By the Skin of Your Teeth : A Skin Care Regimen for Men #BeautySecrets

Source: Candice Archer @Article Base




By the Skin of Your Teeth A Skin Care Regimen for Men

Faces say a lot about a person. They express happiness, sadness, embarrassment, and frustration. Without a single word, faces tell stories about where a person has been and where he is going. Unfortunately, men tend to not care about their faces as much as they should. For men, it's usually some water on the face and then out the door. Developing a daily skincare regimen will keep you looking and feeling great, so here is a sample regimen to follow.

1. Wash

Wash your face twice a day—once in the morning, once at night with a gentle cleanser. Sounds straightforward enough, but there's much more to washing your face than meets the eye. You can't use any old soap on your face. Don't simply squirt some body wash on your face. You need a cleanser that is specifically formulated for the skin on your face, which is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on your body.

There are a million different types of facial cleansers to choose from—you might need to experiment a bit to find the one that works best for you. You can sign up for a men's Birchbox subscription to receive samples of high-quality products to try every month.

Splash your face with warm—not hot—water. Massage the cleanser into your skin in gentle circles. Use your bare hands. Gently massage the cleanser for anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds. Rinse away the cleanser with plenty of warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

2. Shave

Use plenty of shaving soap or cream and make sure your razor is sharp. Shaving dry or using a dull blade only increases nicks, cuts, and irritation, none of which are especially good for your skin. If you don't have a shaving cream on hand, the lather from your cleanser can work just as well. The idea is to give your razor a smooth surface to glide on. Shave after you've showered and washed your face as your pores are open and your facial hair is softer, allowing for a smoother, cleaner shave.

3. Treat and moisturize

If you have acne, apply salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to your face. Salicylic acid makes it easier for your face to shed dead skin cells to prevent them from clogging pores, while benzoyl peroxide reduces excess oil and directly eliminates the bacteria that causes acne. If you go with the latter, choose formulations with a 2.5% concentration, which is just as effective as 5% and 10 % concentrations but with much less irritation, dryness, and peeling. In fact, 10% may just make you breakout.

Along with the acne treatment, make sure you moisturize. Face lotions rehydrate your skin and return it to a normal pH level, thereby allowing proper protection against the elements. Find a moisturizer that is light and won't clog pores. Extra points if it contains some sort of sun protection because you will need some SPF.

4. Throughout the day...

Drink plenty of water. Water hydrates your skin and speeds up the process of shedding dead skin and renewing new skin cells. Make sure you take the right steps to protect yourself from the sun. If your lotion doesn't contain any sun protection or if you plan to spend a lot of time outside, apply plenty of sunscreen. Wear sunglasses and seek shade when available.

Above all, don't pick at your skin. Doing so causes scarring and only introduces more bacteria to your skin, leading to breakouts and blemishes. Leave your face alone.

Going through the regimen should only take ten to fifteen minutes at most, but it will make all the difference. Stay healthy!