your man’s guide to skincare
PLOT TWIST: your man is into skincare too! I mean sometimes they just haven’t realized it yet or require a little more hand holding (*possible manipulation too*) but trust me, they wanna be shown the way! Here’s what you need to know and a guide to getting your man on board. If you’re a dude reading this right now, F*CK YEAH—two claps for you because you already get it.
SO MEN’S SKIN. Here’s the deal. A few noticeable differences, let’s discuss.
Men have:
+ THICKER AND OILIER SKIN which is less likely to experience sensitivity.
+ LARGER PORES to accommodate their facial hair. A larger hair follicle = increased oil production in the skin.
+ INGROWN HAIRS are common due to their beard / facial hair.
+ PRONE TO BLACKHEADS from increased oil production.
+ MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ACNE AS A TEENAGER; LESS LIKELY TO HAVE IT AS AN ADULT. Male hormones balance out whereas female hormones tend to fluctuate throughout life.
Typically, all of that ^^ translates into men tolerating more aggressive products, increased exfoliation and their skin balancing out by the time they’ve earned their bachelor’s degree.
Another thing to note: skip the whole “men’s specific skincare” thing. Sure, the branding for men’s skincare lines are on point but at the end of the day, skin is skin and it largely functions the same way regardless of pin or socket. Skip the marketing BS and focus on skin type instead—is he dry, normal, oily, combo, sensitive?
In general, my best advice and what I’ve learned about men’s skincare >> KEEP IT F*CKING SIMPLE. Like 4 or 5 products, MAX. The goal is not to overwhelm him. If your man doesn’t wash his face yet, then staying simple is even more important! Men don’t need a 10-step routine; they just need the right products and consistency.
To get him started, I’d suggest introducing one product at a time and slowly adding to his routine over time (orrrr swapping out his shitty products if he’s using the wrong ones). Get him to a point of regularly washing his face first, then add in an SPF every morning… follow up with a PM moisturizer, etc. Baby steps, ok?
I have a skin script below but the basics for a men’s skincare routine are a cleanser, sunscreen, moisturizer, retinol and vitamin C. If your man is really into it (bless him), I’d add in an acid toner. See below for my specific recs!
YOUR MEN’S SKINCARE QUESTIONS, ANSWERED:
How to prevent ingrown hairs and razor burn from shaving?
A painful inconvenience for sure! Sometimes I even catch Jesse using my tweezers pulling his unruly hairs out so I feel for you. A few tips:
+ Consider switching to a 1-2 blade razor | more blades on a razor = extra exfoliation for the skin. If your skin is sensitive, this ups your risk of irritation and shaving bumps. Try a razor with one or two blades instead (and don’t forget to replace your blade every 6-8 shaves!). Side note: huge fan of Dollar Shave Club for the best razors!
+ Avoid harsh cleansers, bar soap, anything super foamy/sudsy | stick with a gentle cleanser instead. iS clinical cleansing complex is my go-to cleanser rec for men because it’s perfect for shaving.
+ Shave post-shower | the steam from the shower softens the skin, opens the pores and relaxes the hairs—the moisture in the skin while shaving helps protect against ingrowns.
+ Use a treatment product | highly recommend Jack Black Bump Fix & Ingrown Hair—this has salicylic acid it to exfoliate the skin and clean out the hair follicle but is gentle enough to not dry you out. Use it twice a week and work up to every other day at night.
+ Be sure to moisturize | hydrated skin is healthy skin! Use something like Stratia Liquid Gold to keep your skin moisturized and discourage the formation of ingrowns.
How to treat ingrown hairs?
Do the following POST SHOWER when your skin will be softened and ready for extraction!
Dab some alcohol on the spot of your ingrown to sterilize the area and kill bacteria. Since most people will skip this lol, make sure your tweezers are at least clean.
Tweeze that bitch out—but do not squeeze it! Only tweeze if you can grab onto the hair—don’t go digging for it. That’s a recipe for disaster— you’re likely to cause another ingrown hair in the same area or cause trauma to the skin which can lead to scaring. Sometimes this might mean waiting a day or two until it’s ready.
Avoid shaving for a few days and allow your skin the chance to recover!
How to prevent flaky, dry skin in my beard?
Shaving your face is exfoliation itself but when you’ve got a glorious beard, the skin underneath can get neglected! To address your beard and skin care, be sure to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize.
Cleanse: regularly cleansing your beard keeps it clean and prevents against dandruff.
Exfoliate: use a beard brush if you’ve got a nice, burly beard. The bristles will help remove dead skin buildup.
Moisturize: get yourself a beard oil! Something lightweight that won’t clog the pores—like this one.
AND FINALLY…
How to manipulate your man to give a f*ck about skincare:
+ Buy it for him | if you want your man on a routine, get him everything he’ll need to do it. This comes back to making it as simple [and easy] as possible.
+ Label everything | When I first got Jesse onto his routine, you better believe I put a post-it note on EVERYTHING. Label his stuff AM/PM then number it in the order of use so he can’t be confused.
+ Compliment the shit out of him | e.g., “Babe, your skin is glowing!!” “Wow!! Your skin makes your biceps look bigger!” “Your skin looks better than it did 5 years ago!” Ya gettin it?? Stroke that ego.
+ Lead the way—don’t expect your man to wash his face every night if you’re still sleeping in your makeup, mmkay? Sounds obvious but practice what you preach.
+ Bribe as necessary | honestly with whatever/however you see fit.
LMK how these tactics work for you and if you have some hot tips for the rest of us, share the deets below!
As always- give an F, wear SPF! xx N
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