“First I’m going to start dyeing my eyebrows, just to see how it works. Then I’ll go to the hair. Start slowly.” George Clooney
Take a stroll down the skincare aisle of any grocer or drugstore, and what will you find? Products specially made for and marketed to women. Lots of products specially made for and sold to women. And where do you find the skincare products for men?
Skincare products for men are usually far down at the end of the aisle, around the corner. And what will you find?
Maybe a couple of products, if you are lucky. They even look different from the women’s products. Women’s products are decorated with flowers and fruit.
Men’s look was stronger and more utilitarian. It would be easy to give up when it comes to looking for men’s skincare products, but that would be easy. That’s because some companies are helping men with skincare. Their story follows:
Skincare: One Size Does Not Fit All
One size fits all is a great concept for t-shirts, but for skincare, not so much. That’s because although there are some similarities between men’s and women’s skin, there are significant differences. Here are just a few of them:
- Men’s skin is thicker: No. We’re not talking about an attitudinal here. A man’s skin is thicker–up to 20 to 30 percent thicker.
- Men have more hair follicles than women: Not only are there more, but they are larger too. Especially on their face.
- Men’s skin produces more oil: That’s because men’s skin has more sebaceous glands, which produce oil.
- Men’s skin ages better: Since a man’s skin is thicker, it is more resilient and ages better.
Most of these differences are due to hormones. Androgens, such as testosterone, are responsible for these differences.
How Does All This Apply to Skincare Products?
There are some specifics about skincare for men and women that are the same. Many of the differences between men’s and women’s skin and how they are cared for has to do with what is done to it. That is where many differences in skincare products come in.
Shaving. The first thing most men do when they get up in the morning is to shave. After a while, the skin becomes shave worn. Further, with all those hair follicles, and cutting hair off at skin level, there is a constant threat of razor bumps, burns, and ingrown hairs. A good face scrub cuts through dead skin and lets hairs come up past the skin’s surface to avoid these problems.
Exposure. A man’s hair might be thicker, but it’s also outside in the elements more than a woman’s. This means that it should be moisturized as much as if not more than a woman’s. Since a man’s skin produces more oil, it doesn’t need as much from its moisturizers, but it still needs some.
Acne. Since a man’s skin produces more oil, they are at greater risk of acne. Men’s skin needs a stronger cleaner than a woman’s for deeper cleaning to prevent acne. Exfoliating at least once a week will help to control outbreaks.
The One Mistake Men Make
The one mistake nearly all men make is that they don’t take care of their skin. Making things worse, men have a natural ability to have better skin than women of the same age.
All they need to do to accomplish this is to moisturize, exfoliate, and follow their shaving with a natural aftershave. Do that, and you’ll not only look better, but you will feel better too.
