Skin Care for Men: Should You Care?
By: Keith
Yes, you should. It has nothing to do with being metro sexual or a preening wuss. It’s a simple matter of your skin needing care in the same way a woman’s skin needs care. Looks? That’s a side effect of taking good care of it, not the goal. Men’s skin is no different than a woman’s skin and it needs the exact same care; that’s what my dermatologist told me and it’s absolutely true. Proper care has nothing to do with smelling like flowers, and it has everything to do with moisture retention, cell turnover and sun protection. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in dermatology offices in the last 4 years since I had several squamous cell carcinomas and actinic keratosis removed from my face, neck, back and legs. I’ve asked lots of question and done a bunch of experimenting with my own skin care regimen. You might be interested in knowing what I’ve found works with my skin. I know it works because I haven’t had another skin issue in 2 years, and my age spots are slowly disappearing (age spots are sun damage).
This is a list of products I use for my skin that work. Everybody is different obviously, but these are my conclusions from several years of experimentation.
Hats: Even during winter I wear full brimmed hats. The fact is that it doesn’t take much sun to damage the skin on your face. Wearing a hat is just smart. I’ve written about the need for kids to wear hats and the benefits you’ll see over time from sticking with it. Who cares about your hairdo if your face is splotchy, right?
Tilly: You want a sun hat? Go see the Tilly people; they’ve got you covered.
REI: You’d think the outdoor people would have hats. And, you’d be right. They have a bunch of bucket hats and hiking hats for whatever season you’d like. That’s where I got my winter hat that I love so much.
Western Warehouse, Cavender’s: I look pretty snazzy in a cowboy hat even though I’m not a cowboy. I wear a straw Stetson in the summer when I’m downtown or otherwise wearing a collar shirt and slacks (NOT with shorts please!).
Exfoliate: Exfoliating is essential to good skin care. It’s the process of removing dead cells from the outermost layer of your skin so that the new cells grow in evenly. The result is even looking skin tone and quicker cell turnover. Exfoliating stimulates skin renewal and can make you look years younger. It’s not just for women.
Olay Regenerist: I’ve tried many mildly abrasive scrubs from Bioré to Neutrogena. They all work, but Olay Detoxifying Pore Scrub is the hands down winner. Rub a little bit into one of those foofy looking sponge things and gently scrub your face and body. Trust me. It works.
Moisture: Hot showers have the tendency to dry out skin. High altitude does the same thing. I live in Boulder which means I’m at 5500 feet (or something like that) and people can easily get dry skin. One of my dermatologists recommended simply using petroleum jelly (Vaseline). That’s what he used and his skin looked great. But, I didn’t really want to do that so I started experimenting with moisturizers. The Best?
Eucerin Original moisturizing lotion or Eucerin Intensive Repair lotion. There is no better basic moisturizer than the Eucerin line. Just pick one for your skin type and do it. Cheap and won’t let you down.
Nia 24: Nia 24 Skin Strengthening Complex is the best moisturizer on the planet. But, it’s absurdly expensive (85 dollars for 1.7 oz.). If you want to really splurge on an awesome face cream that moisturizes and also makes you look about 10 years younger for a few hours (I swear it does). Then try this stuff. Use it when you’ve got something important to do (like an interview or a wedding or something). Or, if you’re rich, buy it for everyday use.
Sunscreen: I do not use chemical sunscreens because I just don’t trust them. The alternative is titanium dioxide and zinc oxide based sun-screens. They work by creating a physical barrier against the sun rather than making chemical bonds. But, as you know, they leave you feeling a bit crusty and looking white (literally). Therefore I try to avoid using it unless I’m going to the beach or spending all day in the sun. Instead I wear hats and stay in the shade. Sunscreens work, but they can cause people to spend too much time under the sun with the impression that they’re safe.
Blue Lizard: Just good everyday sunscreen. It’s what most dermatologists recommend as it’s cheap and effective. Oh, and you can also buy it by the gallon.
UV Natural: Wow! This stuff really works, but it’s heavy. Use it when you’re in intense sun and you’ll be out for a long time.
Badger: Much like UV Natural. I’ve used it and I can testify that it works.
Skin care isn’t just for women. In fact, most men do it every day without even knowing it — shaving exfoliates. But, more than that, men need to take care of the rest of their face and bodies too. I used to think it was a sissy thing to do, that is until I got my first skin cancer. Every dermatologist I’ve seen since then has given me an education in skin care that I’m not about to forget. Getting 6 month skin checkups is not too bad, but wouldn’t it be better to do it right the first time around?
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I take care of my face regularly– not quite as hardcore as you Keith, but I wash and apply my medication for acne everyday. I even have oral medication too. My face is just sooooo oily.. Any suggestions??
Kody: I’ve used Tretinoin cream for several years (it’s the active ingredient in Retin-A and some other acne medications). I’ve never had acne, but I use it because makes skin cells turn over quicker. It was prescribed by my dermatologist after all the skin cancers. I don’t really know what to do about oily skin, but you might try that Olay stuff I recommended. I bet that would work really well for you.
Your skin is beautiful Keith! Nothing short of Spackle will help me I’m afraid.
Mom: Well, thanks!
So what’s cell turnover??
Don’t forget to drink lots of water.
.-= Jack´s last blog ..Setting Goals =-.
Jack: That is perhaps the most important point of all! Thank you for mentioning it. Duh on me for forgetting to say it
This article is pure awesomeness Keith!!!!!! You’re so right about skincare. And you’re making me feel bad….I am in real need of a drs. appt. I have two more pre-cancer spots to remove…ugh!
BTY, I’m with the Dr. on the Vaseline…that’s what I use. It seems kinda gross at first, but you get used to it, how much to use, etc.
Vaseline? That would cause me to break out horribly! But yes, guys should at least do sunscreen, if anything.
I love this post!Good thing I find tips in here about skin care not only for women but also for men.I just need to find my husband some skin care products are really that are effective.Though were keeping an eye from http://www.theenchantedhollow.com/ , if they able to post new skin care products fro men too.
Thanks for posting this.. I will have to have my husband read this. He doesn’t believe me that he should use moisturizers and sunscreens too.. Hopefully, this article will change his mind!