Written by Dr. Liia Ramachandra
Men; regardless of what you believe or have been taught to believe about your skin, the key message that dermatologists want you to hear is that skincare matters. Regardless of who you are, where you’re from, or what type of skin you have, creating and following a skincare routine is crucial for maintaining healthier, fresher, and younger-looking skin.
Not only this, but adhering to a well-crafted skincare routine that is unique to you will also assist in fighting off unseen dangers like harmful UV rays that can cause long-lasting or permanent skin damage.
No matter how much time you think you have each day, following a skincare routine is crucial for maintaining the health of your skin. The best part? It doesn’t need to take longer than 5-10 minutes each day to follow!
In this article, I’ll cover 5 of the best ways that men can reevaluate their skincare routine, including:
- Using cleanser and moisturizers daily
- Knowing how to care for your specific skin type
- Caring for your skin before and after shaving
1. Include cleanser, toner, and moisturizer
Forming any effective skincare routine includes more than simply using warm water or a specialized face wash. If your aim is to get clearer and healthier-looking skin, you should take the time to make sure you cleanse, tone, and moisturize your face’s skin each day.
Whether you start your day by shaving or not, begin your routine by using a cleanser to strip away any dirt or other impurities from your face. You don’t need more than a coin-sized amount to do so, either. Starting with a cleanser gives your skin the opportunity to nourish your skin, and following it with a relatively same amount of toner and moisturizer can soothe dry spots, restore hydration to your skin, and even help clear up troublesome acne.
If you spend most of your time indoors during the day, most dermatology experts recommend using a face wash routine only once, preferably in the evening. If you spend most of your time outside, however, it’s recommended to use a face wash routine twice a day: once in the morning and once again in the evening.
2. Understand the best products for your skin type
Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two peoples’ skin are exactly the same. As such, it’s vital that you understand what type of skin you have in order to create the skincare routine that works best for you.
For instance, if your skin is more naturally oily, including natural ingredients that purify and soothe your skin like Rose Water, Neem, or Turmeric can better balance your skin’s natural texture into one less oily and more matte. If your skin is more naturally dry, however, using products that include ingredients such as Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, or Centella Asiatica can better nourish your skin and purify it more deeply while also retaining its natural moisture.
If your skin is neither naturally dry or oily, then perhaps look into products that incorporate more versatile ingredients like Orange Peel or Sandalwood. These ingredients not only work well to soothe dry skin, but also control excess oils that may cause your face to break out.
3. Exfoliate once or twice a week
By exfoliating your facial skin, you help it by creating a smoother base that allows it to better absorb the skincare products that follow in your routine, as exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells while simultaneously shrinking the physical appearance of pores on your face.
This is where understanding your skin type comes into play again. Just as there are different cleansers and moisturizers for different skin types, there are also different exfoliators for specific skin types.
For men with normal-to-dry skin, products such as fruit-based face scrubs that are infused with natural antioxidants and nutrients like raw Honey or Peaches can better replenish your skin’s natural moisture while simultaneously removing and absorbing impurities from its pores. For men with more oily skin, using scrubs that are infused with ingredients such as natural Jojoba beads in an Aloe Vera base can exfoliate your face and help restore your skin’s natural elasticity.
4. Use pre-shave oil before applying shaving cream
Using a few drops of pre-shave oil after cleansing (but before exfoliating!) to hydrate your face’s skin and soften your beard will allow your razor’s blades to glide more smoothly, mitigating the amount of skin damage that shaving can cause.
Next, before shaving (and if you’re able to), try opting for a shaving cream that is SLS/SLES-free rather than a more traditional or basic shaving foam to avoid stripping natural moisture from your face’s skin. These creams will better ensure that your face’s skin is as soothed and moisturized and moisturized as possible before, during, and after shaving. Lathering these creams help create a thin protective barrier over your skin to improve the glide of your razor while simultaneously providing hydration and preventing additional irritation.
After you shave, be sure to rinse your face with cold water and follow with a spritz or two of an enriching after-shave spray. For this step, be sure not to settle on an after-shave spray that stings, burns, or leaves you with an overly strong scent. Instead, search for one that is specially designed to soothe and tone your face’s skin after shaving, preferably one that is synthetic fragrance-free and has only natural oils.
5. Never neglect the value of sunscreen
I cannot repeat this enough: high-SPF sunscreen is the most valuable tool you will have at your disposal in your skin care routine. By utilizing a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that is at least 30 SPF with a moisturizer each day, you can not only keep your skin looking and feeling healthy, young, and flexible, but also stave off the cumulative effects of sun damage on your skin caused by the sun’s harmful UV rays.
The difference with sunscreen as opposed to other skincare products is the importance in reapplying it every 30-60 minutes you spend outside, regardless of how cloudy or cold it may feel. UV rays are able to penetrate cloud cover and reach the earth’s surface, so applying and reapplying sunscreen even on cloudy days is crucial to maintaining the youthful appearance and health of your face’s skin while also fighting off the possibility of melanoma and other adverse health effects exposure to UV rays can bring.
