Until recently, a majority of men considered that taking care of their skin was far from manly and that it was the prerogative of women. Not any more. Today that point of view no longer exists. Effective skin care is now considered an intrinsic part of daily regime by most men.
How does aging affect your skin?
For men who have crossed 35, skin care becomes even more essential as aging takes its toll on their skin. These are the changes you see:
The skin becomes less elastic, less radiant and duller Wrinkles appear in areas of the face that have never been touched by a sunscreen/sun protection cream Blood vessels become visible on the top layer of the skin Tiny brown freckles called solar lentigines appear on the face
You should take care of your skin because:
You will look younger and you complexion appears more radiant
Skin is a protective barrier against germs dust and other forms of infection
There are four most important tips that form the basis of anti-aging skin care regimen for men.
Cleansing
Did you know that a man's skin is 15% more oilier than a woman's? Also the pores on a man's skin are quite larger than those on a woman's. Due to this, a man's skin needs to be cleansed more often. Whatever the skin type - (oily, dry, a combination of both, sun damaged or sensitive), deep cleansing is the first and basic step skin care. This keeps the skin smooth, wrinkle free, healthy and the pores clean.
Avoid bar soap for your face; use a deep cleanser instead
Deep cleansers contain surfactants, oil and water
The surfactants dissolve the makeup and dirt on the skin, the oil dissolves the oil and the water washes all this away from your face
The best cleanser for you skin is the one that contains all three ingredients in a proportion suited for your skin type
One of the most effective ways to cleanse is to splash your face with warm water (not hot or cold) to de-clog the pores and loosen the dirt; apply a small amount of cleanser and rinse it off with cool water
Cleansing too often tends to damage the skin
Some popular cleansing products in the market today are:
Zirh Clean Face Wash Jack Black All Over Wash MenScience Daily Face Wash Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Wash
However, one of the most effective anti-ageing face cleansers is the "Deep Active Cleaning Mask", an Xtendlfe product, made from natural ingredients and containing powerful anti oxidants. This product your skin extra deep cleaning and has to be used once a fortnight.
Exfoliating your skin once a week will make your face look more youthful.
Scrubs remove the dead cells in the topmost layer of the skin, thus removing the skin's dullness
A weekly exfoliation routine using a microdermabrasion produces the best results
Chemical peels can also make your face look much younger
If the monthly peel seems expensive, you can always buy a peel that works over a month, like the MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel
The top layer of the cells on the facial skin are removed and the collagen is regenerated - this is what Retinoids do for your skin
Exfoliation should be done only to that level where the top layer of dead cells is removed. Too much of it may cause skin irritation and redness.
Retin A is a popular exfoliation product as is the Lancome Microdermabrasion Kit.
Moisturizing
Unlike what some of us believe, moisturizers are beneficial even for those with an oily skin. Except for those men who have acne, moisturizers work well for all, provided you choose the product recommended for your skin type.
Shaving Tip
Shaving makes the skin rough. Coat your skin with warm water before applying shaving cream. After the shave, rinse with cool water and apply a good after shave cream like Afta.
A moisturizer basically adds moisture to your skin, preventing it from drying up
You know you need a moisturizer when your skin feels tight and stretched across your face.
Moisturizers for oily skin should contain oil free and non pore clogging ingredients
Moisturizers for dry skin should contain hyaluronic acid, glycerin and dimethicone
Effective moisturizers for normal and combination skins come in stick and gel formulations
There are day and night moisturizer types. Use the ones that are best suited for your skin and life style
Excessive moisturizing routines clog pores
Jack Black Line Smoother Face Moisturizer is an anti-ageing skin care product as the name suggests. It helps keep the skin smooth and wrinkle free. Other popular products are John Varvatos Skin Hydrating Face Moisturizer, MenScience Advanced Face Lotion and Zirh Protect Face Moisturizer.
Application of Sunscreen
The most significant ill effect of too much exposure to the sun is the premature wrinkling of your skin. To keep your skin supple and protected from this kind of damage, use a good sunscreen product.
Some men prefer using two types of moisturizers, one for providing moisture to the skin at night and the other which has an effective UV shield to be used during the day
Sunscreens should contain zinc or titanium oxide as one of its ingredients; sunscreens with Aloe Vera are good for your skin too
Sunscreen lotions also help keep your skin looking young and radiant.
The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) in a sunscreen should be 15 or higher - SPF tells you how much longer you can be in the sun
The UVA rays of the sun age your skin and UVB rays cause skin damage and sometimes cancer; the label on the sunscreen product tells you whether it protects you against UVA or UVB
If you need something to protect your skin while in water buy a water resistant or waterproof sunscreen
If you spend long hours in the sun, applying a moisturizer with Vitamin E later adds further protection to your skin
Popular sunscreen products created for men are MenScience TiO2 Sunblock SPF 30, Jack Black Water/Sweat Resistant Sun Guard, SPF 30 and DDF organic Sunblock SPF 30.
If you still happen to be one of those men who think skin care is best left to women, reading this article may well change your mind and help you create your own skin care regimen that keeps you looking and feeling good.
No comments:
Post a Comment