EVERY MAN’S SKINCARE regime is unique, ranging from meticulous to borderline non-existent. Regardless of where you sit on this scale, you could be making washing mistakes that cause your skin to age.
The multi-billion-dollar beauty industry has women feeling bad about themselves, playing on their insecurities, superstitions, and their tendency to embrace the complicated. The industry is trying to do the same thing to men, fortunately with less success, but they still use celebrities and sports stars to sell their products. Good-looking people look great despite, not because, of all the products they use. Sporting heroes can market things because they look good and present only the best of themselves to the public, but don’t forget about the wonders of Photoshop! All these ‘beautiful people’ have genetic gifts – and something we cannot change is our own genetics.
In spite of the proliferation of products explicitly labelled “FOR MEN”, most haven’t even started a skincare regimen. I know this to be true because most men I know don’t take care of the skin on their face as well as they could, and we all see and/or experience the resultant oily skin, dry skin, in-growing facial hairs and acne.
WASHING
Taking care of your face doesn’t require a bunch of ‘stuff’ or sweet-smelling lotions. All it takes is to wash your face once in the morning and once at night, nothing more. The point of washing your face is to unclog your pores, but don’t use a plain bar of soap (56 percent of men are washing their faces with hand or body soap) as it can dry skin out too much. If you’re out in the elements, your face gets very dirty, or you had a sweaty gym session, then you’ll need to wash more often. However, over-washing can damage the skin’s natural protective system, which can cause early signs of ageing such as dry patches and fine lines.
For the body, and face, I use exfoliating gloves in the shower; it scrubs away more dirt than just hand-to-body contact. It also removes dead skin cells from the epidermis (the top layer of your skin) helping to kick-start collagen production by creating mild irritation to your skin which triggers a healing response crucial to anti-ageing and youthful-looking skin.
HOT WATER
Avoid using hot water; it might feel good, but it can enlarge the pores, dehydrate and strip the skin of its natural oils leaving it dry and flaky, which can lead to irritation, acne flare, and breakouts. Instead, rinse your face with lukewarm or cool water to help constrict blood vessels.
TONERS
Facial toners are a part of most womens’ beauty routines; I never use them. Often, women say they have sensitive skin, but it’s really because of all the things they’re doing to it, ie, stripping away the natural oil secretions.
EXFOLIATING
I don’t exfoliate per se – although every woman I know does it. Yes, it can reportedly do wonders for the skin, but it can also cause red patches, dehydration, dryness, and hyper-pigmentation.
FACE CREAM
A whopping 60 percent of men do not use a moisturiser on their face. Moisturisers can be helpful for dry skin, but they don’t actually add much moisture. If you use one, it’s essential to apply it to damp skin since moisturisers work by adding a layer to seal in water.
When I was a kid, my mother slathered Vaseline on my body, head to toe. I later found out this happened in many black households, but I’m glad she did it. Because I later found out the thick and greasy concoction is a barrier that locks in moisturiser and speeds up your skin’s natural repair process. According to the Journal of Cosmetic Science, it’s ‘non-comedogenic’, which means it shouldn’t clog your pores and cause spots and acne.
As you get older, your skin changes; starting good face washing habits when you’re young will keep it healthy as you age. For the women that read this article, remember, skincare products are luxury consumer goods. If they make you feel good about yourself or you like how they feel – go for it. It’s your money. But know that at the scientific level almost nothing is better than a £2 jar of Vaseline!
