Top 7 tips for men's skin care

Gents, it’s time to pay attention to your skin

Hey guys, we know you don’t always pay much attention to your skin but to keep it from aging you should - and the good news is that it doesn’t have to take long. In fact, a simple skin care routine can be boiled down to seven sure-fire tips:

1. Wash your face before you go to sleep

If you don’t wash away the day’s dirt you can set your skin up for a breakout. Ideally, you should be using a man’s facial cleanser and then a night-time moisturiser. Soap can really dry out your skin, not to mention stripping away good oils that give a healthy protective barrier. It also can leave your skin feeling tight and stretched. >

2. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise

Moisturise your skin right after you've cleansed it because this not only helps plump it up and stave off wrinkles, it also provides a protective shield against air pollutants like dust and grime. Look for something flagged as rich in antioxidants. Depending on how serious you are about your looks, you may also like to use an eye cream. It’s great to help to get rid of dark circles or puffy bags under your eyes, and also can ease wrinkles and fine lines. Remember that if you use acne products, they may dry out your skin so then the correct moisturiser is extra-important. Your skin actually needs moisture to shake out the build-up of sebum that clogs pores and leads to a breakout of pimples or acne.

It’s not just your brain and body which need a rest at night, so does your skin. A good eight hours of shut-eye gives your skin a chance to replenish and repair. You don’t want to wake up with dark circles under your eyes and grey, tired looking skin. Male skin does tend to be thicker, oilier and tougher than female skin but a lack of sleep can heighten levels of cortisol, which then triggers the skin’s sebaceous glands to produce more oil. And that, in turn, can lead to an acne breakout.

It is not just sebum that can fill those pores and lead to acne, old, dead skin cells can also clog them up so exfoliating is important. Basically, exfoliating removes these cells from the surface of the skin and the best way to do this is with a granular substance like a men’s face scrub. You don’t need to do this every day as exfoliating more than twice a week can dry out your skin (yes, even oily skins) and cause acne.

Sugar is known to make acne worse and cause breakouts but any foods with a high glycaemic index can make your insulin spike, and that in turn causes the inflammation which is bad for your skin. Too much sugar can also increase the production of free radicals which damage your skin, which is why it’s good to use a moisturiser which contains anti-oxidants, which targets free radicals.

It also helps to drink more water as this helps to plump up your skin, filling in wrinkles and giving a smoother appearance. Don’t be fooled into thinking coffee, fizzy cool drinks and beer have the same effect, it’s wise to stick to drinking plain water as much as possible.

Yep, you want a healthy golden glow and we all need Vitamin D which comes from spending time in the sun BUT we all should be wearing sunscreen every day if you don’t want skin that looks like it belongs on a lizard. If you can, find a moisturiser which does double duty with built-in sun protection, preferably SPF 25 or above. And this tip isn’t just about looking good, it’s also about your health: UV rays from the sun cause skin cancer, so take it seriously.

Last but not least, stick to your routine. Saving face need not take all day, who has time for that? Just follow the tips above and you are on the road to turning back the clock to give you a glowing, healthy skin for summer.