Everything you need to know about men's skincare

At face value, here are some things you may notice about my Dad:

He’s an accountant, likes to indulge in luxurious food and lives for travel. One thing many people don’t know about him, however, is his passion for skincare. That, and how old he actually is, because he has barely any lines that give it away.

For many, the conversation around male’s skincare initially begins like this:

-’I don’t need to put stuff on my face.’

-’I have naturally good skin.’

-’Men look better as they age anyway…’

Cut to a few months later, and they have an AM and PM regime, an LED face mask and know more about double-cleansing than I do.

But other than fighting signs of ageing, what are some of the key reasons why men should be investing in a skincare regime?

A bit about your skin:

Did you know our skin is the largest organ of our body?

Our skin acts as a barrier between unwanted nasties, including UV damage, bacteria and germs. It’s time to stop putting skincare into the category of ‘indulgence’ and ‘beauty’, and focus on it the same way we do our health. You take the time to wash your hair and brush your teeth, so caring for your skin falls into that category of cleanliness.

Firstly, what are the differences between male and female skin?

Compared to women, men’s skin has more collagen and elastin, making it much thicker and firmer, therefore the signs of ageing often appear later in men than women. No, once again this doesn’t mean that you don’t need skincare! Though the signs of ageing appear later, when they do, they occur more quickly and fully formed, making prevention extremely vital.

Men also have more active sebaceous glands, therefore giving you more and larger pores. This is one of the reasons men’s skin is often oilier and shinier. By cleansing and detoxifying, you can minimise this.

Lastly…

Men. Shave. Their. Faces.

Shaving removes the upper layers of the skin cells, resulting in more sensitive skin, needing more care than others. P.S. - growing a beard is not the solution, they have their own issues!