Taking care of your skin is not reserved specifically for women only, it is just as important for men to take care of their skin. Therefore, I have come up with ‘4 Bare Minimum Basics’ skin care steps. I am keeping this super simple so that you can say to yourself ‘I can do that!’.
These 4 Bare Minimum Basics will give you the recipe for good skin. If you want to do more and have amazing skin, you can dial it up a notch and follow the extraneous steps.
I do not believe that because you are a male, there is no expectation to take care of the skin on your face. Whether you believe taking care of your skin is not manly or too much work or whatever the reason, I am hoping to change your belief. The reason I wanted to write this post is I sincerely want to help you look and feel your absolute best and protect your skin from the sun (which is often overlooked).
Benefits of caring for your skin:
There are benefits to taking care of your skin and the effort is worth it. The benefits are that you can feel confident and assured that you are doing all you can to:
1. help combat acne, blackheads, large pores, razor burn, skin irritations etc.
2. provide your skin with the hydration it needs
3. have skin that is smooth, fresh and youthful looking
4. protect your skin from sunburn, sun damage and skin cancer
Without further adieu, here are the 4 Bare Minimum Basics:
1. Cleanser
2. Exfoliator
3. Moisturizer
4. Sunscreen
Ta da! That’s it! Question is, do you include these 4 basics in your regime on a daily basis (daily being the operative word)? If so, congratulations! If not, you should start. The reason I am keeping this to a bare minimum so that it is easy peasy and you are able to fulfill this regime on a daily basis.
You will notice that I left out shaving and shaving products. That is because shaving is a daily(?) requirement and is standard in your regime. I assume that you already use a product works best for you, whether it is shaving cream, oil, lotion, gel, foam etc. (and hopefully not soap!).
Purpose of the 4 Bare Minimum Basics:
1. Cleanser – A facial cleanser (a specially formulated face cleanser) will clean your skin and keep your skin balanced. Note that washing your face with water will not remove dirt, oils or cleanse the skin. And regular soap is too harsh for the face, strips your skin making it feel tight and dry (not what we want). Contrary to popular belief, even if you have oily skin, you do not want to dry it out.
Use: twice a day, morning and night
2. Exfoliator – it is imperative to remove dead skin from the surface of your face. If you do not exfoliate regularly, your skin will look unhealthy, dull, lackluster, flaky, more blackheads and clogged pores. Exfoliating can help make your skin super soft, fresh, radiant, healthy and more youthful looking. This step alone makes a huge difference on your skin.
Use: twice a week but not recommended immediately after shaving
3. Moisturizer – shaving will strip your skin and may cause skin irritation and razor burn. Even if you don’t shave every day, your skin needs moisture to replenish, hydrate and be smooth. Moisturizer tends to hydrate and last longer on your skin throughout the day than an aftershave (which can contain alcohol and antiseptic ingredients). Moisturizer is also necessary to help lessen the skin aging process. Even if you have oily skin, you still can moisturize. People with oily skin believe moisturizer will make their skin more oily and therefore avoid it. However, if you have oily skin and you use products that dry out your skin, your skin will try to overcompensate the dryness by producing more oils, and then you are stuck in a catch 22 situation.
Use: twice a day, morning and night
4. Sunscreen – use a sunscreen spf 30 or above specifically formulated for the face to lessen chances of breakouts and eye irritation. Please do not apply Hawaiian Tropic or whatever brand sunscreen that is meant for the body to your face…no no. There are lots of great drugstore brands that are non greasy and dry down to a matte finish. Neutrogena is a great drugstore brand and for more higher end, Kiehls Men’s Sunscreen. A lot of sun burns, sun damage and precancerous cells occur on the nose, cheeks and temples (where your baseball cap does not cover), therefore, always be careful to apply to your entire face.
Use: everyday and especially when spending time in the sun
Extraneous Steps:
- Eye cream – specifically formulated and ophthalmologist tested for the eye area. Eye cream can provide extra hydration, reduce puffiness, dark circles, lines and for anti-aging defense. Note that face creams may not be formulated specifically for the eye area and can cause some eye irritations.
- Toner – beneficial to your skin to help balance your skin’s ph, reduce oil, clear pores, fight acne and refresh your skin. Toner is applied after cleansing.
- Masks – available for various skin types and requirements. Masks can be used for hydration, skin plumping, clarifying acne prone skin, refine large pores, unclog pores, reducing blackheads, anti-aging defense, radiance, improving skin texture etc.
- Serum – available for various needs such as helps combat fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and elasticity, dull or uneven texture, acne fighting and skin brightening. Serum is applied before moisturizer.
Products to use:
The brand or type of product to buy will be specific to your skin type (dry, normal, combination or oily) and your budget. As there are so many options, I recommend you speak with a beauty advisor to find the best products for you. You can find good products at the drugstore if your budget does not allow the higher end brands found at Sephora or Nordstrom etc.
I spoke with a few beauty advisors and they identified the most popular products for men are as below. I do recommend speaking with a beauty specialist that can guide you for the best products for your skins needs:
Final Thoughts
It is never too late or never too early to start a regime with the 4 Bare Minimum Basics. These 4 basics do not take long, is doable, worth the effort and are important for you to look your very best. Will the general public recognize your skin care efforts? Maybe. Will those close to you? Likely. Will you? Yes. And you are what matters.
All the best and until next time…
