Who says skincare is strictly for the ladies? Don’t you have skin too? Whether you have healthy skin or skin that needs work, you need a skincare routine. There really is no way around it. The stigma about men taking care of themselves has been institutionalized as an unnecessary part of being masculine. It’s perceived as selfish and unmanly to take care of yourself first before taking care of other people.
But times are changing.
The barriers of gender norms are now being challenged in the name of equality and self-care is part of the bigger movement. Everyone has skin so why can’t everyone ride the “clear skin is in” wave?
Let TheGetWell walk you through the different factors you need to keep in mind when starting your skincare journey.
Identify your allergies
We can’t stress how important this is. Before starting your skincare journey, make sure you take into account allergies you may have. Talk to your dermatologist before putting anything on your skin as it may trigger allergies you already have and allergies you might have. In more serious cases, your dermatologist might refer you to an allergy specialist to help you identify your triggers. Usually, skin tests are used to identify the cause of your allergies.
Know your skin type
In a previous post, we discussed how there are various types of skin types out there. One of the most important parts of developing a skincare routine is determining which type of skin you have.
These skin types are normal, dry, and oily skin. And, if you think your skin belongs to two (or sometimes more) then you have combination skin. Men don’t just fall into one category. Skin types vary from man to man. Usually, it’d be pretty easy to determine which skin type you have. And, in most cases, your skincare routine should depend on what your skin needs at the time. Educating yourself on your skin type and what that skin type needs would give you an overview of the responses you need to take in the event of acne, skin irritation, or any other type of skin infection.
Clean that skin!
Now that we got the nitty-gritty details out of the way. Let’s start with the basic ways men can start with when taking care of their skin. Most times, men just take quick showers without really cleaning the spots that they need to clean.
Exfoliating is such a new concept for men that, contrary to popular belief, showers won’t just get the dirt off. You need to soap, scrub, and rinse to get all the dead skin cells off the surface of your skin. According to Maven Doctors, exfoliating is important to help the skin shed off dead skin cells and help your skin generate new ones. However, keep in mind that scrubbing your skin should be in moderation. Over-exfoliating your skin can leave your skin feeling dry and irritated.
Cleaning your skin should also depend on the level of activity that you have in your lifestyle. If you’re a more active person that’s exposed to sweat, dirt, and dust on a daily basis, cleaning your skin should be a must every day.
Moisturize!
If you have dry skin, then we cannot stress how important moisturizers are for you. We understand the struggle, dry skin can result in cracks and itchiness that can make the skin feel sore. However, moisturizers aren’t only for people with dry skin. Whether you have oily, normal, or dry skin, moisturizers will help prevent your skin from drying up.
Moisturizers work by trapping water in the outermost layer of your skin. Keeping moisture prevents your skin from drying up and controls oiliness that may lead to clogged pores and acne.
Normally, we would advise people to moisturize at least twice a day. However, you know your skin better. Listen to your body and moisturize any time you feel like your skin needs it.
Sunscreen
There’s an interesting article posted by Allure entitled, “Why Don’t Men Put on Sunscreen?” and it’s hilarious.
When asked how often they apply sunscreen, the funniest responses from men were:
- “As rarely as possible.”
- “Not often as I should. Really only when going to the beach or spending more than a few hours outdoors.”
- “Never.”
We may forever be flummoxed by men’s refusal to see the importance of sunscreen. All we could do is highlight its benefits.
Sunscreen, put simply, protects you from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. UV rays burn the skin and may cause aging, sun spots, and skin cancer. The common misconception is that when you apply moisturizer on your skin, you don’t need to apply sunscreen. That’s false. Applying sunscreen, along with moisturizer, will help prevent sun damage that can lead to premature aging.
Experiment
Do not get frustrated when your skin isn’t showing any signs of improvement. It happens. If you think that your skincare routine isn’t working, the only next step is to try again.
First of all, don’t believe exaggerated product claims like “clear skin in a week” or “see results in two days” because it’s all a marketing thing. It’s common knowledge that beauty products go through an absurd amount of testing (rightfully so!) and companies cherry-pick the best results for their marketing campaigns. This means that one person might have seen results in two days but others that also took the same test may have seen results after 15-20 days. Naturally, it makes sense that companies would use the story of the person that experienced immediate results.
So what do you do if you don’t see results? Well… you try again!
When it comes to skincare, no one gets it right the first time. You have to listen to your body and try and try and try again. You might be using the best products for your skin but you aren’t sleeping well. You might be drinking loads and loads of water but you aren’t applying sunscreen whenever you go out. See what we mean?Your skin depends on several different factors and it pays to try, fail, and then try again. In this way, you’ll confidently determine which ones don’t work and which ones do. Persistence is key, dudes!
