It is a common misconception that men don’t need to take care of their skin as compared to women. Yes, on an average, men have a literal thicker skin than most of the women and the production of sebum is also more. Nevertheless, their skin can suffer from inflammation, infection, and numerous other issues. If you want to maintain the natural luster of your skin and prevent it from early aging, then you need to get accustomed with an ideal men’s skin care regimen.
Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
There are different kinds of natural-based products out there that men can use in order to clean their skin, heal it from within, and prevent it from further damage. I used to take my skin for granted as well and won’t make any effort to take care of it. Though, in the last few years, when my skin suffered from unwanted damage and started showing the early signs of aging, I realized that I need to take some needed measures.
After a quick research and getting a personal assistance from an expert, I was able to come up with the best skin care routine for myself. Here’s what I learned about men’s skin and the skin care routine that I would suggest to all my fellow mates out there.
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Get to know your skin
In order to come up with a personalized men’s skin care regimen, it is important to know your skin. For instance, the routine for a dry skin would be quite different from an oily skin. There are different ways to know the type of skin you have. I would recommend taking a blotting paper test. Simply take the paper and keep it on your face. Make sure that you haven’t applied any cream or serum on your face before and cover all the major areas like the T-zone, cheeks, forehead, etc.
If the blotting paper would accumulate an excessive amount of oil, then you have an oily skin. A normal skin would produce an average amount of oil while dry skin would yield minimum or no oil. For combination skin type, some areas would be covered in oil while some would be dry.
Cleansing
Cleansing your face should be the most important step in your skin care routine. Most of the experts recommend cleaning our face twice a day. If you go out a lot and are overly exposed to pollutants, then you might clean your face even more. This will make sure that the skin pores and not clogged and won’t lead to any infection.
I would recommend cleaning your face once in the morning and the second time before going to bed. In this way, you can step out fresh in the morning and clean all the accumulated dirt, bacteria, serum, etc. at night. You can use any natural-based product or face wash to do it. Though, if you are doing it for the third time, then only rinse your face with water as the overuse of any product can damage your skin in the long run.
A lot of guys make the rookie mistake of using soap to clean their face. Most of the soaps are quite harsh and might leave your skin dry. Choose a face cleaner that would suit your skin type. Also, it should not have too many chemical products in it. Instead of warm water, rinsing our face with cold water is recommended as it prevents oil and dirt to clog our pores. In the end, you can simply pat your face with a soft towel. Don’t rub it too hard as it can stretch your skin and lead to the formation of wrinkles at an early age.
Exfoliate
This is something that most of the guys miss while taking care of their skin. Cleaning your skin is not enough if you won’t exfoliate it every now and then. It is recommended for men to exfoliate their face at least once or twice a week in order to clean the pores thoroughly.
There are all kinds of exfoliating agents out there that you can choose. While picking an exfoliating agent, just make sure it would suit your skin in the long run. A natural face scrub would be an ideal pick though. If you want, you can make a home-based exfoliating agent out of sugar as well. Gently scrub your face once or twice a week after cleansing it (while it is still wet). You should exfoliate it in a circular fashion and avoid applying too much pressure.
In this way, you can get rid of the extra sebum, dead skin cells, dirt, or any other impurity from your face. It will also prevent inflammation or the formation of acne on your face. Just be sure that you don’t apply too much pressure as it can do more harm to your face than good.
Moisturizing
If you have a dry skin, then this should be the most important part of your skin care regimen. Once you have cleansed your skin, you need to make sure that it stays moisturized. Just like cleansing, you should consider moisturizing your skin twice a day (after cleaning it). Most of the moisturizers have hydrating properties that would rejuvenate your skin by providing it the essential nutrients.
Since there is a wide range of moisturizers out there, I would recommend picking the one that would suit your skin type. For instance, if you have an oily skin, then get a moisturizer that would inhibit the production of excessive oil on your face. A regular use of moisturizer would make sure that your skin won’t show aging signs like wrinkles and fine lines at an early age.
A lot of experts recommend using two different moisturizers on a regular basis. Before heading out, you can apply a thick coating of a serum or a protective cream to prevent your skin from stretching and guard it from pollutants. Before going to bed, you can apply a night cream. This will strengthen your skin and regenerate the healthy cells while you sleep.
Suggested read: The Essential Vitamins For Skin Care That You Need To Invest In ASAP
Beyond the three-step regimen
While cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing are the three most important parts of a men’s skin care regimen, there are plenty of other things that you should also consider. I would recommend the following suggestions to start with.
Toner
Even though it is not a compulsion to use a toner, I would recommend including it in your routine if you have an oily skin. You can apply it gently on your face by taking the assistance of cotton balls. It will not only take the extra oil from your pores, but will also shrink them as well. Besides that, there are specific toners for dry skin as well that can further nourish your skin. A toner should be applied after cleansing and before applying a moisturizer.
Anti-aging and eye creams
In addition to moisturizers, you can also apply skin-sensitive anti-aging creams as well. This will prevent or prolong the formation of wrinkles, fine lines, puffiness, and other aging signs. If you have dark circles, then you should consider applying eye cream at least once a day (mostly, before going to bed). Since the area under our eyes is quite sensitive and can easily show the early signs of aging, it should be treated thoughtfully.
Sunscreen
If you stay out in the sun for hours on a daily basis, then a sunscreen is a must-have product for you. You should apply it in the morning just before heading out in the sun. It will protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun that can cause some serious damage to it. When you pick a sunscreen, make sure that is marked at least SPF 15 or 30.
Body moisturizers
A lot of guys I know simply take care of their face and neglects the rest of their body. I agree that it is important to take care of our face, but you need to make sure that the rest of your body is also moisturized. While applying moisturizers, make sure that you include your knees, elbows, shoulders, etc. I would recommend using a skin-friendly body moisturizer during winters to prevent your skin from being dried and damaged.
Hand’s cream
Last, but most importantly, don’t forget to include a good hand’s cream in your skin care routine. It will make sure that your hands won’t turn dry or chapped. If you are a professional or an athlete, then you should certainly apply a hand’s cream at least once a day. It will nourish the skin of your hands and keep it hydrated.
Suggested read: The Ultimate Blotting Papers for Your Oily Skin
There you go! Now when you know about an ideal skin care regimen for men, you can certainly have the skin you deserve. Furthermore, I would recommend maintaining a healthy lifestyle to have a glowing skin. Exercise more often and keep your body hydrated all the time. Avoid oily food and include more protein-rich content in your diet. Treat your body the right way and it will directly be reflected on your skin.
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
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