Do you want to look fresh and handsome without complicating your daily routine? Because the thing is, men often tend to neglect the health of their skin, dreading an elaborate skincare routine.
We recognize that men have slightly different requirements for skincare that need to be diligently addressed to maintain proper hygiene and healthy skin. In this article, we provide easy and effective tips to look after your skin. Read on to learn more.
Highlights:
- Why Is It Important To Understand Your Skin Type?
- How To Find Out Your Skin Type?
- Useful Skin Care Tips For Men
- Things You Should Avoid To Have A Healthy Skin
Why Is It Important To Understand Your Skin Type?
Different skin types need different strategies. Knowing your skin type can help determine what kind of skincare routine you should follow and what products will suit you.
Choosing the correct skincare routine for your skin type is necessary for making your skin appear youthful and healthy.
How To Find Out Your Skin Type?
1. The Bare-Faced Method
The bare-faced method is the simplest one to try. All you need to do is wash your face properly and pat it dry. Do not apply anything on the face at least for 30 minutes to see if you find shine on your face. Wait for another 30 minutes to check again if your skin has gone dry.
The dryness will determine that you have dry skin. If you see a clear shine on your forehead and nose, you can consider your skin as combination skin. When you find shine all over your face, you will know, your skin type is oily.
2. The Blotting-Paper Method
Take a blotting paper and hold it on different regions of your face. Check the sheet to determine the amount of oil it has absorbed. If you only have oil on the nose and forehead, you've got combination skin. If your entire face is saturated with oil, then you're dealing with oily skin.
Useful Skin Care Tips For Men
1. Cleansing
Your skin is exposed to environmental dirt and pollutants daily. It needs proper cleaning regularly; otherwise, it can lead to prolonged acne, dryness, itchiness, or flaking.
It's essential to wash your face with a cleanser that suits your skin type. Consider choosing a product that will not only restore your skin's moisture but also stop overproducing it. If your cleanser makes your skin feel tight, squeaky, and uncomfortable, it's not right for you.
The natural pH balance of your skin is around 4.5-5. If your cleanser has a higher pH than the required amount, you may notice more irritation and breakouts on your face.
2. Moisturization
Hydration of the skin is incredibly important and critical irrespective of your gender and age. The best way to keep your skin hydrated is to moisturize it regularly.
If your skin feels dry, ashy, or reacts harshly to shaving, your skin must need moisturization. Hydrating your skin with a suitable moisturizer will ensure that your skin doesn’t produce excessive sebum or clog up skin pores.
3. Exfoliation
Exfoliating your skin helps eliminate dead skin cells and gunk from your skin. It also helps unclog your pores while preventing ingrown hair.
Exfoliation will make your skin healthier, but it won’t magically wipe away blackheads or acne. Consider exfoliation another step to prepare your skin to absorb any product perfectly and get better results. Skin experts recommend exfoliating your skin once or twice a week.
4. Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an indispensable product in your skincare regime if you wish to prevent dry, wrinkled, and discolored skin.
The sun's ultraviolet rays can make your skin tone rough and leathery. It can also weaken your skin and make it more prone to bruising.
The daily application of sunscreen can help slow down the aging process while preventing skin issues such as blotchiness and red facial veins.
5. Careful Shaving & Beard Care
It does not matter if you’re fully bearded or clean shaved. You need to care about your facial hair to avoid ingrown hair and razor burns.
Using an aftershave mist with antioxidant and antiseptic properties can help soothe and protect your skin. Dermatologists recommend beard oil with softening ingredients to smoothen and tame a curly beard. It also works to keep your beard healthy.
6. Take Care Of Your Lips
Your lips require exfoliation from time to time; otherwise, they can become dry and chapped.
An easy way to exfoliate the lips is by using a damp towel. Wet your face towel with lukewarm water and use it to massage your lips in a circular motion to get rid of dead skin cells.
You can also use a lip scrub to exfoliate your lips. Remember to moisturize your lips with a nourishing lip balm every day.
7. Follow A Skincare Routine
Ensure you follow a basic skincare routine such as washing your face before going to bed and after exercising, cleansing it every time you come in contact with dust or pollution, exfoliating your skin from time to time, and moisturizing whenever necessary.
By simply following a few skincare steps consistently, your skin will always look healthy and have a natural glow.
8. Choose The Right Skincare Products
Flawless skin calls for a proper skincare routine and products that actually suit your skin type.
Always check the ingredients used in a product before you invest in it. Some products may contain ingredients that do not suit your skin or are extremely harmful for your skin type. Before applying any new product, always do a patch test.
9. Healthy Eating Habits
Healthy skin requires proper eating habits. Junk food won’t do any good for your skin, while healthy food will internally repair your skin issues.
An important aspect of healthy skin is hydration. Consumption of fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and carrots can hydrate your skin from within and keep it looking bright and youthful.
Salmon, olive oil, flax seeds, and walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that rebuild the cell membranes. They help keep your skin moisturized for longer while protecting it from irritation, dryness, and flakiness.
Things You Should Avoid To Have A Healthy Skin
1. Smoking
Tobacco has nicotine in it. When you smoke, the nicotine [1] causes your blood vessels to constrict or narrow, which limits the amount of blood that flows to your organs.
Smoking also reduces the circulation and production of collagen. [2] Additionally, your skin may start losing its natural color.
2. Sugar
If you love sweets, you could be consuming excess sugar without even realizing it. Your sugar intake can significantly affect your skin's health.
Glucose and fructose produce an unwanted result when they meet collagen, which is your skin's primary protein. They link collagen fibers together that makes it more difficult for the collagen to repair itself. This process is called glycation. [3]
3. Alcohol
Alcohol can severely dehydrate your skin. Dehydrated skin exaggerates flaws such as fine lines and wrinkles even more. Alcohol can also make your pores appear bigger. It can dilate the blood vessels in your face, leading to a flushed look. [4]
4. Stress
Stress increases cortisol levels and makes your skin oily. [5] Oily skin is prone to blemishes and breakouts. When you are stressed, you may tend to get less sleep or not pay enough attention to your diet, which can negatively impact your skin's health.
5. Harmful Chemicals
Some skin care products may contain harmful chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, and triclosan. These elements can strip your skin of its natural moisture and leave it looking dry and dull. So, it is vital to check the ingredients in a product before including it into your daily skincare routine.
Wrapping Up
If you're a man, it makes sense to treat your skin with male-targeted skincare products. What works for a woman's skin may not work on yours. Men's skin is about 25% thicker, with more collagen because of the presence of testosterone. Also, the lower levels of estrogen in men affect their skin's moisture and texture.
These anatomical differences can make men's skin less sensitive and able to handle stronger ingredients. Therefore, men's skincare products are specially formulated to accommodate their specific needs.
SkinKraft offers a customized skincare regimen that is tailor-made to suit your skin needs.
Begin By Knowing Your Skin
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