The crazy things we men do to take care of our skin

We asked a simple question: do men exfoliate ? We asked half seriously and half jokingly. and of course we thought men don't know exfoliate . We had not finished asking and we received an avalanche of men asking us what exactly is exfoliate _

By the end of the day, we had over a hundred inquiries, mixed in with a few men somehow exfoliating with grass or luffa. (Caution: please do not use grass on the face). One man told me that he didn't exfoliate, but instead washed his face with very hot water, apparently believing that he was burning off dead skin, rather than removing all the moisture from his face (Caution: NEVER use very hot water on your face). face, it will dry your skin)

Considering the trend in skincare among young women, the fact that so many of the men who responded knew so little about basic facial maintenance is counterintuitive. While the average guy doesn't put on a mask three times a week or go for a derma peel, we'd guess they did at least wash their faces and put on some moisturizer overnight!

...the average man doesn't put on a mask three times a week or go for a dermapeel, we assume that they at least washed their faces and put on a little moisturizer at night...

We couldn't have been more wrong. For example, Mario, 46, told us: "I don't do anything, I don't even wash my face." Saul, 33, only washes a very specific part of his face: "I use bar soap on the sides of my nose in the shower. Mostly because of pimples. I chose that because it's simple and cheap."

And Jorge, 31, gave us an answer that inspires us to look at the sky for several minutes. "The only thing I use regularly is body wash in the shower every morning (even on my face)," she explains. "Out of the shower, I only wash my face if it feels particularly dirty or greasy, with hand soap if I'm in the bathroom or dish detergent if I'm in the kitchen." When we told him he's, for lack of a better description, crazy, he replied, "I just want to point out that they use detergent to clean up animals that get caught in oil spills! If it's good enough for them, then it's good enough for me."

Of the men who use products for their faces , with whom we have spoken, almost all chose to have a routine due to medical problems such as acne or dermatitis, or because they were in a long-term relationship with a partner from whom they could borrow. products for the face and get a basic consultation on how to take care of your skin. Tomas, 26, says, "[My interest in skin care] came when I started dating . When I had friends who knew about it, I found myself trying out their stuff and just enjoying how it felt to wear." José Luis, 39, started taking care of his skin after seeking professional help. “I suffer from chronic dermatitis, and as such, I have spent years and years trying to find the right products for my face. I first went to a dermatologist when I was in my 20s and tired of having pimples and blackheads on my face all the time.”

...Tomás, 26, says, "[My interest in skin care] came when I started dating . When I had friends who knew about it, I found myself trying out their stuff and just enjoying how it felt to wear. ..

Both Tomás and José Luis were encouraged to overcome a major obstacle that stands in the way of men taking care of their skin: the connection between skin care and feminine beauty. "Most skin care products are marketed to women," explains Dr. Senado. "Skin products in stores are located across the street from and often integrated into the makeup aisle. This reinforces the idea that these skin care products are just for women."

In that context, it's hard to blame men for not knowing where to start. Persistent cultural messages that men's grooming ends at deodorant, body wash, and a handful of hair products .

Dr. Senado says that not only do men often tell him that they think "skin care is only for women, they don't need to wash their faces at all! Even young men with acne tell me this!"
Men are very interested in what they could or should do with their skin. With so little information on how men should take care of their skin, many of them have found home remedies of their own, which are often as misguided as they are serious. Miguel, 20, uses what is closest to hand to exfoliate: his hands. “I have been rowing for three years at an elite level and I have these thick rough calluses on my hands. When I shower I rub my face vigorously with my hands (while wet) to exfoliate – even writing this makes me feel very weird ".

...a basic cleansing regimen for men doesn't have to be complicated. "Start by washing your face and moisturizing...

Although the barrier to entry for skincare can feel high, Dr. Senado says a basic cleansing regimen for men doesn't have to be complicated. "Start by washing your face and moisturizing. The sheer variety of products out there is intimidating, and there are so many options, men are overwhelmed with which products to buy. The easiest thing is to just grab a gentle face wash and a gentle daily moisturizer with single filter r "

Exfoliating is just a bit more detailed, and a third product is worth adding to your new routine and should only be done a couple of times a week.

“Exfoliating your face helps clear clogged pores and dead layers of skin. It's especially important for men, who have larger pores than women and can collect more oil and sebum in them .”

There are two main types of exfoliants: physical and chemical. Physical exfoliators are items like grass, which use their rough texture to rub off dead skin and deep clean pores. We do not recommend them for facial use. "Physical exfoliators can be too much for facial skin for many people" Chemical exfoliators, which are gentle in texture and use things like alpha and beta hydroxy acids or fruit enzymes to break down the bonds that hold dead skin cells to his face. Chemical exfoliators also prevent the micro-tears in the skin that can be caused by using an exfoliant that is too rough, striking the right balance between gentleness and effectiveness for your particular face.
Most men don't stick to a skin care routine because they don't really know the benefits of doing so. And while it's true that taking care of the details of skin care won't change your life or your face overnight, it can make your skin clearer, more radiant and less prone to aging, and it will also change the way you look. to think of yourself.

At 22, he was pretty depressed. We all deal with depression in different ways, but I decided to change the things I didn't like about myself.

For example, Memo, who is an average man in most ways, except that, over time, he has dedicated himself to meticulous care of his skin and his hair and beard. anything else. "At 22, I was pretty depressed. We all deal with depression in different ways, but I decided to change the things I didn't like about myself. I started using products to style my hair, but I learned that if you don't wash your face every days, acne will start to appear on your forehead. So I started washing my face."

From there, he researched products and tried new things, finding that he enjoyed the process, both for its physical results and for the psychological side effects. "Taking 20 minutes to take care of yourself can really set a positive tone for the rest of the day."

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