A client recently asked me, “why do men become so distinguished with age and women just don’t”? She went on to say how “women have to work so hard at staying young”. My honest  opinion, and what started me thinking about this blog, is that not a lot of men do actually age gracefully. Not all women do either, but women in general tend to consider their choices in slowing the aging process and take steps toward this goal, especially in skincare.

We need to start to educate the men in our lives. Men can benefit significantly from a very basic skincare routine at home. This routine starts with 3 steps and can alleviate acne, ingrown hairs associated with shaving beards, fine lines and sun damage.

No more dial soap in the shower for the face! If men started to moisturize alone twice daily, they would see significant changes in their skin and love the way their skin feels. I know it feels “clean” after the shower and soap, but that is only stripping away the protective layer of skin. Cleansing with a gentle cleanser and moisturizing immediately after shower, will leave a more comfortable, hydrated feel to the skin.

Step 1 is cleansing

Cleansers typically address sensitive skin, problem skin, dry skin & aging skin.  If you tend to be oily, salicylic acid is a fabulous beginner! It’s like putting drano on your pores and clearing debris. Salicylic acid can also help if used in the beard area for ingrown hairs and rashes. A few favorites are the PCA Blemish Control Bar with salicylic acid or the Circadia salicylic acid wash gel. After a quick consult we can determine the best product fit for your skin concerns and Voilà - step 1 is complete!

Step 2 is applying a nighttime moisturizer

The type of moisturizer will depend on your skin needs as well. The nighttime moisturizer is used to aid the skin in healing at night. These may address dryness, breakouts or oily skin. We recommend Circadia Aquaporin for a moisturizer or for those with oily skin we recommend Clearskin by PCA.

Step 3 is applying a daytime moisturizer with SPF

(You may repeat Step 1 again each morning followed by a daytime moisturizer.) Having sun protection is very important. SPF in the moisturizer allows us to just wash, apply and go! There are several excellent moisturizers with SPF and varying degrees of heaviness in the feel of product. For example, PCA Weightless SPF is excellent or those with oily/breakout prone skin. It has a more matted feel and is extremely light weight. Or if you tend to be very dry (especially in cold), PCA Daily Defense is an excellent choice. We recommend the SPF to be at least 30 UVA/UVB.

These are very basic steps and over time the hope would be to build on this base practice by including a vitamin C serum and a gentle retinol.

Our skin takes a beating over time, thanks to free radicals causing oxidative stress. Without going into a chemistry lesson, oxidative stress relates to our bodies’ negative reaction to bad things like:

• Air pollution
• Cigarette smoke
• Industrial chemicals
• UV rays

An antioxidant serum, like vitamin C, is helpful to reduce damage and should go on in the  morning underneath moisturizer. Apply after your shaving routine.  Before bedtime, a retinol cream for those in their 30s and up will do wonders to help smooth fine lines and wrinkles! 

In office treatments are an excellent idea for men in many ways. In combination with an at home regimen, the aging process can be slowed. For example, we at Radiance offer a Gentleman’s Facial or the Mini-Masculine Facial for the man on the move!

It’s important to recognize the link between self-care of our skin, feeling good about ourselves and our self-esteem. We need to remember self-care is not selfish! Everyone can benefit from taking a step back and learning how to care for our body and mind.