The Best Skincare Routine for Men
Everyone deserves great skin, but this big piece of self-care is often overlooked. If you need help preventing your skin from becoming dry, itchy, wrinkly, or oily, skincare is a great place to start. It can also help improve the appearance (and smell) of your beard too.
The trick is to form some solid habits you can keep up with each day. Here’s some key advice to get you started.
What’s Your Skin Type?
Normal, oily, sensitive? A mix of different types? When caring for your skin, think about your skin type. The easiest way to figure this out is by washing your face first then seeing how your skin dries.
- Use a mild face wash to rinse your face, then pat your skin dry with a soft towel.
- Next, give your face about half an hour to breathe.
- Head back to the bathroom and look in the mirror: What do you see?
Oily: If your face is shiny on your cheeks, forehead, and nose, you probably have oily skin. You also might get pimples more often too. For this skin type, exfoliation is key for clearing any clogged pores. Here’s our guide for shaving with acne.
Dry: If your skin looks flaky in some areas, and feels tight, you most likely have dry skin. Moisturizer will be your best friend to keep your skin hydrated.
Combination: If you find you’ve got a mix of both the above types, you may have combination skin. Keep an eye out for products that work for all skin types.
Sensitive: If your skin feels especially tight, or seems red, you might have sensitive skin. We’d recommend products that are free from alcohol, dyes, and fragrances. If you need help shaving with this skin type, we have tips.
Normal: If you don’t experience any of these things following your face wash, lucky you—most likely, you’ve got normal skin. You can keep your routine pretty simple and handle most products.
Now that you know your skin type, make sure to find a face wash that works for you. Most products will say what skin types they work best for. Some washes are designed to clean your face and beard in one, while others are formulated with sensitive skin in mind.
Washing Your Face
Our baseline advice is to wash your face twice a day. That’s usually once in the morning, right when you wake up, and again in the evening, before bed. For those with super sensitive skin, you might want to wash your face just once a day. If you’re a daily shaver, that means you can include this step as part of your everyday shaving routine, before applying a shave prep.
Here are seven simple steps for washing your face.
Step 1: Wash your hands.
Step 2: Run your hands under warm water and wet your whole face.
Step 3: Use a small amount of face wash in the palm of your hand and rub your hands together to work up a lather.
Step 4: Apply the product all over your face, moving your hands in circles. Don’t push too hard and try not to get any face wash in your eyes.
Step 5: Rinse your face until it’s completely clear of face wash.
Step 6: Dry your face with a soft, clean towel.
Step 7: Use a moisturizer on your whole face, rubbing it all in like you’re using sunscreen. A little goes a long way!
What’s Exfoliating?
Also known as a scrub, an exfoliator is basically a creamy or gel-like product with some grit to it. Exfoliation is especially beneficial for those who have oily skin, as it helps you get deep into your pores and give your skin a good clean, getting rid of any dead skin and debris.
It’s pretty simple to make an exfoliator with ingredients you might already have in your home, like brown sugar, honey, baking soda, oatmeal, cinnamon, aloe vera, or tea tree oil. Do a little Googling for recipes and remember to never use an exfoliator on your face that’s meant for your body. Your face will need a more sensitive formula.
Shaving tip: After your skin is clean, use an exfoliator before you shave for a smoother, closer shave. This step works well for not just your face but other parts of the body too!
Never Skip Sunscreen
Seriously consider making SPF part of your skincare routine. A lot of moisturizers have some amount of SPF. SPF 15 is the FDA’s minimum, but the American Academy of Dermatology recommends at least 30 SPF for all skin types and tones. That way, you can help keep your skin safe against sunburn, wrinkles, and serious skin problems. It also helps prevent brown spots and other kinds of discoloration. If you are outside a lot, think of getting a higher SPF for your face and always follow the instructions.
Consistency is key here, and if following these steps seems like too much, take it slow. Start with just integrating one or two into your daily routine and go from there. You might not see results right away, but in the long run, you’ll be grateful you took the time to take care of your face.
Learn more tips for perfecting your shaving routine and other helpful resources.
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