Get Your Game Face On: Touchdown on Men’s Face Care

As far as most can remember, women have always been the target market for skincare, leaving men using bars of soap for everything: shower, bath, and shaving. This is why men tend to suffer from a variety of skin issues, including dry skin, oily skin, acne, premature aging, ingrown facial hairs and infected breakouts.

But whether you are a male or female, everyone wants to maintain a healthy, youthful appearance for as long as possible. Men’s skin has been long–forgotten, but now is the time to pay as much attention to skincare as some men do to their well–groomed beards.

I have had experience in men’s skincare products in my over 25 years in the beauty industry. I have launched products for various cosmetics companies and conducted demonstrations in major department stores including Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, Lord and Taylor, and Macy’s throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa and even on US military bases.

And as a professional makeup artist for the Vh1 network, I had to “beautify” dozens and dozens of male celebrity faces. My job in the green room was to touch up and enhance the complexions of U2’s Bono, Brian McKnight and so many other stars. For a year I was recording artist Freddie Jackson’s personal makeup artist at his album cover shoots for Arista Records.

When it came to the male clients, I found myself pulling out the toner or astringent, and often using my homemade SkinSmarts remedies. My “sebum blotter” for Freddie Jackson was old–fashioned Milk of Magnesia poured onto a large cotton ball and applied all over his face, letting it dry and whisking it off with a brush. I used it as a base to keep those overactive oils at bay during photo shoots and performances.

Did Men Ever Have Beauty Routines?

Absolutely! We can see in the middle of the first century AD, that men used tweezer–like devices, sharp items like pumice stones as razors (they also used pumice stones to “brush” their teeth!). Even thousands of years earlier, during the age of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, slaves slathered creams and ointments on aristocrats that were made with myrrh, marjoram, chamomile, lavender, lily, peppermint, rosemary, cedar, rose, aloe, and oils made from olives, sesame seeds and almonds. These concoctions not only resulted in soft, glowing skin but also eliminated and masked body odor. Butter and barley flour paste was used on pimples. And, it’s been chronicled in many places that Egyptians thought bathing in pure, fresh crocodile dung had anti–aging powers!

Is Male Skin Different?

No and Yes. Skin is skin, the largest organ of the body. The epidermis protects and is the waterproof layer; the next layer, the dermis, contains the hair follicles and sweat glands.

Hormones make the difference. Testosterone activates hair growth, hair loss and it makes men’s skin oilier due to larger sebaceous (oil) glands. Since women have more estrogen hormone than testosterone, their skin is thinner. And men’s skin doesn’t go through dramatic changes due to menopause, of course.

Whether it’s dry skin or acne, male or female, skin problems are treated with the same ingredients. This means that despite the influence of hormones on skin, all skincare products can be used on both men and women with the same skin concerns, regardless of how bright and pretty or rugged and dark the product packaging looks!

Do Beards Keep Men’s Skin In Shape?

Your face still has skin even though it is covered by hair. The oils from facial hair are natural lubricants, but without proper washing of the skin underneath, the oils can clog the pores, leading to acne breakouts. The hair can hide many skin problems. Washing with harsh soaps can dry out the skin and cause it to flake off into the hair — face dandruff!

Does Shaving Help the Skin?

There are benefits to a daily clean shave. It is a daily exfoliator, removing dead skin cells. The pressure from the act of shaving increases blood circulation. But when the hairs grow, they can curl and the sharp cut ends of the hair can dig back into the skin — ingrown hairs. The curliest hairs can cause even more irritation in the form of razor bumps which are so painful for some men that they are forced to choose to grow beards and never shave!

Are Workouts Good or Bad For the Skin?

Yes. The sweat excretes impurities but those who sweat a lot may dehydrate their skin. Another big problem: too many people touch those workout machines, spreading bacteria and a host of other parasites. Avoid touching your face during your workout. Blot with a clean towel; don’t let the sweat dry and leave the pollutants to settle back in the pores and clog them.

It might take a little extra time and money but using a face wash before your workout is sure to help dislodge oils and build up as you sweat.

After the workout, be careful with hair care products. Shampoos and conditioners can drip down onto your face, neck and back and can cause breakouts and irritation.

When washing your face post–workout:
– Wash your hands first before touching the face.
– Be gentle when washing.
– Don’t over–scrub or use too much product that won’t rinse off.
– Never rub the face hard to dry it; pat face dry with a clean towel — but not the one you used inside the gym!

Do Men Need to Have a 10–Step Beauty Regimen?

Most people would not have the patience or time to follow such an intense routine.

Men should cleanse their faces before shaving and in the evening so that dirt, pollution, excess oils and sweat don’t become embedded in the pores. That will lower the chance of infections, acne and other skin problems!

Whether men shave or have full beards, exfoliation is recommended. Sounds odd but the exfoliants in the scrub will remove dead skin cells that flake up and will also let loose those stubborn and at times painful ingrown hairs! The scrub gets applied with moistened water into the beard, attaching itself to all of those unwanted “foreign skin culprits”. Of course it is a mess but exfoliation is recommended twice a week depending on your skin type. Don’t forget to rinse well.

Pamper yourself with a mask. Masks hydrate, penetrate pores and help cleanse them, and  you’ll look like a comic book superhero while doing it! Use a mask once a week.

Next: Always apply sunscreen because even though men’s skin is thicker, it is not less susceptible to skin cancer!

Final Step: Moisturize. Find a moisturizer formula low in perfumes to soothe and calm irritated skin, delay aging, stop itching and turn a dry and flaky face into an irresistibly smooth one.

Last Bit of Advice?

Choose formulations that match your skin type. It really does matter. You can find out what is your skin type in my blog article here. And remember, formulations are the same no matter if the packaging is stereotypically feminine or masculine looking, Buy small or travel–sized versions to test them out. Your face will thank you with visible results of more vibrant and irresistible skin!

Pat Collins SkinSolutions® skincare line of cleansers, scrub, peel, mask and moisturizers will keep skin clean and looking healthy! Follow @PatSkinSmarts for updates on how to buy!