Skincare is most certainly not exclusive to the women in our lives and celebrities - taking pride in your appearance and taking care of your body is crucial to maintaining a youthful and healthy appearance even as you hit middle age.
Sometimes online you see extensive routines and products that make you wonder, ‘is this genuine?’, which the answer to that is - probably not. The temptation of these exaggerated products is alluring - I myself can vouch for this. However, they aren’t the only options available for those of us looking to refresh our faces.
Being a modern man involves different expectations to generations prior, but no matter your age or where you come from, maintaining your skin and your health is essential to being a man of today.
What is a Skin Type?
Before I learned what a skin type was, I was under the impression that any product would do the job, but understanding what my body needed was the key to bettering my health. I can assure you that this will provide the same benefits in your life.
Skin types are often categorized into four predominant types, with these being:
- Dry
- Normal
- Combination
- Oily
You don’t need any excessive testing or trialing of products to find out your skin type, as it tends to be relatively obvious. Yet if you’re unsure as to where to start, I’m here to help with some of the top tips that allowed me to determine the current state of my skin so improvement could become a feasible option.
Dry
Dry skin is often self-explanatory, if you are susceptible to dandruff or flaky skin anywhere across your body, it is highly probable that you fit into the dry skin category. Often those with dry skin tend to be more prone to skin irritation and reactions due to the dryness creating a level of sensitivity. Having dry skin can be tough, so for those of you who fall into this demographic, skincare may be more essential than you previously realized.
Normal
Don’t worry those of you out there who don’t fit into this category - normal skin isn’t definitive of the state of a majority of men’s skin. Normal essentially means that your skin’s distribution of oils is spread evenly across your face, with areas such as your t-zone and cheeks not excessively oily but at a happy medium. It likely means that your skin is not super sensitive and prone to irritation.
Combination
Combination skin is often where the oil distribution is imbalanced with the areas of dryness on your face. For example, you could have an extremely oily nose or t-zone, yet your cheeks could flake and become easily irritated by the products you use to shave or wash. Often having patches of drier skin and more oily skin across your body is an accurate indication of the areas of sensitivity.
Oily
Similar to dry skin, oily skin is very self-descriptive. It is essentially where your skin pores tend to be larger and more visible and your skin becomes prone to oil build-up - often leaving spots and blackheads in its wake. This often is present across the entirety of your body and tends to be a more common skin type for those who have struggled with acne throughout their teenage years or early adulthood, so skincare may be something you have dabbled in prior.
How do I Look After my Skin?
After you’ve identified what your skin type is, whether it lies between two types or is an extremity, it is important to learn how to clean and maintain your skin so you won’t be at risk of early-onset skin aging. Realistically, none of us wants to appear older than we truly are, particularly as we mature.
The skincare routine that I have always relied on is simplified down to three primary products: a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer; used once a day following my regular showering routine. However, ensure that you have some post-shave balm on hand for the shaving days to avoid any unfortunate irritation.
Cleanser
A cleanser is essentially a type of wash specified for use on your face, but it is important to balance the use of your products and understand what your skin needs for optimal maintenance.
As a man with dry skin, a sensitive face wash for use once every day during my regular shower routine ensured that my skin is both cleansed and hydrated instead of being dried out by generic products, this has improved the quality of my complexion and helped even out the oils across my face. So, for those of you with other types of skin, blackheads or oil cleansers may be more appropriate to remove excess oils or even find a sensitive cleanser that isn’t too harsh on your face.
Toners
Okay - hear us out. A toner is essentially a water-based cleanser you apply to your skin following your shower to help remove any lasting impurities. This is great for those of us who have unnecessary oil blockages and have had a messy day working, it wipes away any lasting dirt.
For toners, most skin types can use the same variety of products, but I would personally recommend aloe vera infused toners as an option due to its hydrating properties!
Moisturizers
The ultimate staple of any skincare routine is a suitable moisturizer. For those with skin on the dryer side of life, it is important to invest in a long-lasting moisturizer suited for sensitive or dry skin. For those with more combination or normal skin, it is important to find a relatively general moisturizer that suits those with a general skin type, and the same applies to men with oilier skin.
This will guarantee you softer skin and less irritation, so you can go about your day and look fantastic! All it takes is some dedication.
