REPEAT AFTER ME. SKINCARE = MASCULINITY

To say that this past year has been a chaotic one would be an understatement. Influential developments including climate change, a global pandemic and political chaos have intensified anxiety levels worldwide and consequently raised awareness of mental health issues.

Ensuring you’re in a positive mental place is essential, regardless of gender. Let that sink in for a minute. With self-care being marketed as something practiced mostly by women, many men may feel that self-care is unnecessary or irrelevant to them, which is not the case. Both men and women have experienced the stress and anxiety the pandemic has caused over the past two years, so why shouldn’t self-care be a priority for men? Being the best version of yourself doesn’t happen overnight. You need to invest time, effort and resources in taking care of yourself.

Male and female skin is NOT the same, and they do NOT react in the same way to product ingredients. What that means is using your girlfriend’s, sister’s or mom’s skin-care products isn’t as effective as you might expect it to be. It would be more efficient for men to use products specifically formulated for their needs. Male skin contains more collagen and elastin than female skin, making it more resistant to wrinkles. Men also have more hair follicles and associated sebaceous glands, causing the skin to be oilier on average.

As a guy who has struggled with acne his whole teenage life and a part of adult life, it’s the little things that make all the difference. It’s all about making the right decisions, and you can start by completing three easy changes to your morning and evening routine with three affordable products.
Let’s get started.

FIRST, CLEAN YOUR FACE.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a guy and probably have been using the same shampoo to wash your body, scalp and face. Soap is soap? Think again.

30% of men admit they don’t wash their face daily. So, start by washing your face with any cleanser that isn’t shampoo or your significant other’s facewash. It’s as simple as that. Instead of only splashing cold water on your face in the morning, put in the two extra minutes to GENTLY wash your face and start the day off right. Also, doing this before you go to sleep prevents the dirt and pollution accumulated throughout the day from soaking into your skin.

Before shaving, a mild foaming cleanser can help reduce surface oil and de-clog pores. Make sure you pat your face with a towel rather than aggressively rubbing it across. The rubbing motion can make the pores oilier than usual and irritate sensitive skin.

Here’s my recommendation:

Dry Skin
  • CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser.
    11.31$
Oily Skin
  • Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser.
    6.65$

Repair It

Air pollution, cigarette smoke and UV rays are a few harmful elements that inflame the epidermis and cause pre-mature aging. The more our skin is exposed to free radicals, the more tired and worn down it gets. You can avoid breakouts, ingrown hairs and pimples by squeezing five extra minutes in your morning and night schedule. Worrying about aging and wrinkles is not just for the golden age, so get yourself to the nearest drugstore ASAP.

An antioxidant serum like vitamin C can prevent damage and leave your skin feeling fresh and hydrated. It should be used in the morning before you put on your moisturiser.

That’s right. We’re leveling up to moisturiser.

Here’s my recommendation:

Dry Skin
  • Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum.
    19.99$
Oily Skin
  • CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum.
    24.99$

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MOISTURE, BRO

Welcome to the big league of moisturising. You may not realise it but playing your sport of choice in the heat or working on your tan at the beach is not the only place the sun can damage your skin. Over time, exposure to the sun, whether during a walk to the bus or sitting outside at your favorite bar, accumulates and causes wrinkling, fine lines, freckling and texture changes. I recommend purchasing a moisturiser combined with SPF 30.

Here’s my recommendation:

Dry Skin
  • CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 30.
    18$
Oily Skin
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Facial Moisturiser with SPF 15
    14.49$

Well, congratulations! We’ve gone through your new and improved skin care routine. Before you embark on your solo skin care journey, here are some quick and easy tips on identifying your skin type so you can choose the product that’s best for you.

How to tell what your skin type is

Dry
  • Tight and flaky
  • Dull complexion
  • Lacking elasticity
Oily
  • Shiny, thick, slightly waxy
  • Coarse pores, pimples, and other various blemishes
  • Prone to blackheads and whiteheads
Combination

This can be a mixture of both oily and dry, depending on various elements. Your skin can change according to the environments you are exposed to, what you ate that day or if you tried a new product that throws your skin out of balance.

For the shavers with the clean-cut

Regular shaving can over-exfoliate the epidermis, causing irritation and redness. Maintaining a skin routine that cleanses and moisturises should prevent oiliness from occurring.

For those who want to be the guy with the fantastic beard

With an impressively groomed beard becoming a major trend over the past few years, major companies like Clinique and Tom Ford have offered shaving foams, beard oils and exfoliating scrubs that were made to improve and cultivate facial hair. A fantastic beard doesn’t just appear like magic – a lot of time and effort needs to be put in to reach your facial hair goals.

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