Skin care for men

‘Skin care for men’ would seem like an alien topic to some men. It would have been even more alien a few years back. However, more and more men are now realising the importance of skin care (and hence you see markets flush with skin care products for men).

Even though the male skin is very different from that of a female, skin care for men is very similar to skin care for women.

As with women, skin care starts with cleansing. Water soluble cleansers are preferred. Cleansing helps remove the dirt, grease and pollutants from the skin and helps in preventing pore clogging. The inherent oily nature of male skin makes cleansing an important part of the skin care procedure. Cleansing should be done at least once every day, even better if it is done twice a day. Using soap on the face is discouraged.

Skin care for men revolves a lot around shaving. Shaving foam /gel /cream and after shave lotion are some of the most important skin care products for men. Serious skin care requires a proper selection of shaving related equipment and products. One of the main considerations in choosing shaving products should be the skin type (since the degree of oiliness differs from person to person).

Alcohol-based aftershaves should be avoided. Proper skin care also mandates the use of good quality razors. Here, swivel-head razors are preferred since they are known to reduce cuts. Besides these products and equipment, it is also necessary that you use them properly. Be gentle when using your razor. Do not scratch it against your skin; use a soft and smooth action (after all it’s a matter of removing hair, not the skin itself).

Male skin is generally thicker and oilier, owing to larger pores and more active sebaceous glands. However, due to regular shaving, the skin can get dehydrated quite easily. Hence moisturisers too form an integral part of male skin care. Moisturising gel or cream should be applied after shaving. In fact, some shaving foams/ gel have an in-built moisturising effect too. Moisturisers should be patted gently over the face and massaged gently using upward strokes.

Though a man’s skin is less susceptible to skin cancer caused by UV radiation, using a sunscreen is also an important measure. You can use a moisturiser that combines sunscreen with the moisturising effect.

Another good option is to use skin care products which have natural ingredients like aloe vera, sea salt and coconut etc. Naturally antiseptic oils e.g. lavender, tea tree etc also provide good means for male skin care.

Skin care for men is not as difficult as a lot of men think. It just asks for a few minutes every day, in order to give you a healthy skin for present and for the future.

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