Skin Care for Men

A booming industry, men's skin care is finally making its way to the top of the agenda. Whether it's something men are doing to help remain competitive or to help ward off the signs of growing old, men of all ages and all walks of life are starting to care about using the right types of products for their skin type.

Men's skin differs from women's in that it contains a higher percentage of collagen and elastin, so it's thicker. Men's sebaceous glands also work harder than a woman's meaning that men's skin generally is oilier.

Real men are concerned with skin care

Besides all the regular enemies of skin like the sun, poor diet and cold weather, men's skin needs protection from the razor blade. Daily removal of facial hair requires the application of vitamin-rich shaving gel to protect skin from rashes and burns that sometimes result from shaving.

If you want to avoid having your appearance referred to as 'weather beaten' you had better start protecting your skin from the sun. Sunburns aren't sexy and neither are the signs of premature aging. If surfers are man enough to walk around with heavy white zinc on their noses and lips, then you can be man enough to apply sunscreen when you're outdoors golfing, fishing, working or playing.

General guidelines for men's skin care

Begin the day by deep-cleaning your face to remove dirt and sweat. Cleanse again before going to bed. 

Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and other pore-blocking grime. Exfoliating also will open your pores and that's going to ensure a closer shave.

Before shaving, splash your face with warm water. That will make it easier to work up a good lather and it will soften skin. Take a few extra moments to really massage in the shaving cream. The massaging action will help stimulate blood flow in the dermis. Never use a dull blade to shave. And to ensure a close shave, always shave in the same direction as hair growth. Shaving in the opposite direction or shaving in both directions can leave you with skin that's red and irritated. Finally, take your time when shaving. Even though you've done it most of your life, you still need to be careful.

Moisturizing is important to help skin seal in moisture. Plus, many shaving products dry skin. Choose moisturizing products that also condition skin such as those that contain vitamins or aloe vera.

It's important to use after shave products that don't contain alcohol. It's too harsh and it'll dry skin which is opposite of what you want.

Remember that your face isn't the only part of your body that's covered with skin. Keep all skin clean and moist, especially on your feet, elbows, arms and your hands. Soft hands are nice to hold.

And finally, live the good life. Eat right, exercise moderately, don't smoke, and limit your intake of alcoholic beverages, all of which help keep skin healthy. That's the part of men's skin care you don't often hear much about.

For more information on skin care, please visit our Skin Care section.