Essential Skin Care Tips For Men, February 20, 2020

Essential Skin Care Tips For Men, February 20, 2020

Traditionally, when it comes to skincare, men have always kept things a bit simpler than women. 

But today, a growing number of men are increasingly concerned about their appearance and are pursuing younger, healthier-looking skin. 

In other words, it’s time that men everywhere start taking stock of their skincare routine and learn about what it takes to better care for their skin.

As you probably already know, there are a few key differences between men and women’s skin. However, the essential elements of an effective skincare routine are going to remain more or less the same. 

 

 

Interested in learning more about natural skincare? Download my Complete Guide to Natural Skin Care, and learn all there is to know about keeping your skin happy and healthy naturally. 

Claim your 100% FREE copy here.

The 5 Types of Skin

For those out there, who aren’t yet familiar with their skin, let’s take a quick second to recap the five different types of skin

Whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s essential to identify and understand your skin type in order to properly care for your skin and choose the right products. 

 

  • Sensitive skin often burns or stings when harsh skincare products and creams are applied. 
  • Normal skin is typically clear and not sensitive to products.
  • Dry skin is often itchy, flaky, and/or rough to the touch. 
  • Oily skin is usually greasy and slightly shiny. 
  • Combination skin is oily in some areas and dry in others. 

 

 

 

But at the same time, it’s important to note that normal, dry, sensitive, oily or combination skin types can also experience sensitivity as well. “Mature” skin can also be found in any one of these categories and needs to be treated with its own considerations as well. 

Knowing what type of skin you have is the first step towards learning how to treat your skin right and choose products that are right for you. 

With that said, let’s now take a look at 5 essential tips for better men’s skin health. 

Read Product Labels and Ingredients

As I mentioned, the skin products that are right for you will be entirely dependent on your type of skin. 

So, for example, if you have oily skin, which is naturally prone to acne, you’ll want to look for cleansers and moisturizers that are labeled as “non-comedogenic”. These products won’t contribute to clogging your pores. 

As for men with sensitive skin, many commercial products contain synthetic ingredients and fragrances that can easily irritate and dry out the skin. Therefore, it’s best to look for natural, plant-based products, as well as products that are labeled as “fragrance-free”, which are gentler and won’t cause any type of reaction.

Learn about man-made (synthetic) chemicals in commercial skincare products.

 

 

 

Wash Your Face With A Good Cleanser

Whether it looks dirty or not, it’s important to wash your face daily. 

We live in an increasingly toxic environment where pollutants easily cling to our skin. So even if you haven’t exercised or been physically active, you want to clean your skin. 

For this, it’s important to use a good natural cleanser or a gentle soap, such as my Sensitive Skin Soap, and not the same old bar of soap that you use to wash your body. 

It’s not uncommon for a man to use a regular bar of soap to wash their body, face, and hair. 

However, it’s important to note that bar soaps often contain harsh man-made chemicals, which can dry your skin out and contribute to skin problems. 

In fact, many commercial soaps today contain parabens, which is typically used as a preservative. According to Reuters Health, “Men who have been exposed to common chemicals known as parabens have lower testosterone levels and more sperm that are abnormally shaped and slow-moving”. 

And with that said, it’s best to opt for personal care products that contain natural ingredients. 

Finally, also remember to only ever wash your face using warm, and not hot, water, as hot water can also contribute to dry skin. 

 

 

Shaving 101

As a man, shaving your face is pretty much a natural facet of life. 

However, your shaving routine could be doing a lot of damage to your skin. This is why it’s important to take a good look at your shaving tools and technique and make sure that you’re not contributing to your skin problems. 

While shaving companies like Gilette want men to think that using a multi-blade razor is the best way to shave, that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. In fact, sometimes, multi-blade razors work too well and shave too close to the skin. 

This often contributes to razor burn, bumps, and ingrown hairs. 

So if you experience any of these issues regularly, it might be a good idea to switch to a single or double-blade razor instead.

Before shaving, make sure that you wet your skin with warm water to help soften the hair. Also, make sure that you’re using Natural Shaving Soap, and that you’re not stretching your skin taut while shaving. 

Using shaving foam can also cause skin issues because they typically contain ingredients like parabens and phthalates. Instead, it’s better to invest in a good shaving brush and a good, natural shaving soap, which is going to be much gentler on your skin. 

I recommend looking for a badger hair shaving brush, as opposed to purchasing a synthetic or goat hair shaving brush. Badger hair might be slightly more expensive, but the difference isn’t going to be all that much and badger hair will last forever, whereas goat hair or synthetic brushes will only last a year or so.  

It’s also important to only ever shave in the direction of hair growth and always rinse your razor under hot water after each swipe. Applying a Skin Softening Aftershave is another great way to nourish your skin and help lock in moisture after a shave.  

Also, make sure that you’re changing your blade after every 5 to 7 shaves to ensure that a worn-out blade isn’t causing your skin irritation. 

 

 

Lastly, a great way to help reduce waste and save yourself a few dollars at the same time is to consider using a safety razor instead of disposables. While the initial investment may be more costly, the blades are much cheaper. Using a straight razor is another excellent green option, but using one will require a little practice to get used to.  

More and more, men are rediscovering the pleasures of the old-fashioned wet shave: safety razors, straight razors, fancy soaps and even fancier brushes. 

There’s a reason barbers have been choosing safety and straight razors over the years - they give a closer shave than electric and disposable razors and blades.  The result is a softer, more kissable face and who doesn’t want that? 

So don’t avoid straight razor shaving simply because you think you'll have to hone the blade every time you shave. In reality, if you keep your blade dry and properly stropped, you’ll only have to hone occasionally.

 

Make Sure To Moisturize

Moisturizing works by trapping water under your skin. 

Over the years, moisturizing regularly has been proven to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, making sure that your skin looks brighter and younger. 

For the best results, make sure that you’re applying moisturizer to your body and face immediately after bathing, showering, or shaving. Because of the fact that your skin will still be damp, this is the perfect time to lock in that moisture before it dries out. 

Getting into the habit of cleansing and moisturizing at night will go a long way to keeping a healthy glow.  

Adding our Restorative Facial Oil to your nighttime routine will help you fight the signs of aging while providing a boost of moisture that will keep your skin soft and smooth.

 

 

Always Wear Sunscreen

Anytime that you’re planning on being outdoors in the sun, it’s crucial to apply sunscreen in order to prevent sun damage to your skin. Not only can sun damage lead to skin cancer and other serious health problems, but it can also cause wrinkles and age spots. 

Therefore, always make sure to apply sunscreen to any exposed areas of skin, which includes your nose, cheeks, ears, neck, and lips. 

For the best possible protection, make sure that you’re using a broad-spectrum, water-resistant product with an SPF rating of at least 30. It’s also important to reapply sunscreen after every couple of hours, or immediately after swimming or sweating. 

Our Revitalizing Day Cream contains zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is used in many products to provide sun protection. So not only will this product naturally replenish the look and feel of your skin, but you’re also able to protect it from sun damage at the same time. 

 

Bonus Beard Care Tip

Of course, we couldn’t write a blog post on men’s skin health without mentioning beard care. 

And while a nice, well-groomed and healthy beard can be attractive on just about any man, a beard that’s not taken care of or kept healthy can be more of a fashion disaster. 

That’s why it’s important to care for your beard by using beard oils and balms. These work to moisturize your facial hair, softening and taming it, while also hydrating the skin underneath at the same time.

The best time to apply beard oil is first thing in the morning, or right after showering or cleaning your face. 

 

 

Best Skin Care Tips For Men 

Obviously, every man is going to have a different type of skin. This means that there are no one-size-fits-all approaches to men’s skincare. 

So in other words, if you’ve been using the same bar of soap to wash your body, face, and hair, you may be contributing to your skin problems. And it’s time to rethink your skincare routine! 

If you’re not sure about what type of skin type you have or which products you should be using, don’t hesitate to send me a message and I’d be happy to talk about it with you. And don’t forget to check the scented bohemian’s lineup of natural products Strictly For Men.

 

Interested in learning more about natural skincare? Download my Complete Guide to Natural Skin Care, and learn all there is to know about keeping your skin happy and healthy naturally. 

Claim your 100% FREE copy here.

 

Back to blog