The market for men's skincare products used to be quite limited. It was filled with a few brands that had, more or less, the same few products.
Men with specific needs or tastes had to resort to the minimal care available or borrow creams, moisturisers, and lotions from family or women's skincare lines.
These days there is a much greater range of mens skin care products available.
In this blog, we will explore some high-quality skin care products for men and discuss what's involved in an effective skincare routine.
Design a Men's Skincare Routine That's Right for You
For many men, the abundance of skincare products brings confusion.
What exactly should a man choose when caring for his skin on the face, the scalp, and the body?
1. Decide On Your Skin Type.
Do you have normal, oily, dry, or sensitive skin? Are there any specific issues, such as acne or eczema?
Normal skin tends to stay free of shine throughout the day, rarely develops acne or makes you scratch yourself due to being overly dry.
Dry and sensitive skin feels tight all over, especially without moisturising.
Oily skin: This is where your skin processes excess sebum or oils. Often the face will appear shiny, predominately on the nose and forehead. Oily skin can also be more prone to acne too because the oil can cause blockages.
Combination skin typically has an oily T-zone in the middle of the face with the top of the T on the forehead and the vertical bar coming down the nose.
An understanding of those terms will help you choose products that match your skin type.
Age is also a factor, so if you have let your skin wear out without properly taking care of it, it will require age-related men's skincare.
Allergies are crucial - if you have any allergies, read product descriptions before you make your skincare choice.
2. Skin Problems? Tackle Them First!
No amount of skincare will match your skin needs unless you take care of any underlying issues that may need medical attention.
Acne conditions, for example, can be drastically improved by using anti-acne products with antibacterial properties, for example, retinoids or salicylic acid.
To tackle acne to the core, you may need to use topical antibiotic creams suggested by your dermatologist. You may even need to take antibiotic pills to prevent issues from coming back.
You also have the option to try a professional facial. An expert can work wonders with the use of their special techniques and professional products such as this Vitaman professional facial starter pack.
The list of common men's skin problems is long, including razor burn that needs gentle shaving gels like Vitaman shaving gel, sunburn, under-eye circles, skin rashes, and eczema, some of which will go away by applying cosmetics.
However, if the issue persists, consider asking for a doctor's assistance. Your dermatologist will tell you how to use medical products. As a general rule, apply on clean skin, and typically only on affected areas. Be careful with the skin around the eyes as it is much thinner than the rest of the face.
3. Develop a Skincare Routine You'll Actually Follow
Setting down realistic expectations is the best way to ensure you stick to a routine. Dedicating a little bit of time in the morning or at night is a good start.
Don't overcomplicate things on a daily basis by applying more products than you have fingers on your hand. Keep it to a maximum of three or four products.
Start by practising a simple yet consistent routine:
Exfoliate.
A gentle scrub will suit normal, dry and sensitive skin. You can use coarser scrubs for the body like Vitaman Sea Salt Body Scrub or remove excess cells from oily or combination skin on the face. don't over-exfoliate if you have sensitive skin.
Use the scrub once or twice per week. Combined men's skincare exfoliators and washes can be used daily as they tend to be foamy, softer, and not as dense as exfoliate-only products.
Cleanse.
If you are using one product to exfoliate and cleanse, your new daily routine may consist of only two steps. For a more dedicated routine, exfoliate first, and use a separate cleanser or washing foam afterwards. This helps to remove any residues or dead skin cells and prepare your deeply cleansed skin for the next step.
Moisturise.
Unless otherwise stated, moisturisers and facial creams are applied on dry skin or only slightly damp skin that has most of the moisture removed. It's recommended to use a towel made from natural fibres for the most effective results. The routine will vary for men who don't wear beards and vice versa.
Beards require nourishing beard oils like Proraso beard oil Cypress Vetyver or pomades which are absorbed by the skin and at the same time take care of the facial hair. If you shave, apply after-shave balms like Vitaman after-shave balm which will protect and nourish the skin. If you have sensitive skin, choose natural men's skincare or organic lines, which won't adversely affect your skin or worsen the condition altogether.
4. Eat & Drink Well.
One of the biggest things you can do for your skin is to eat healthily. So even though you probably don't consider this part of your skincare routine it really does help.
Drinking plenty of water and avoiding those fatty foods will help make a visual difference. You'll be less likely to get blackheads and pimples, while also retaining skin moisture and improved elasticity.
5. Groom And Nourish Facial Hair.
Beards and moustache eliminate constant shaving out of your daily routine. But that doesn't mean that you should miss essential skincare steps, too. This can range from using beard products (see our guide to Proraso beard oil) to just general maintenance like trimming and shaving. Some men also think that because you have facial hair you can't use many skincare products. In fact, certain ranges are safe to use and won't remove any hair!
Our recommendation would be a purifying mask. It's best suited for those with oily skin types, as it's targeted to remove sebum! It will help to offer you shine control, while also helping to reduce dark circles.
Regular beard trimming significantly transforms your overall look, making you look polished. Owning a personal trimmer or clipper helps to complete those trims on your own as a part of your daily skincare routine.
6. Focus On Specific Needs.
Lastly, no two men are alike, though not too many will admit that they have specific men's skincare needs. Many need help with waxing and manscaping is a common reason for visiting a barber or beauty professional.
Melasma or skin decolouration, which causes brown patches due to sun exposure, as well as rosacea or red skin with visible blood vessels are two common issues that you may want to address with targeted products.
Besides medical care, melasma requires religiously applying sun protection, while both melasma and rosacea can be covered with concealers or tainted creams like Kryolan Perfect Matt Gel for a natural feel of clean skin.
We have focused mostly on the face so far because that's the part that most of our customers want advice on. However, the body and hair care should also be a part of the daily routine.
Let's do a deep dive into body scrubs and what you should look for.
Body Scrubs for Men
Believe it or not, your kitchen cabinets are full of ingredients that you can use to remove excess dirt and skin impurities from your body.
If you are not in favour of making a DIY men's body scrub from things you eat daily we will look at some ready made options you can buy.
Time to Exfoliate - DIY Options
Some of these good-enough-to-eat ingredients can be mixed to make a body scrub.
Coffee
Apart from removing dead skin cells, coffee beans are known to dilate blood vessels. Thanks to the antioxidant properties of coffee, coffee powder is used to treat cellulite, as well as exfoliate, making it ideal for dimple removal of any kind or for clogged pores.
The best coffee-based scrubs for men also have sugar as an ingredient. They can provide a double benefit if you find them combined in the same scrub container.
Salt
Salt is great for body detox. A salt scrub will eliminate dead cells by stimulating a lymphatic system that has fallen asleep. Due to its rich mineral structure, salt scrub will not only help with exfoliation but also let the minerals permeate your skin.
Most popular body scrub for men includes the Dead Sea or Black Sea salt, Epsom salt, and Himalayan salt. Salt exfoliators have larger particles so they are not ideal for sensitive skin or skin with allergies. don't put table salt in self-made scrubs as it doesn't have rich mineral content.
Sugar
Sugar or cane sugar is another pantry ingredient that has found its place among men's body scrub formulas. Sugar contains glycolic acid that aids with circulation and fights excess oil. The effects of a sugar scrub are more due to chemical peeling than to mechanical scrubbing.
Consuming too much sugar isn't beneficial for your health. But sugar scrubs will definitely benefit when you use them topically as part of your cleansing and grooming routine.
Green Tea Powder
Though green tea powder won't provide exfoliating benefits on its own, it has massive purifying properties and is excellent for spots and blemishes. Thanks to its characteristic anti-inflammatory effect, your skin will be glowing after you rub it with a home-made body scrub made of green tea powder, sugar, and organic oil such as virgin olive or coconut oil.
This combination will be good for sensitive skin, too. Just make sure you are not allergic to one of the ingredients before applying it on larger surfaces. Perform a skin patch test on your forearm to ensure safe application.
Cacao (Cocoa) Powder
Another ingredient that may not be too healthy in sugary snacks but is completely the opposite when used as an organic component in a men’s scrub product is cocoa. Ideally, your product of choice should contain pure organic cacao powder in its most natural form.
Raw cocoa powder has similar skin-tightening properties as coffee so a cocoa body scrub can skin elasticity. And, thanks to flavonoids (good to eat moderately in dark chocolate, too), skin scars and wrinkles can get better, too.
Pumpkin Seeds
The pumpkin seed oil has many health benefits, but so does pumpkin pulp and ground pumpkin seeds. (Something to do with that pumpkin carving leftovers once you are done with the Halloween artistry, right?).
You'll need a blender to grind raw and peeled pumpkin seeds to minuscule crumbs that you can later combine with pumpkin seed oil and other herbal ingredients. For safer and cleaner shop alternatives, without making a mess in the kitchen, check if your next purchase has the precious pumpkin as one of its ingredients.
Apricot Kernels
You need a solid blender or a pestle and mortar to blend or crush apricot kernels to produce a fine powder. For stronger exfoliation, you can add salt. don't forget to add some kind of plant oil, for example, coconut, to make an easy-to-spread mix.
(Be careful with consuming apricot kernels orally, as there are certain health risks that may be associated with that.) But thanks to the essential fatty acids they contain, you will find that some of the best body scrubs for men contain apricot seeds and kernels.
Using Body Scrub
Follow this simple advice when choosing and using your next body scrub:
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Look for the label "body scrub". If you have sensitive facial skin or a skin issue that needs specific treatment don't use the same product on the face and the body to avoid worsening the issue.
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If you're in a hurry, get a wash and body scrub that will cleanse and exfoliate at the same time. These products will shorten the time but are also more lathery so they won't remove dry skin patches as efficiently as a good body rub on dry skin.
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Moisturise. Yes, it can take more time and is boring and tedious but you shouldn't avoid it if you have dry skin and use stronger exfoliants.
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Use a body scrub to remove ingrown hairs before shaving and manscaping. It will prevent follicle inflammation and help with hair removal.
- Don't overdo it. Scrub maximum two times per week unless you use a gentle washing exfoliant that's not overly aggressive to the skin. The skin has natural oils that shape a protective barrier. You must let it replenish before you repeat the scrubbing or you may end up with serious skin injuries that won't look good.
Recommended Skincare Products
Let's have a look at some skin care brands and products we recommend exploring.
Vitaman: Men's Care & Grooming Solutions
Vitaman is a brand all men need to try if they want to get a sense of natural luxury.
Whether it's looking after your skin, pampering yourself or just keeping a well-groomed beard, now's the time to treat yourself.
What is Vitaman?
Their range consists of hair care, skin care, waxes and natural grooming essentials made specifically for men. Kicked off here in Sydney, the brand is inspired completely by all-natural ingredients!
Australia has some of the most unique plants and herbs found nowhere else in the world and their benefits are impressive!
One of the key ingredients used in their products is Kakadu plum extract which contains 3000mg of Vitamin C per 100g of fruit, it is full of antioxidants!
These products are either used for home use or for salon treatments. Depending on your wants and needs, you can use them daily or used as an add on pamperings to your next pampering session. They've also won a few awards at the GQ awards for particular products like their natural sprays.
Vitaman Skin Products
With so many specialised products on offer, it's hard to pick a winner from the brand. We will do our best to narrow down a few options for your various skin care needs.
Face Care
Vitaman Face Scrub is designed for everyday use. Containing vital ingredients like Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Allantoin, and Vitamin E, it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.
There's also the Vitaman Mud Masque which uses a mineral-rich formula, fortified with 200-year-old clay sourced from the Australian Outback, that purifies your skin.
If you're looking for beard oil, the formula for this one contains Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, Patchouli Oil. Used to prevent irritation from shaving, it adds extra silky softness to your skin.
Accompany the beard oil with this aftershave balm to help improve the texture of the skin.
Body Care
Vitaman Sports Massage Oil is ideal for sports-related injuries resulting from exercise and/or muscular soreness. It helps to ease and eliminate pain and stiffness from joint and muscle strains, a great way to recover quickly. As for the benefits for your skin, the tension relief of a massage can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Vitaman Body Moisturiser will be a great solution for added moisture after the massage or great to use as part of your daily skincare routine. It's great for all skin types, absorbs quickly and is PH balanced so it doesn't leave your skin looking oily.
Using Vitaman Sea Salt Body Scrub is ideal for unclogging pores and removing dirt. Great if you've spent the weekend playing in the mud!
Why Vitaman?
Apart from all of the products being amazing and working as promised, Vitaman has also added a few other selling points we love.
- All packaging is environmentally friendly and can be fully recycled
- Harmful or synthetic chemicals are never used which means it's better for your hair and skin as well as our environment
- Products are cruelty-free and never have been or will be tested on animals
- Every item is free from sulphates, parabens, phthalates, glycols, mineral oil, DEA, TEA, ethanol, and lanolin
Keep Vitaman in mind the next time you go to purchase any men's grooming or you're looking to stock up your salon.
Special Salon Treatments
We are also strong advocates of going every once in a while to a salon to get a facial. Yes, men, that includes you. It can be just an occasional thing but treat yourself and your skin every now and then.
Salons use specialised methods to help open up your pores (using steam) to promote healthier skin.
Conclusion
We hope you've learnt some handy tips to care for your skin. In addition to your newfound diet of healthy eating, we recommend investing in quality skincare products.
There are so many brands on the market with each claiming to be the best. It's about finding what's BEST for you!
Also, remember to make some time for yourself and get some pampering done. Respect the skin you're in and show it some TLC.
You might also be interested in these tips and tricks for youthful skin.
Comment below if you have a good routine tip or share your go-to product.
