The 6 Skin Care Tips for Men (Dos and Don’ts)

Do guys really need skincare routines? Oh, if only we could scream out yes in our loudest voices possible. Yes, you do. Even at an equal pace as the women. Well, this post is not about comparing or contrasting which gender should indulge in skincare routines the most. But, it is important that you understand that skincare is a critical aspect of health and wellness and this begins with knowing what to do and what not to do with the products you’ve got.

While some skincare rules are straightforward and simple to follow, others are strict and would require your committed and conscious efforts to live by them. Fortunately, these rules are easy to live by irrespective of your age bracket and the results are super enticing, so it would cost you nothing to learn about them. Or maybe, it does cost something – your attention.

We live in an age where there are excess skin care products that many do not vet before purchasing. You see a product ad and skim through a little review online and boom, you place an order. Only for you to flunk its usage. The more reason you need to get to know about skincare tips, what to do, and what not to do. Sadly, not many are familiar with these skin care tips. Not to worry, we’ve written this article solely for you to help address some of the things you are doing right and correct the ones that are wrong.

So, in this article, we discuss why skin care is important for men and then focus on the 6 do’s and don’ts for skincare routine. It promises to be an exciting read.

Perhaps we should sound multiple alarms with the tag, men get in here, a skincare routine is a must! okay, that’s just on a lighter note but then, it is really important that men indulge in skincare in their routines. And if you already have that, congratulations, we are super proud of you.

Now, to the question you’ve always wanted an answer to.

Why is skin care important?

• For your health

The skin is the largest organ in the body and it serves as a protection to the internal and vital organs of the body hence, making sure your skin is well taken care of can help maintain and strengthen your skin. If not well taken care of, flakiness resulting from dryness and lack of moisture in the skin increases the chances of getting a skin infection.

Still on protection, your skin helps block harmful sun rays which are capable of damaging your skin and causing deadly terminal diseases like skin cancer.

• To aid skin appearance

Skin care is important to aid your appearance. The first thing people see to judge if you’re living well and healthy is your skin. However, as you age the production of collagen and elastin decreases, so, it is important to maintain a consistent skincare regimen throughout your life to help make your skin look radiant and youthful. You can never go wrong with using high-quality skin care and treatments. In fact, you should see them as a lifetime health investment as they can help you slow down the effects of wrinkles and skin aging as well as remove dead skin cells. All of which can boost your appearance and self-esteem.

Now that we have gotten the importance of skin care out of the way, now it’s time to discuss the do’s and don’ts of skin care tips.

Skin care tips for men (Do’s and don’ts)

Do’s:

1. Use products compatible with your skin type

There are tons of skin care products in the market but are they compatible with your skin? This brings us to discuss product compatibility. Maybe the best place to start is to ask the question, do you know your skin type? because only then can you tell if a product is compatible with your skin or not.

Pay attention to little details about your skin. Do you sweat often, or does your skin emit excess sebum in the form of oil? Is this oil just at some particular points in your skin say, your nose, or brow region, or do you notice it all over your skin? or do you belong to the dry skin category? does your skin dry out and appear flaky almost immediately after applying creams or moisturizers?

These and more are the questions you want to ask yourself and get answers to help you know your skin type. Typically, there are two main skin categories – dry and oily skin. Then, over time, a third type came forth, the normal (neutral) skin, neither dry nor oily. Further, you could learn more about your skin by knowing if you have sensitive or insensitive skin. Are you prone to acne, hyperpigmentation, ingrown hair, or not? All of these would help you know which products are best to use.

2. Cleanse before moisturizing

These two guys right here are the beginning and end of the skincare routine. Anything can come between but make sure cleansing tops the list of your routine and moisturizing ends the list. Let’s examine them separately. It is advised to cleanse first because the cleanser works to get rid of every substance or material clogging your pores. In turn, it opens up your pores by washing off these residues and allows the absorption of any other skin care product (serums, toners) you wish to apply. Moisturizers, on the other hand, help to seal off your skin by adding an extra layer of protection against grime, sweat, and other foreign substances that clogs the skin. It also helps prevent dryness and skin flakiness by locking moisture in your skin thus keeping it hydrated.

3. Apply sunscreen daily

At this point, we should state that daily application of sunscreen is compulsory when you step outside irrespective of the seasons of the year. If you have seen any visibly aging skin with obvious wrinkles, a patchy or rough texture, a loss of firmness and durability, and more, well, let’s say that’s what the sun rays can cause. Bet you don’t want to imagine other types of damage done to your skin when exposed to sun rays. Advisably go for a sunscreen that contains at least an SPF 30 in it. Better yet, if the number goes higher. This way, you are sure that your skin will be well protected from the harmful UV rays the sun emits. We recommend daily application of sunscreen because we are aware of the benefits it offers, so, don’t cheat yourself by skipping its application. Well, we can’t say how long it takes for skincare to work, however, we do know that commitment to daily usage works and your skin would thank you for doing this in years to come.

Don’ts

4. Over-exfoliating is a no-no!

We know we advised that you should indulge in skin care routines. And we are aware that you need to wash off these products to achieve that smooth and glowing skin. However, in your bid to do so, don’t over-exfoliate. Depending on the type of exfoliant being used, the procedure rubs away or dissolves dead skin cells. Anyhow you choose to do it is solely up to you however, the frequency of exfoliation should be undisputed. A note of caution here is that you should limit exfoliating to about twice a week as skin cells cannot regenerate any faster than that otherwise, you risk wasting product and irritating your skin. Albeit, if you are fortunate to have a much gentle and lighter product for exfoliating, you can increase the frequency of its use respectively.

5. Don’t skip shaving

This point cannot be over-emphasized for men. If you don’t want to go around looking like some old-century cavemen, please do not skip shaving. The more you shape, the easier it becomes for your skin to adapt to it over time. Normally, shaving frequency is dependent on how fast your hair grows, however, it should be between 10 to 14 days intervals. Prep the area you want to shave with lukewarm water and pre-shave oil and shave in the direction of hair growth. When done, clean off with water and apply an aftershave treatment to soothe the skin to reduce redness and inflammation.

However, if you are not comfortable with using shaving razors, there are other hair removal alternatives that you can opt for. Much better, the IPL hair removal does a smooth and nearly painless job.

6. Don’t overlook acne

We could say this is one of the most overlooked skin problems. Irrespective of your skin type, please pay attention to any sprouting acne. Be it after-shave acne or skin reaction acne, always be swift to attend to it. A little ingrown hair that is not treated could lead to acne so, you want to make sure you take it right on time so, it doesn’t become a fertile ground for acne cultivation. As a reminder, don’t pick or pop that little thing, instead, you want to treat it with an acne spot or pimple patch treatment cream as they would help unclog your pores and prevent further breakout. Also, ensure you check the product label for any allergic skin care ingredients so, you don’t end up causing more harm to your face.

As a bonus point, always keep in mind to visit your dermatologist for skin check-ups. For many a dermatologist visit is a luxury but if you can, please add it to your routine. You never can tell how much this could help save you from impending skin troubles.

Final note

Now that we’ve cleared the air concerning the importance of skincare and the do’s and don’ts therein, we hope you would embrace these tips and apply them to the best of your abilities. Well, they say skincare must be good enough to eat, and we think that’s all there is to say as a summary of all that you have read here. We hope you utilize these tips more than we have described. Remember, your skincare routine is a bank account, so, invest wisely.