Men's Skincare: 4 Ways To Improve The Health Of Your Skin
Written by Lauren Nicoll | Image by Angelo Pantaziz
Guys, taking care of your skin is an essential part of your health – after all, it's our body's biggest organ and its first line of defense to filter out toxins, UV rays, and germs. Good skincare goes way beyond eating nutritious food and exercising with skin exposed to stress, pollution, or harsh sunlight, making it predisposed to premature aging, oxidative damage, skin sensitivity, even adult acne. So gents, using any old soap to wash your face or shave with is just not going to cut it anymore.
Good Cleansers Matter
Male skin differs, so choosing products aimed at your specific skin type is essential. Men's skin produces more sebum due to Testosterone production, making the skin oily and more acne-prone. It's 25% thicker, has more prominent hair follicles than women. Other factors like shaving stress and irritates men's skin further, so you might just want to do a double-take the next time you grab any old soap you can find to cleanse your skin.
Know your ingredients: Step up your routine and choose cleansers with active yet soothing nourishing ingredients aimed at your specific skin type.
Know your skin type: If your skin's on the oily side, charcoal as an ingredient helps remove dirt and absorbs excess oil. If it's dry - hydrating ingredients like Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid, or other natural oil extracts like calming chamomile, or Calendula, will help soothe and nourish your skin. Combination skin fares well with a high-quality all-in-one face cleanser with a mix of these ingredients. Are you looking to relieve acne or need an anti-aging buster? Go for cleansers with glycolic acid or salicylic acid inside.
Cleanse the right way: Double cleanse (morning and evening) to remove all added oils or dirt from a busy day so you can work off a squeaky clean canvas to move onto your next step.
Hydrate
Your primary defense at any age is to create a skin that is healthy and well hydrated. When your skin is well hydrated, the cells become plump, and it improves the suppleness of your skin – and yes, gents, hydrating skin from the inside out goes over and above drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Your skin needs hydration to give it a fresh, healthy appearance, and it helps smooth out signs of fine lines or wrinkles.
Be Proactive: Again, knowing your skin type helps. If you're sensitive and your skin easily flares up - you'll need a mild light moisturizer that's fragrance-free, paraben-free, and packed with soothing ingredients like vitamin E or Jojoba oil. Unless you have ultra-dry skin (in which case you would opt for a richer oil-based moisturizer filled with emollients to repair the skin's barrier), it's best to avoid heavy-cream-based products. Those with oily or combination skin need balance, so lightweight textured, oil-free serums along with mattifying moisturizers that hydrate without making your skin shiny are perfect.
Choose Smart Ingredients: Power-packed ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid (HA) plump the skin to reduce signs of fine lines and is an incredible humectant to keep your skin super hydrated. Our body makes (HA) naturally to retain moisture in our skin plus lubricate our joints. This molecule holds up to 1000 times its weight in water, but our natural production of HA decreases as we age. When used in either serums or moisturizers, you're assured your skin will stay moisturized throughout the day.
Application Counts: Apply moisturizer twice a day, like second nature, straight after cleansing to help seal moisture into your skin. For those who don't like a cream on their skin at night, a hydrating serum will do– our skin does most of its work while we sleep, so this step is not to be missed. Prone to breakouts? Try water-based moisturizers. After anti-aging? Nighttime is best to introduce targeted actives like Retinol (Vita A) or Glycolic Acid into your product arsenal. These ingredients help tackle signs of aging, so a serum or moisturizer with either is excellent.
Instant Repair & Protect
It's easier to prevent damage than to treat it, so if you haven't invested in a good sunblock, now is the time. Before you notice early signs of fine lines or dark marks appearing, you will want to prevent it. Most of us don't see the first signs of aging, and it is said that men's skin takes longer to age thanks to their higher collagen density, BUT guys, let's be honest, you spend loads of time outdoors and could be more sun savvy. UV radiation builds up, and men are at greater risk of developing skin cancer because they are not proactive enough in applying sunscreen – this is essential. UV damage may add years to men's skin and reverse all the benefits of having this age-defying Collagen. Try skincare defenders that not only shield and support your skin but protect it too – multitasking moisturizers are great for this and come with built-in SPF along with other nourishing, repairing ingredients. Your product should have nothing less than SPF 30 in it.
Support Supplements
Image by Diana Polekhina
With health and fitness, men understand a healthy mind and body start from the inside out; well, the same applies to the health of your skin. Just like you supplement your body when working out or take vitamins to keep your overall health in check, so should you be integrating skin support supplements targeted at your skin's health. Choose supplements containing powerful blends of antioxidants, Collagen to improve your skin's elasticity and suppleness, and skin-protecting Vitamin C, D, and E, for overall healthy-looking skin.
