Men’s skin care advice: Q & A

What skin care advice do you have for a man?

This question comes from many different men I have spoken with about skin care. My short answer (and this is specifically directed to men) is: use products! Classically, men are not huge consumers of skin care products. That of course is changing, but by and large, men are not as educated in matters of the skin as many women are.

The Basics (cleansing, toning, and moisturizing) would be about all I would ask a man to do for his skin. If he is truly looking to do more—great! The Extras (exfoliating and using a clay mask) would be excellent additions to anyone’s skin care program, male or female. Most men just don’t use any or many products on their skin, so I like to start them off slowly and see how it goes. Usually once they see a positive difference in their skin, they are more willing to do a few extras to further help the health of their skin.

I would like some recommendations for men. My brother has some problem areas, and I would like to pass along some information to help him. What exactly should a man with problem skin do?

Recommendation #1: Don't pick!

The recommendations for a man with problem skin are really no different than for a woman. The main difference in this equation is men are generally not accustomed to doing much with their skin. So for a man to treat his problem skin may mean using products when in the past he didn’t use any. I think you have to take this into consideration when making suggestions. To recommend a lot of products to someone—especially a man—who isn’t using anything is probably a mistake. It’s just too much, and the routine is doomed to failure.

As mentioned before, The Basics would be beneficial for any skin, especially if there are problems with breakout. You want non-alkaline skin care products, which includes your cleanser. Aveeno bar soap or Cetaphil liquid cleanser are both easy to find and are pH balanced.

A spray-on toner that has essential oils in it would be good to use following shaving and dabbing pure essential oils neat (straight) on the blemishes would make an excellent spot treatment for breakouts. Remember, breakout needs antibacterial products to help quell the growth and proliferation of bacteria. Without treating the blemishes, they will just take their own sweet time going away. I don’t recommend oxy-type products, as they are usually too harsh and drying; essential oils are my personal products of choice.

Shaving may open up blemishes that are trying to go away, prolonging the healing process. If you are trying to clear up broken out skin, if possible try not to shave for a few days. Obviously this may not be something you can do, but by not shaving and treating the spots with essential oils, you are giving your skin the time it needs to heal. When you do shave, be very careful to avoid opening the blemishes up. I understand this is not an easy task. Try shaving with the hair growth in order to avoid too close of a shave and possibly nicking the blemishes.

Finally, using some sort of treatment cream (moisturizer) would be good. Many men are not accustomed to using creams on their faces. And some men might not like the way a moisturizer feels on their skin. However, if you want optimum resources for treating your problem skin, find a good lightweight cream specifically meant for problem skin. Use this day and night along with cleansing and toning. Hopefully this all will help you to have clear, problem-free skin.

I love the spray bottle idea for my toner (my husband likes it too!). My husband’s skin is doing better than ever. I’ve got him into a daily and nightly skin regimen, and he hardly breaks out anymore. He used to have frequent breakouts, which runs in his family.

Attention men: If you just give your skin The Basics, it can and will make a difference! The total time spent on those three steps is less than two minutes. Surely you have a few short minutes in the morning and before you go to bed to take care of your skin.

For more information, see:

• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• Help for Breakouts
• TONERS 101: WHAT is a toner and WHY use one? Also HOW & WHEN to use a toner?

If you take care of your skin, your abs will look like this!