MEN'S SKINCARE - KNOW YOUR SKIN TYPE
A friend called me on the phone the other day.
"My wife wants me to take better care of my skin,” he said, “can you recommend some men's skin care for my face?"
"Sure," I said. "how do you know what skin type you have"
"I don't know, what is my skin type” he replied and that brought our chat to an abrupt halt.
After a spirited game of Twenty Questions, I figured out his issue and made the appropriate men's skin care product suggestions. How do you know what skin type you have — that is, the type of skin you have under ideal environmental conditions — is the first step to selecting men's grooming products that meet your unique needs. For guys like my friend who didn't know "what is my skin type" (who had oily skin, btw) this is how to check your skin type and find the best men's skincare routine.
Normal Skin Type
“Normal” skin is rarely too oily or dry. Zits are a rarity. You can tell normal skin, as with any skin type, by its texture and appearance. Small pores, even-toned, and smooth, and firm with excellent elasticity and moisture. If you have normal skin — well, lucky bloody you. Stick with a daily cleanse-tone-moisturize routine for your face and a wash-scrub-spray for the rest of your corpus, and you'll live a long and productive life.
Oily Skin Type
Oily skin is typically thicker and firmer than normal skin, with less sensitivity to chemicals, detergents, or perfumes. Pores are medium to large in size and can sometimes become clogged with a sebaceous material that causes blackheads, whiteheads, or blemishes. Try a glycolic facial cleanser, followed by astringent and an oil free face lotion, every morning after you shower. Use an oil-free body cleansing gel when you bathe. Avoid cheap mass-market soaps (not soaps, really, but harsh detergents). Scrub every other day. Mask at least once a week. Tone after exercise or when you're sweaty. Use an astringent aftershave instead of a shave balm and stay away from the all-over body moisturizers.
Dry Skin Type
Your skin often feels tight and flakey and -- let me guess -- you hate winter? Dry skin is usually thin, dull, easily irritated, and rough to the touch. It's easy to mistake dry skin symptoms or some mild forms of skin disease for truly dry skin. Start by following the above instructions for normal skin talk to a dermatologist if you don’t see an improvement.
Sensitive Skin Type
Sensitive skin means you may have moderate to severe reactions to the sun, the wind, temperature extremes, cheaper shave creams, fragrances, perfumed soaps, alcohol-based deodorants — the list goes on. You burn very easily when out in the sun. Your skin always seems to sting or itch. Most of the time, you're just damned uncomfortable.
Be careful about the products you choose for your skin and try switching to a daily invigorating face wash that embraces clean skincare for men and steers away from harmful unnatural ingredients.
For shaving, try a men's shave cream and follow up with an aftershave with salicylic acid. Caution remains the word of the day, if you see redness after an application of any of these products, discontinue their use at once.
Combination Skin
Combination skin actually refers to the skin on your face and not the skin that covers the rest of your carcass. Most combination skin consists of an oily "T" zone (forehead, nose, and chin) with dry cheeks and eye areas. In some instances, guys exhibit an entire smorgasbord of skin conditions or, more unusual still, a dry "T" zone with normal cheeks and eye areas.
Basically, treat each area according to what you have read above for other skin types. And mask your "T" zone two to four times a month, just to even things out. The secret to men's natural skincare is starting a routine and sticking to it.
Problem Skin
The pores on your face are very large. When you squeeze them, they exude a fatty discharge. Your skin is excessively oily and prone to acne or frequent outbreaks of blackheads, whiteheads, and blemishes. Consult a dermatologist, if you have not already done so.
If you are already on prescription medication, do not pop, squeeze or pick at acne blemishes. Wash face for 60 seconds twice daily with a men's face wash and pat dry. Use cosmetics and toiletries that are specifically marked "noncomedogenic." Avoid things that can aggravate your acne (oils, airborne grease, irritating clothing or sporting equipment, and so on). Use protective clothing and sunscreens/sunblocks, and avoid tanning booths. There’s a whole world of acne face wash for men out there -- just go for the natural stuff.
The next time someone asks how do you know what skin type you have, you can send them a quick link to urth's skincare 101 and tell them this is how to check your skin type.
Why choose urth? A good skincare routine using best men's skincare products can help maintain a clear complexion minimizing, blackheads on nose, ingrown hairs, and redness on face. urth has curated skin care kits for men to simplify men's skincare routine. These plant powered men’s skin care products are formulated with chamomile, green tea, ginseng and pure essential oils to cleanse, brighten, nourish skin and combat signs of aging. Improved and better skin after every use. Perfect for all skin types - including men with sensitive, dry, combo, and oily skin.