Skin Care Products for Men

Skin care products for men

Men look at skin care and body products differently than women. They aren’t looking for pretty packaging or pictures of young women in fancy clothes. All they know is good skin care is primarily about being healthy, and that’s good enough for them. So, what do these men need to know about skin care products?

Read the ingredients label first

Remember, this is especially important if you are an extremely sensitive or a chemically sensitive individual.

Stay away from these ingredients:

• Alcohol dehydrates, alters skin's pH balance, and can kill live skin cells.
• Vegetable oils and fatty acids can clog pores, trap bacteria inside, cause breakouts, and prevent the shedding of dead skin cells.
• Fragrances and dyes can cause irritation to the eyes, sinuses, and skin. Particularly sensitive individuals may experience allergic reactions varying from mild to severe.
  

Look for these ingredients instead:

• All natural ingredients like herbs, oils and minerals, plant extracts, proteins, vitamins, and essential oils. These feed and condition the skin while it cleanses and repairs it.
• Key in on these label words: vegan, organic, all-natural, gluten free, non-allergenic, nonacnegenic, nontoxic, chemical free, fragrance free, dye free, and animal and pet friendly.

Work with your Skin type

Each type of skin has its own needs and requirements. To meet these needs, there are specially designed products with the right combination of ingredients to keep skin healthy.

Oily skin - Oily skin is shiny and thick. It is prone to blackheads due to the overactive sebaceous glands. The pores are often large looking. Harsh products strip your skin of oil and cause flakiness and more production of sebum. Avoid skincare products that leave your skin feeling taut and dehydrated. They cause the upper layers of the skin to shrink. This restricts oil flow through the pores leading to blockages and breakouts.

Dry skin - Dry skin has a low level of sebum, feels "tight" and uncomfortable, and  chaps or cracks easily. Dry skin needs gentle cleansing, and generous quantities of oil and moisture. It also needs extra careful protection. Use nondetergent, neutral-pH products to cleanse your skin. Avoid using any commercial soap. Always use a moisturizer and skin protectant with SPF15 or greater.

Sensitive skin - A sensitive skin is a thin or a fine-textured skin that reacts quickly to heat, cold,  and wind. It is commonly dry, delicate and prone to allergic reactions. Use only hypoallergenic, fragrance free, dye free soaps and moisturizers. Sensitive skin breaks out easily when exposed to the wrong chemicals. In addition, always wear sunscreen SPF 15 or greater.

Acne-prone skin - Normally, this is caused by skin bacteria that become trapped in your pores, multiply, and cause inflammation. Cleansers and moisturizers with salicylic acid help with noninflammatory breakouts, like blackheads and whiteheads. Cleansers and moisturizers with salicylic acid have no effect on skin bacteria or excess oil, but help shed dead skin cells to prevent the clogging of pores.

Combination skin - Combination skin is a combination of oily and dry skin. There is a greasy T-zone area consisting of nose, forehead and chin. It should be treated with products made for oily skin. The second area is made of cheeks, mouth and around the eyes. It should be treated with products made for dry skin. Both areas need plenty of oil free moisturizer and a good SPF 15 sunscreen.

Start Slow

Men’s skin care companies specialize in making taking care of yourself easy and quick. However, the long list of products and skin care needs can be quite overwhelming.

1. To make it easy, start with facial care, especially a good cleanser and moisturizer. The cleanser will clean the dirt, oil and other stuff from the surface of the skin. The moisturizer will replace just the essential moisture in your skin and keep your outer layer from drying out.
2. If you are outside a lot, you need a good sunscreen or moisturizers with extra sunscreen in them. This lessens the damaging effects of the sun’s UV rays upon your skin.
3. Body care is an extension of basic skin care. There are custom body washes, soaps, and lotions designed to help the rest of your skin, including your hard working hands and feet, feel their best.
4. A special line of products that men need in particular are shaving products. These include special gels, shaving creams, and razor bump solutions. Finding the right ones for your skin will help keep shaving a pleasurable experience.
5. The last thing on your list of good skin care is a wrinkle fighting or anti-aging product, but not for the reason you think. Most men just take wrinkles, crow’s feet, and smile lines as an earned badge of bravery. These types of products help to remove the outer layer of dead skin cells so healthy new skin will rise to the surface.

Cleopatra’s Choice has a large selection of products, including face and skin care, created just for men’s needs. Come and select one to pamper yourself with.