Once upon a time a man would never admit to using (or stealing his girlfriends) skincare products…
We still have some of those, but for the majority, they are happy to admit they take care of themselves. After all, why should women be the only ones worried about ageing?
The thing is, most men I know (yes, from all walks of life) love skincare! It’s the hassle of knowing and finding a good product they don’t like – Gotta keep it simple for us blokes… But who am I kidding – I love it all!
Men’s skin is generally a little tougher and thicker than women’s skin. Men age differently, having less little fine lines and more deep set lines because of their skin thickness. General maintenance is what a guy really needs.
It’s hard enough to get some guys into daily cleansing and a moisturizer, so lets not worry too much if they skip an eye cream or a toner! As long as men cleanse away the dirt, oil and impurities at least once a day in the shower and then hydrate their skin after that, we are doing good. Adding shaving/facial hair products would be my next push, then the importance of SPF.
If the guy is serious, then maybe add an eye cream, but lets focus on the important stuff and make it easy for everyone.
Facial Hair
The age of facial hair has grown (pardon the pun) immensely! But, recent trend reports are showing the hipster beard, or carefully groomed facial hair is getting shorter.
Groomed facial has become a new look that is acceptable not just on weekends, but from boardrooms to red carpets, showing that you can still be well dressed and have ‘groomed’ facial hair.
It is important to treat facial hair if you are going to keep it: Make it look soft and have a nice scent for the partners out there getting up close and personal. The Tom Ford Beard Oil (RRP $70) is a new favourite for many men as it leaves facial hair extra soft and lightly fragranced; a perfect leave-in style conditioner.
Styling
When styling facial hair, fresh stubble is often too short; it can look like you did just have no time to shave, but about two days growth is where it’s at.
My suggestion is to use a shaver on the neck area, keep it neat and tidy to elevate the groomed level and then also use a shaver on the cheekbone area, keeping the jawline beard area only – anything else can appear messy, especially when wearing a suit.
A trimmer is then suggested to keep your facial hair at the length you want it – 2-4 days growth is best for the styled, well groomed guy.
Something like the Braun Series 5 (RRP $249) is perfect for neat facial hair. Use the shaver daily on the neck/upper cheek and the trimmer when needed to shape the beard. The Series 5 has less skin pressure, so less irritation – can be used on the body too for some man-scaping!
Skincare
Now that our facial hair is under control, its time to make sure the rest of the face looks alive and well! Men don’t want to hear words like radiant or glowing skin. But anti-fatigue or fresh can be a good start.
Keep it simple and it will be a routine that will become automatic and you can thank me later…
Cleanse
Facial hair or not, we all need to cleanse our skin daily as we can accumulate a build up of daily dirt/oil and free radicals on our skin. As men generally have larger pores than women, it’s really important to have a deep clean, drawing out these impurities.
A lot of men like that foaming just-cleansed feeling, but if you over cleanse you are going to unbalance the skin. The skin will think it is dry on the surface and produce more oil, so it’s important to have a good balance between cleansing and hydration.
Charcoal is a new ‘must have’ with deep cleansing as it naturally targets the pores, releasing any impurities in the skin for a great fresh feeling. Try the Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser (RRP $10.99) – 2x more of a deep clean!
Moisturise
We all need moisture in our skin, no matter what our skin type, but the level or type is what we need to know.
A lot of men seem to have oily skin – this is actually a good thing as it can assist in anti-ageing by keeping the skin supple and not dry. Oily skin needs hydration, a water-base style moisturizer – one that feels fairly light on the skin.
The other end of the scale is dry skin, men who often work outdoors in the elements, find they have less oil, either because conditions are harsh to the face or they are sweating more than the average guy. This skin may need a little more nourishment rather than hydration, more oil than water.
Quick guide
– Water hydrates and balances out oily skin
– Oil nourishes and protects dry skin
Moisturising is especially important after cleansing as we can sometimes lose good oils as well as bad. For this reason, it is best to moisturize straight after to help soothe and balance out our manly faces.
I have been loving the new Hunter Lab, natural range of Australian skincare, made right here in Melbourne Australia.
For all skin types try the Hunter Lab Daily Face Fuel (RRP $49) – all day hydration with natural Australian grown ingredients = winner!
For the guy with a little extra dryness on the skin, add in at night or when needed the Hunter Lab Anti-Ageing Elixir (RRP $54) – with a trio oil blend, this guy will take care of any weathered looking skin!
SPF
There are so many products a guy could use for his skin: Toners or lotions, eye creams, scrubs… but today is all about simplified men’s grooming.
To me one big factor of ageing is sun damage and men love the outdoors from simple fitness activities, walking the dog, to playing sport and even that lunchtime walk in the city. It can all damage our skin.
Women wear makeup, so even if they are not adding an SPF to their face daily, most makeup items contain a little for them. Men however are exposed to the elements daily, this can lead to premature ageing and/or sunspots later in life. After all, 90% of all ageing is caused by the sun.
I swear by a good SPF: one that is light, non clogging of my pores and easy enough to apply as daily protection. It’s always those days you think you aren’t going in the sun that you do and with no protection – not cool.
My all time daily fave is the Ultraceuticals Sun Active SPF50 Face Cream (RRP $49) – it is so lightweight, touch dry and 4 hours water resistant for those beach days.
Men’s grooming doesn’t have to be hard. It should be a quick and simple routine that any man would actually enjoy using. Having the right information about your skin and the correct product to address these concerns is vita for success.
Go the #menstyle club!