Men have been traditionally known to be more negligent in taking care of their skin. However, the good news is that the trend has been shifting and more and more men are now embracing the need to keep a healthy skincare routine.
There are three vital factors for an effective skincare routine: commitment, care, and consistency.
Men need skincare too
Unlike women, male skin has more collagen content, making it firm and thick. While they lose some collagen all through their life, the depletion is rather slow. As a result, signs of ageing come only at a later part of life.
However, in today’s environment, pollution, stress and unhealthy eating habits are a part of life. This has resulted in many men showing premature skin ageing signs.
That said, the good news is that basic skincare complemented with good quality products designed for male skin can work wonders!
Best skincare routine for men
Following are the key steps required to maintain a healthy and supple skin:
1. Cleanse
This is an important step to remove unwanted debris and bacteria attached to the face. Use a good face cleansing solution and thoroughly clean your face with room temperature water.
2. Use a scrub
Scrubbing helps to remove difficult debris and germs that have settled deep within the skin’s pores to give it a fresh glow.
Choose a gentle skin scrub (preferably made of natural ingredients) that goes with your skin type. Men with sensitive skin types may want to minimise the scrubbing or check with their doctor for product recommendations.
3. Hydrate and Moisturise
Moisture is the key component to maintaining the suppleness of the skin. When a person grows older, the collagen content in the skin begins to reduce, minimising its water holding capacity. Regular moisturising helps to retain the moisture content in the skin cells, keeping it hydrated and youthful.
4. Sunscreen
Using sunscreen regularly helps ensure that all the exposed parts of the skin are protected from the sun’s harmful Ultraviolet rays.
5. Tone
Toner helps to maintain the pH levels in the skin. They also contribute to tightening the pores and protecting the skin from environmental damage.
Skincare routine for oily skin men
Oily skin needs more care than the normal skin type. Here are some steps to follow:
1. Cleanse your skin twice a day
Oily skin needs more cleansing efforts as compared to regular skin types. This is because there is high production of sebum, which adds to the accumulation of oil, dirt, and bacteria within the pores.
Washing your face with a good skin cleanser will help to remove all these impurities.
2. Use a toner
Toners are highly helpful in regulating the skin’s PH levels and form a layer of evenly toned skin. Men with oily skin have a pH level of around 4. A toner can help bring it to normal levels of about 4.7.
3. Use prescription based anti-acne creams
Prescription based anti-acne creams have exfoliating and cleansing ingredients like Tretinoin which help remove excess debris and clear the acne, while preventing new breakouts.
4. Use ice cubes for rubbing
Ice cubes provide immense benefits when rubbed on oily skin.
Simply wrap a few ice cubes on a cotton cloth and gently apply them to your face. You can also use additional ingredients such as green tea, rose water or grapes for ice cube preparation.
5. Moisturiser
Moisturisers are the last thing on your mind when you have oily skin. However, men with oily skin type tend to lose more natural oil and moisture than those with normal skin. It is, therefore, necessary to regularly moisturise the skin.
Choose a moisturiser that is non-greasy so that the skin gets the necessary hydration without getting the pores clogged.
6. Use paper wipes
Paper wipes or blotting tissue help absorb the excess oil produced by the skin.
If you are out in the sun for long hours, wipe your skin with paper wipes every two hours to remove the debris and excess oil.
Men’s skincare routine in the 30s and 40s
Cleansing, exfoliating, toning, and moisturising are important skincare steps for men in their 30s and 40s. However, those with different skin types (example, prone to acne) should choose a prescription based anti-acne product.
Additionally, skincare routine in the 30s and 40s needs to focus on treating signs of ageing. Make sure to use anti-ageing creams (dermatologist recommended) and serums to reduce the ageing appearing on your skin.
In addition, several products slow down the degradation of collagen, helping you to retain your youthful glow for a long time.
Importance of using anti-ageing creams
Anti-ageing creams often come with a bucket load of benefits. Some of these include:
- Reduce the fine lines and wrinkles, crows feet, etc
- Boosts collagen production
- Improve the skin radiance
- Prevent peeling and flaking of skin
- Improve the tightness of your skin
- Prevent the occurrence of age spots
- Saves you from expensive skin treatments
Bottom Line
Starting your skincare routine at the right time helps to minimise the appearance of age-related symptoms on your skin. So if you are in your 30s or 40s, don’t think it is too late.
There are plenty of options to effectively protect your skin and retain the youthful glow. In this article, we have explained some of the medically proven ways by which you could maintain your healthy skin for a long time. To adopt some of the practices and see its magic on your skin.
Check out the Anti-ageing cream by andSons Malaysia.
The article is a part of our comprehensive series on “Basic skincare for men.”
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice.
Book a consultation with andSons Malaysia’s medical team to learn more about skin care conditions and available treatments here.
References:
Male skin care needs, Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18620985/[Assessed on 29 March 2022]Skin anti-aging strategies,Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583892/[Assessed on 29 March 2022]
