The Ultimate Skin Care Guide For Men
Let’s be real: you’re a man’s man, but you still want to look good as you age. That’s why skin care for men is crucial. It’s not just about fancy creams and all that other girly stuff. It’s about real, no-fuss products for real men who want real results. After all, men get dry skin and wrinkles just like women do.
Still not taking skin care for men seriously? That’s a huge mistake because skin is skin, and men will show signs of aging just as quickly as women. So if you believe, like most guys, that just shaving is a complete skin care routine, then you’re in luck because we’re here to help.
In this post, the experts at SiO will explain why skin care for men is so important. And then we’ll provide an easy five-step skin care routine that’ll give you awesome skin without all the extra fuss you don’t need.
Why Is Skin Care For Men Important?
The real question is: why wouldn’t skin care for men be important? To get that answer, let’s have a look at some of the things that can damage your skin.
Aging
Aging is basically the arch nemesis of handsomeness. Getting old is the kryptonite to your Superman-level good looks. As we grow older, our skin produces less of the proteins it needs — collagen and elastin — to stay healthy and young.
In fact, research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information shows that collagen production slows by one percent each year after you turn 20. So by the time you’re 50, your skin is only producing 70 percent of the collagen that it did when you were in your teens.
And, just to spell it all out, less collagen means it’s easier for wrinkles to form around your mouth, eyes, and other places … whether you’re a man or a woman. The aging process doesn’t discriminate.
Fortunately, the effects of aging can be mitigated with a good skin care routine. (Expert tip: for effective treatments that are as simple as you can get, go above and beyond basic skin care with SiO's skin patches; they’re not just for the ladies in your life.)
Lifestyle
Lifestyle choices play a huge role in your health. Of course, this includes skin health. Here are a few examples of things you can do to take care of your skin:
- Get at least seven hours of sleep every night
- Eat a healthy diet full of anti-aging foods and superfoods
- Drink at least eight glasses of water each day
- Don’t smoke, and drink alcohol in moderation
- Get at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three times per week
- Relax! Stress can cause tons of health problems, so make time for some R&R
While these tips aren’t a cure-all, they’ll definitely get you on the path toward younger-looking skin.
UV Rays From The Sun
As we’re sure you already know, the sun can seriously damage your skin. It will do more damage to your face than a Mike Tyson uppercut.
The sun’s UV rays not only cause wrinkles, but they can also lead to skin cancer and other issues. So protection from the sun is a crucial part of skin care for men.
Skin Care For Men: 5 Simple Steps To Success
If you’re like most men, you probably aren’t accustomed to doing more to your skin than shaving it. That’s why we’ve developed a practical approach to skin care for men. Here are five easy steps to help you achieve healthy, younger-looking skin.
1) Shaving
While some men let their facial hair grow, others choose (or need) to shave their faces. And tons of men experience dryness and irritation as a result of shaving. This is why you probably hate the process.
While you don’t necessarily have to change your grooming habits to get great skin, you should definitely treat your skin with tonic or lotion after you’re finished shaving. Just make sure the product you use doesn’t contain alcohol so that you don’t lose any of the moisture you’re trying to put into your skin.
If you shave with a disposable razor or a straight razor, you’re more likely to have bumps, redness, and irritation after shaving. A moisturizing (alcohol-free) aftershave lotion or toner will help relieve some of these issues.
On the other hand, electric razors don’t usually cause as much irritation, but they also don’t provide as close a shave. No matter what kind of razor you use, applying lotion or moisturizer after a shave is always a good idea.
2) Cleansing
This step is a no-brainer (we hope). You wouldn't consider not washing your hands or legs for days on end. So you definitely shouldn't do this to your face. Cleansing twice per day is ideal—once in the morning and once at night.
If you go to the gym first thing in the morning, you can save the day’s first cleanse until after your workout. Likewise, if you exercise in the evening, cleansing just once after the workout is OK.
Keep in mind that while cleansing is crucial, doing it too often can cause ashy or cracked skin. Your skin might be thicker and tougher than a woman’s, but you still need to be gentle with it.
This also means you should use a mild face cleanser, lather gently, rinse with warm (not hot) water, and pat your skin dry with a soft towel. Skin care for men requires a little finesse, too.
3) Moisturizing
We’re probably just stating the obvious at this point but, yes, you need to moisturize your skin even as a man. While this is Beauty 101 for most women, you’d be surprised how many guys have never applied a single drop of moisturizer. Dehydrated skin is all too common among males.
In that sense, skin care for men is easy. Just cover the basics and you’ll be good to go. If you’re moisturizing at least twice per day (after cleansing in the mornings and evenings), you’re doing fine.
4) Exfoliating
Most men have never exfoliated before but are surprisingly satisfied with the results once they’ve given it a shot. Don’t knock it until you try it!
Natural exfoliators are best because they’re less harsh than exfoliators with mostly man-made ingredients. Exfoliating once or twice per week is enough. And, as always, it’s important to be gentle when exfoliating.
5) Applying Sunscreen
We already mentioned how seriously the sun can damage your skin, but it’s worth repeating. The sun is the most common contributor to skin cancer and wrinkles. That’s why it’s important to apply an SPF every morning.
Pro tip: find a moisturizer with SPF already in it. That way, you can kill two birds with one stone. Get some sun protection and moisturize your skin at the same time.
Bonus Treatments
The five steps above are the bare-bones of skin care for men. If you’re ready to take your skin care to the next level, here are some ideas you can try.
Face Masks
Face masks aren’t just for women, but you might not feel comfortable going to a spa. With homemade face masks, you can get all the skin care benefits without risking your man-card. You don’t even need to leave home … no one will ever know.
There are dozens of homemade facial masks that you can try. Here are a few suggestions:
Take an afternoon to experiment with some of these face masks. It's the only effective skin care technique that you can do while watching football or playing video games. So it's got that going for it.
And if you want to mask while you sleep, try SiO’s patches to boost moisture and reduce wrinkle depth.
Serum And Eye Cream
If you're looking to add some muscle to your skin care routine, find a serum or eye cream with ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin E.
Serums fight skin aging concerns like forehead wrinkles and frown lines, while eye cream wards off eye lines.
SiO Skin Patches
Finally, we have SiO skin patches — the ultimate weapon in fighting wrinkles. In dermatologist-led clinical trials, our patches were shown to reduce wrinkle depth and boost moisture in as little as one night.
While these trials were performed exclusively on women, there’s nothing stopping you from trying SiO’s patches too.
SiO offers patches for your neck, brow, and the sides of your eyes and mouth. Get started right away for skin that’s as irresistible to the ladies as the ageless Ryan Reynolds.
