Skin Care for Men

Twenty years ago, a group of men talking about the merits of skin care was about as conceivable as the creation of Facebook. However, the rise of the metrosexual male has been almost as meteoric as that of social media in recent years. With men moisturising more and striving for more pride in their appearance, the term ‘real man’ is being redefined.

Skin care has a wide range of benefits that go way beyond ‘looking good’ and that’s why it’s a conversation every man should be having. 

Men vs Women – the Differences

On the surface, men and women’s skin may seem the same. But looks can be deceiving.  

In general, men’s skin is approximately 25% thicker than women’s. In this blog, we explain what that means for moisturising. 

Moisturising Daily is Important

A well-groomed gentleman who doesn’t moisturise, is not well-groomed at all. Hydrated skin looks younger, is healthier and feels great. We bet there’s a few chaps out there who think ‘I wash my hands and face every day, why do I need to moisturise as well?’ Well, it’s because you wash every day. 

Cleansing our skin is important – it removes dirt, oil and dead skin – but it’s only one step in  safeguarding the skin’s natural barriers. Moisturising helps to repair and protect this barrier while reducing the risk of dry skin and oiliness. 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or woman, young or old; daily moisturising is a skin care must.

Skin Types Matter

Skin type tends to determine the right moisturiser. 

If you don’t know your skin type – how many blokes actually do? – follow these three simple steps to find out: 

1. Wash your face;
   
2. Take a look at your latest to-do list;
   
3. Look busy for a couple of hours.
   

If your skin looks shiny and feels a bit slick then you’re in the ‘oily’ camp. As mentioned before, men do tend to have oilier skin and those that do are going to want a lightweight moisturiser; one that doesn’t clog up large pores.  

If your skin feels a bit tight then we’re looking at dry. Dry skin often looks red and feels itchy, possibly even showing signs of cracking, so a soothing cream with hydrating ingredients is best.

Make sure you don’t confuse dry skin with dehydrated because even though the effects may be strikingly similar, the causes are different. Dehydrated skin is generally caused by external factors whereas dry skin is caused by a lack of oil within the layers of the skin. Hydrating creams will help relieve both.

There’s also sensitive skin, which can be aggravated by shaving. Men who suffer from this need to be looking for ingredients like glycerin, shea butter and hyaluronic acid and products that offer minimal irritation, so no fragrances. 

Different Seasons

It’s something a lot of people tend to overlook but the seasons play a huge part when it comes to skin care regimes. While the weather may be uncontrollable (not to mention unpredictable) skin health is not and moisturiser is beneficial all year round. 

With spring comes warmer temperatures and as winter coats are shed in favour of shorter sleeves, and outdoor chores rise to the top of to-do lists everywhere, our skin faces heightened exposure to the elements. Try your best to keep skin under wraps and protected as often as possible and look at upping the level of your sunscreen lotion’s SPF. 

If you’re walking around saying ‘suns out, guns out’ during the summer, then at least make sure your ‘guns’ are covered in sunscreen. We’re not going to tell you to keep out of the beer garden but try and keep your skin hydrated by punctuating pints with glasses of water. Sunglasses are also a stylish and obvious way to protect the sensitive skin around your eyes.

The falling leaves of autumn can make for picturesque scenes but falling temperatures can be anything but beautiful for the skin. Avoid the temptation to have longer and hotter showers as the cold kicks in as this could dry the skin out. 

Winter can be extremely harsh on the skin with cold winds putting protective barriers to the sternest of tests. Lip balm is not a product the majority of men carry around with them, but when dry winters mean dry, painful lips. balm can be a real lip-saver.