and hair
- Apply shaving cream in an upward motion
- Shave with the grain using a clean and sharp razor
- Rinse with cold water
- Apply aftershave
5. Practice Moisturizing Daily
While moisturizing may typically be practiced by women, it’s also a must for men! The cream-based or gel-like texture of the moisturizer may seem a bit uncomfortable when applied to the face for the first time but you’ll actually reap the benefits of it. Moisturizing daily can help slow down aging or growth of wrinkles on the face, reduce dryness, flaking, and scaling, repair irritated skin, soothe the skin after shaving, and more.
To boot, moisturizing doesn’t cause oiliness to the skin – it’s a myth that you need to debunk right now. Moisture is actually needed to keep the protective barriers and pH balance of your skin. When you don’t moisturize, the protective barriers and pH balance are disrupted, leading to dryness, redness, and inflammation on the skin.
6. Avoid Rubbing Your Face, Instead Pat It Down
Do you rub the towel to dry your face after washing it? If you do, then you should stop doing it. Opt to gently pat the towel on your damp skin instead of rubbing, and allow the towel to absorb the water. Rubbing causes dryness and irritation to the skin. What’s more is that it also causes friction which can lead your face to sag and develop lines and wrinkles. When applying skincare products, it’s also best to gently pat them, and allow your skin to absorb the nutrients.
7. Never Skip Your Sunscreen
Whether it’s outdoors or indoors, you should always put on sunscreen. Enough sunlight can do some good to your skin, however, overexposure combined with no sun protection at all can do damage to your skin. That’s why it’s important to include sunscreen to your skincare routine, especially when you go out a lot during the day. Keep in mind that sunscreen should also be applied even when you’re staying indoors as UV rays can still penetrate through glass windows and come from the light on your gadgets. One of the best ways to prevent wrinkles, age spots, and skin cancer caused by the sun is to be diligent in applying sunscreen. For the face, it’s recommended by Dermatologists to use sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 and above. It’s also ideal that you reapply every 2 hours, particularly after swimming or swimming.
8. Get Enough Sleep
With all the stress and responsibilities you’ve got to deal with, it can be difficult to get enough sleep. The hustle and bustle of life can quite get in the way, right? However, it’s essential to build a good bedtime routine and get a good sleep schedule for yourself. Staying too late and not getting enough sleep can do some damage to your skin – and trust us, it will really show, especially if you don’t eat healthily. Not getting enough sleep won’t only take a toll on your skin but also on your overall health, causing you to have a low immune system and be more susceptible to heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, and more.
Sleep is important for a healthy skin because during your sleep, your skin regenerates and goes into repair. This is the time when your skin’s blood flow increases and restores its collagen, which in turn, helps reduce the growth of wrinkles and age spots on your skin.
We hope this article helped you know more about the simple skin care tips for men.
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