Men tend to steer clear of many skin care and beauty products — not surprisingly, since these products are almost exclusively marketed to women. Men, it’s time to listen up: There’s nothing unmanly about taking care of your skin! When you avoid skin care, you risk suffering skin damage. Learn a few skin care techniques and invest in a few beauty products — your skin will thank you.
Moisturizer
If you’re not using moisturizer, you’re doing your skin a huge disservice. Everyday activities like washing your face, showering, and shaving sap the moisture from your skin. When your skin lacks moisture, it’s prone to quicker aging. Plus, the skin on your face might feel itchy, tight, or uncomfortable when it’s dry. In severe cases, dry skin will crack and start to bleed.
Get a moisturizer formulated for the face. And it doesn’t even have to say “men’s” on the label — it just has to be a facial moisturizer. Most facial moisturizers are lighter than the cream you put on your hands so that your pores don’t clog and so that your face doesn’t feel oily after you apply it.
Cleansing Scrub
Men have pores on their faces just like women do, which means that cleansing scrubs meant to wash away dirt and debris from the pores are important for men as well as women to use. Get a cleansing scrub with a light exfoliant to remove the dry skin and extra grime from your face, especially around your hair follicles.
You might think that using your hand soap or the soap you’ve got in the bathroom will work just as well for your face, but you should avoid using anything on your face except products formulated for the skin on your face. Soaps formulated for your body and your hands are harsher and are more likely to dry out your skin. They may also irritate the sensitive skin of your face or worsen your razor burn. (By the way, don’t shave with soap, either — use shaving cream.)
Foundation or Concealer
Yes, men can and should wear makeup to look their best. There is nothing unmanly about a man who wants to conceal blemishes or enjoy an even skin tone. Remember that today’s male celebrities all wear makeup when they’re on the red carpet, on stage, or on the set. Also, remember that male makeup use has a long history: Ancient Egyptian men wore kohl to emphasize their eyes, and in the Elizabethan era, British women and men alike used powders to turn themselves extremely pale, as was the fashion.
Today, makeup is more subtle: If you do it right, nobody will know you have any on. They’ll just notice that your skin looks especially nice. Make sure you ask someone — either a friend who knows about makeup or someone at a cosmetics counter — to help you match your powder or concealer shade. Then get some tips from Amway’s blog about how to choose powders and sunscreens that will work with your skin.
Eye Cream
Dark circles and crow’s feet are two intense signs of aging that men can start combating at any age. Most commercials and ads marketing eye cream feature women, but that doesn’t mean that these products won’t work on men, too. Men, just like women, want to look their best, including by softening the signs of aging.
Your choices for the perfect eye cream are vast, tailored to the results you want. Some offer extra hydration since that part of the face loses moisture very quickly. Others offer formulas that firm the skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
Ultimately, beauty products are for whoever wants to use them. Such products, especially makeup, have traditionally been marketed to women, but men will enjoy substantial skin benefits when they start using them. It’s time to stop thinking of skin care and makeup use as belonging to certain genders and to start simply using the products that are best for our skin.
