With so many questions surrounding men’s skincare – and so many options to choose from – it rarely comes as a surprise that men tend to neglect to look after their skin.
Having a good skin care regimen is one of the best habits you can get into as this comes with many benefits.
Having amazing skin much like having great hair will give you a huge confidence boost and a good skincare routine will also help your skin stay looking younger for longer.
A complex, 10-step skincare routine can be madly confusing, and nobody is blaming you for not being thrilled to spend all that time in the bathroom every morning and evening doing something you don’t believe will make any change whatsoever.
This is why I believe that men’s skincare should be straightforward and simple.
There is no need for you to spend time doing rather exhausting research on many different products when investing in a few natural and high-quality products that will undoubtedly improve the state of your skin, and that is exactly what I’m explaining below.
What Is A Good Skincare Regimen For Men?
As I’ve already mentioned, I believe that men’s skincare should be straightforward and easy.
Here are a few simple steps for men that are quite easy to follow and will guarantee a better-looking complexion in a short amount of time.
A Cleanser
Your face picks up a lot of dirt and pollutants throughout the day.
Getting into the habit of cleansing your face twice a day with an adequate cleanser for your skin type will remove the bacteria sitting on the surface of your skin and promote a healthier complexion appearance.
The ideal choice would be a mild and gentle cleanser, that will not strip the natural barrier on the surface of your skin and leave it feeling tight and uncomfortable.
It is important that a cleanser is able to keep your skin moist while removing unwanted toxins.
A Toner
Besides helping to remove leftover dirt, impurities, and traces of oil, the primary function of a face toner is to correct and balance out the pH value of your skin after it has been thoroughly cleansed.
It will help to clean and close the pores and allow better absorption of the beneficial ingredients from the following skincare products.
Make sure to avoid any toner that contains alcohol, menthol, or other harsh ingredients.
When should men use a toner?
Toning your skin is an important second step that completes the cleansing process and it should be swiped across the face right after cleansing your skin.
A good toner will help soothe, nourish and hydrate your skin making it look brighter and refreshed.
An Eyecare Product
There is one step that we all seem to fail from time to time and that’s looking after our delicate eye area.
There are many claims that eye creams simply don’t work, and while nobody can say that these creams do absolute miracles, thinking that they do nothing for you is a heavy mistake.
The truth here is that the eye area needs extra attention for several reasons.
The skin around your eyes ages faster than the rest of your face because the skin around the eyes is 40% thinner than any other part of your face.
It is also the least elastic part of your face, which means that facial expressions affect this delicate area, causing it to wrinkle more than any other part.
Besides losing hydration faster than any other area on your face, the eye area also shows the most prominent signs of fatigue and lack of sleep, and dark circles can make you look much older than your actual age.
Product recommendations:
A Moisturizer & A Sunscreen
Consider applying moisturizer and sun protection as absolutely necessary because nothing ages (and damages) the skin as much as the harmful UV rays from the sun do.
It’s a common belief that moisturizers and sunscreens are oily, therefore they will leave your skin looking greasy and worsen problems like acne and oily skin.
A good moisturizer will provide the necessary hydration and this will control the excess oil production.
There are different moisturizers with different purposes, specifically formulated for every possible skin type and skin concern out there.
And then, there are my absolute favourites – a good moisturizing agent with a high sun protection factor.
Always opt for a light hydrating moisturizer with SPF in the morning.
An Exfoliator
The exfoliating process helps us to remove the barrier of dead skin cells that are sitting tightly packed on the surface of our skin.
The dead skin cells clog our pores and prevent the beneficial ingredients from our moisturizing products from being absorbed into the skin.
By removing them we are also uncovering fresh and new cells below, and this makes our skin appear smoother and brighter.
Exfoliating once a week with a gentle scrub or a chemical exfoliator will improve the general health and appearance of your skin.
Product recommendations:
What Else Can You Do To Take Better Care of Your Skin?
Sleep Well
A lack of sleep will have an impact on your appearance and can do quite a number on your skin.
One of the most revealing signs that you are not getting enough sleep are those pesky dark circles under the eyes as lack of sleep causes the blood vessels beneath your skin to dilate and show.
Besides the dark circles, not getting enough sleep every night actively decreases the moisture level of your skin and lower’s the pH level of your complexion.
A decrease in pH levels creates such an imbalance in your skin and this will make it appear dull, aged, and uneven.
Drink More Water
Our skin is our largest organ and it’s made up of cells. These cells are made up primarily of water, therefore our skin suffers when it’s deprived of water, pretty much the same as the rest of our bodily functions.
When the skin’s natural moisture barrier is disrupted, this will make it appear dull and lifeless and become dry and sensitive.
When hydration is neglected, your skin can’t perform at its best, therefore important components that are there to keep it plump and supple start to break down and this leads to premature aging and wrinkles.
Water is used by our body to flush out toxins and waste products, and it is incredibly significant in clearing up your skin.
Drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day will prevent the toxins and bodily wastes from accumulating in the body and becoming trapped under your skin.
This will keep your skin clean, push bacteria out and reduce the risk of clogged pores, acne, and other skin problems.
Stop Smoking
Although is best known for causing lung cancer, the smoking habit is also a massive threat to healthy skin next to sun and chemicals.
Smoking is one of the major accelerators of the premature aging process of your skin, and it is thought to be one of the fastest-acting threats.
Smoking causes the narrowing of blood vessels throughout your body and this deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients flow which are essential for keeping it healthy.
When the skin is rapidly starved of vital oxygen and other substances it appears uneven and dull and this leads to the slow ceasing of collagen which will inevitably cause sagging and wrinkling of the skin.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Unfortunately, alcohol is a whole lotta bad news for the skin, and many skincare experts and nutritionists agree with this claim.
So, let’s answer the very popular “What does alcohol do to your face?” question the best we can.
Alcohol is a toxin with very little nutrient value. It is known as the number one contributing factor to poor liver function and reduced immunity.
Besides this, alcohol can lead to other serious conditions such as hormone disruption, cell damage and it can cause some major insulin issues due to its high contents of sugar.
All this has a great impact on the function, quality, appearance, and aging of your skin.
Alcohol is also a diuretic. This means that alcohol rids your body of salt (sodium) and water. Rapid loss of water from the body will have an effect on your skin as it will leave it dehydrated and dull.
Watch The Video Below
My name is Simone and I am a certified skin specialist. I created this website to teach my readers how to take great care of their skin and I also like to occasionally share my honest opinions on skincare products I’ve tried. You can learn more about me here.
The Acne Solution: Your Ultimate Guide To Flawless Complexion
An extensive, no-nonsense course showing you how to never have acne again, from a licensed Esthetician specializing in oily/acne-prone skin.
Wow, I had no idea that there were so many things you can do to make your skin healthier!
About the influence of the sun: I keep hearing that the sun is bad for your skin. But isn’t it good to have some exposure to the sun? I thought it had some properties that are good for one’s health. So is there a right balance or is it better to be protected from the sun at all times?
Thank you for your comment!
Sunbathing in moderation and with adequate protection is very therapeutic and encourages a feeling of well-being. 🙂
However, the sun causes damage to the tissues and ages the skin.
Sun exposure isn’t recommended between 11 – 4 pm in summer, because the UVB rays, are the strongest and you have a big chance to get sunburned.
Wearing adequate protection is always recommended, but you can, by all means, enjoy a sunny day at the beach every once in a while. 🙂
There was a time many years ago when I represented a nutritional supplement and skin care company. I bought and used their cleansers, toners, exfoliators and skin cream. However, they were all directed at women. There were no skin care products created for men. I can see why. They would have lost money as men are not as concerned about skin care as women. So it is refreshing that you wrote this article giving good guidance, that included actions besides applying products to the skin.
I don’t smoke. My alcohol intake is extremely low. And I always use cold water to wash my face. If I do use hot water, it would be when the weather is cold. But I always rinse off with cold water. What would be your advice on water temperature? I also do not expose my skin to the sun a lot. What is your advice in this area?
My biggest problem is not getting enough sleep. I am 73 and my skin is in pretty good shape. Probably because of the actions I had taken in the past. Your title is very apt. Caring for ones skin is a cultural condition.
This is a great post, full of very useful information. It’s something a lot of men neglect, not because we’re not bothered but because we’re not inclined to spend as much time as women are on this sort of thing. That’s not me trying to be sexist or ‘gender stereotypical’, it’s just a fact about how we men are. The things you mention are easy to do but also easy not to do, which is possibly why so few of us do them! Water intake is very important as you so rightly point out and I’ve disciplined myself over time to pay more attention to this. It really does work. I’ve got less bags under my eyes and my skin does look and feel healthier as a result. I don’t smoke and, apart from the odd ‘special occasion’, I drink alcohol in moderation. I’ve always been a light sleeper. For wrinkles, skin tone, etc, I follow a tip I got from a female friend some time ago about how she got rid of the cellulite on her legs. I added half a dozen drops each of frankincense and grapefruit essential oils to a cucumber moisturizer I use on may face it it’s worked a treat!
Great article! Will definitely recommend this to my friends.
Thank you.
Thank you for reading my article! I am happy you found it useful 🙂
Very nice article. Thanks for sharing these useful tips with us. I would share it with others.