Skin Care for Men
By Rachel Lamont
Spa Owner & Medical Esthetician
Guys, let's face it; even if you don’t say it, we all know you care about how you look! You don’t have to tell me but if you read on, I will give you some simple techniques for keeping your skin tip-top from top-to-bottom. So here are my expert tips for you manly men, to look like the well-groomed studs I know are buried in each of you! We are going to go into a bit more detail then the cheap disposable razor and an equally cheap and generic grocery store bar of drying perfumed soap; I’m going to break it down to you in a few simple categories to choose from, for any area you feel needs work.
FACE
Cleanse at night to wash off all the sweat and dirt of the day and choose a proper moisturizer for your skin type. If you don’t know what your skin care cream should be, ask a qualified Esthetician - we are the professionals that will help you choose the right one. If you have oily acne-prone skin, a low oil acne moisturizer may be right for you. If you are dry and sensitive (which, yes, male skin can be!) then a more nourishing, sensitive product may be right for you. Don't be fooled; there is not one product that is right for all men... I know, if it were only that simple! If you are experiencing difficult skin care issues, seek out a good skin care provider. I always advise my male clients to scrub their facial skin 1-2 times a week with a suitable exfoliate, that suits their skin care needs. Also; please wear sun screen - you don’t want to look like a wrinkly old shoe when you hit 40! Remember that the sun penetrates through the windshield of your car... and office windows too. "Distinguished" is certainly one sexy look, but "Old Boot" is another thing all-together!
SHAVING AND BODY HAIR
The ideal time to shave is after a shower when your skin is clean and moist. This will help keep irritation at bay. Use a good, hydrating, natural and fragrance-free shave cream and work it into the skin. Shave in the direction of the hair grain and try to do as few swipes with a clean fresh blade as possible. This will lessen the chance of irritation also. After your shave is finished, rinse the face clean and apply your night cream or any serums for after shaving and to prevent irritation. The Eminence Recovery Oil is great for this. As for body hair; wear it how you like it! Long, trimmed, short, waxed…. I like them all. However, it is good to use a wash cloth, loofa, natural sponge and/or a body brush to scrub all hair that grows in covered areas. This will help to treat any ingrown hairs.
BODY
Wash your face, hands, underarms, groin, bum and feet every day. Scrub the rest of your body every 2-3 days only, with a natural soap, to let your body's natural oils build up and nourish the skin. You can scrub every day with a cloth, loofa or body brush; just don’t use soap everyday! Scrubbing removes dead skin, ingrown hairs, create healthy circulation and will stimulate the body, the lymphatic drainage system... and it just feels good! Treat your skin to a good daily body lotion - one that you can put on your whole body and will make your skin feel soft and more comfortable, and leave you less itchy and dry. Even though you are men, you still get dry skin too! Sometimes your skin can even be worse than the ladies, simply because some of you have jobs that require more time in the elements or in dry environments.
HANDS/FEET/NAILS
Buy a pedicure foot scrubbing paddle to buff off any dead skin that builds up on the bottom of your feet and palms. For hands, do this a few times a week and for feet, always wash between each toe. If you don’t, your feet will end up looking like troll feet and could crack and become uncomfortable! There are too many men out there that are not taking care of their feet and hands; All I want to say is: “We notice." Trim your nails every week, and clean under your nails in the shower every night to discourage nail fungus from growing under the nail plate. If you leave dead skin, dirt and bacteria under your nails, you are promoting the chance of nail fungus growth! I also like to scrape around the base of my nail beds and push back cuticles to get rid of that extra skin. All this advice goes for the hands as well. Yes, even the foot paddle part! This is because some very hard-working man hands get beat up and rugged... and men, these need to be softened before stroking your pretty ladies!
Guys, that is my head-to-toe how-to, make a man look and feel good!