Men's Skin
Wednesday, March 30, 2016I'd like to focus on men's skincare today, it frustrates me that men's 'grooming' as it's referred to, is still frowned upon by many. I'm very much a feminist, and no, that doesn't mean I'm a man hater, it just means that I believe in gender equality. However, that's not what today's post is about, more on that another time, maybe.
Men want good skin just as much as women do, both sexes want to look their best, and I'm hoping that it will become the norm for men to not feel ashamed or embarrassed to admit that they use things like face washes or moisturisers.
Firstly, a few interesting points about men's skin:
- Men's skin is approximately 20% thicker than womens.
- They have more sebaceous glands (oil glands) due to male hormones (androgens) so they are far more likely to suffer with oily skin, spots and acne.
- Men are more prone to sensitivity due to shaving, this can lead to ingrown hairs, shaving rash and irritation.
- Men appear to age less due to the higher oil content in their skin, and their thicker skin, age lines and wrinkles are less prominent (unfair, I know). Although, expression lines are normally more obvious in men due to this.
Anything designed for women, men can use, and vice versa. Most of the time, the only difference with men's products is that the packaging looks a little more 'masculine'.
It would be great for men to have a routine similar to women's, as in, cleanse, tone, serum, moisturise etc, but from my experience, the men in my life can't be bothered doing it. That's not to say that you (if you are a man reading this!), or that the men in your life won't.
The main things I can get my boyfriend to do, is cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise.
The most effective cleansers for men are ones that contain clay, and ones that contain acids such as salicylic, glycolic and lactic acid. Also, they tend to prefer quicker ones they can rinse off in the shower, rather than ones they would have to remove with a facecloth. The main thing is to avoid sulphates, and avoid 'daily scrub' type ones.
Below I have listed some recommendations for men's cleansers, in price order:
'Yes To' Face Washes, around £6.00 from Boots, here.
These are very basic cleansers, there is no sulphates in them and they are cruelty-free which is always a bonus. There are slightly different formulations for different skin types, although there is no acids or clays in them, they are okay, just nothing 'wow'. A good budget option.
REN Cleansers, between £14-£20 available here.
To be honest, any of the REN cleansers would be suitable, they are sulphate free, and there are different ones for different skin types. There are clay based ones, which are great for purifying, these are best left on for a bit before rinsing off. There are also more gel based ones that give a lather, and they all smell really nice too.
Anthony Logistics Glycolic Facial Cleanser, £15.00 from here. (On offer at the moment, normally £21.00)
This is a really great cleanser, it has nearly 5% glycolic acid in it to resurface the skin, and it really helps with spots and oily skin. It slightly lathers, but doesn't contain stripping sulphates. It's best to apply this, and leave it on for a few minutes to work, before you rinse it off.
Lab Series Oil Control Face Wash, around £20 (depending on stockist), available from Boots here.
This one contains salicylic acid which is brilliant for spots and oily skin, and it gives a nice lather due to the pump, and again doesn't contain sulphates. As with the last one, it's best to leave it on for a bit before you rinse it off.
A spritz type of toner is a good option to go for if you, or your man can't be bothered to do the whole cotton pad, wipe over face, thing.
Some recommendations are:
Caudalie Organic Grape Water, around £6.00 here.
Very affordable, and very soothing and calming. Great for redness and irritation after shaving.
La Roche-Posay Serozinc, £6-£8.00 here.
Again, very affordable, great for oily skin prone to spots, and very good for redness. I use this a lot.
In my next post, I'll list some more recommended products like moisturisers. At the moment it's proving very difficult to find any budget options that don't contain silicone, alcohol or paraffin.
Until next time! x
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