How does a man take care of his face and skin?

October 27, 2017 10:36 PM

I want to get serious about taking care of my face and skin. How can I do that without resorting to turning it into a full routine?

I'm in my 20s and for the longest time I've never thought about taking care of my face and skin beyond soap and showering. I'm starting to notice signs of aging (wrinkles, eye bags, oily hands, dry elbows/mild psoriasis perhaps) and people are starting to think I'm a lot older than I actually am.

I'd like to more proactive about taking care of my skin, unfortunately, online articles and resources make it seem like I need to follow complicated and expensive routines which I'm not going to stick to and feel high maintenance.

Ideally, I'd like to use a product or two and keep it simple. Does the hivemind have recommendations for products and simple routines?

posted by touareg to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

I suggest focusing on moisturizer and sunscreen. Everyone has different preferences and depending on skin types, lifestyle, and local weather you're going to find different moisturizers work well or poorly for you. You can also find combination sunscreen and moisturizer, which you might prefer so there's one less step.

I recommend Neutrogena's facial moisturizer with SPF, just a small pump of it spread on your face and neck in the morning will likely help. They also do one without the SPF which you can apply before bed.

Use a different lotion for skin on the rest of your body - I use a super healing enriched whatever one from Eucerin for my mild psoriasis and a variety of other lotions I like the smell and feel of for overall use. My hands are dry, not oily like yours, and I like to rotate between simple unscented aveeno lotion and yummy smelling things as the mood hits. I just keep them around my house in places like the tv table or my computer desk and apply when I notice them. Try a few different brands and formulations, look for samples and travel sized moisturizers to try a variety so you can get an idea of the sort of product you actually like and are inclined to use.

Sunscreen is the same way, you'll want to try different types to see what works for you. You don't need, like, super ultra five thousand SPF goop all over all the time, but applying somewhere between 15-30 SPF in a product that feels good on your face, neck, hands and forearms is a good habit to get into before you head out for the day.
posted by Mizu at 11:00 PM on October 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

I use have used the Clinique for Men line for around ten years now and I love it. Three basic products, no frills, good results.
posted by primethyme at 11:19 PM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

Moisturizer + sunscreen is it. The men in my family swear by Nivea for moisturizer, the kind in the blue jar. It might be too thick for your tastes. I like Cerave AM for sunscreen + moisturizer (SPF 30), because it doesn't make my eyes sting if I sweat and it gets into my eyes, and I also use Cerave's face wash and lotion. I like Cerave because it's unscented and doesn't irritate my skin, and it's easy to find in the drugstore or Target. Unfortunately, you may just have to experiment with a bunch of brands until you find one that works for your skin. Start with drugstore brands to spare your wallet.
posted by yasaman at 11:46 PM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

A nice gentle soap for your face like Cetaphil is good and then pick a facial moisturizer with sunscreen that you like the smell of. I like Aveeno.
posted by bleep at 12:00 AM on October 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

Agreed that it doesn't have to be a whole routine; just a nice gentle cleanse and moisturise and sunscreen. For simplicity's sake, get a moisturiser with sunscreen so you can compress the steps.

I have seen dramatic improvements to my skin since I went from washing/moisturising once a day to twice a day, but the ideal frequency for you will depend on how oily your skin is.

While the men in my family use the Nivea in the blur jar, that's a little thick and difficult to get the skin to absorb - Nivea Soft is an easier-to-use alternative.
posted by Ziggy500 at 1:15 AM on October 28, 2017

People say amazing things about Retin-A.
posted by henryaj at 4:14 AM on October 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

I have a problem paying exorbitant process for "designer" stuff in tiny containers so swallowed my pride and got a jar of good, old-fashioned Noxema. Also hit Amazon and got some collagen under-eye patches and a cold gel mask. Good for nighttime tv/reading.
posted by raider at 7:21 AM on October 28, 2017

Do you smoke? Stop. Do you drink enough water? Probably not. If your face gets oily, change your pillowcase every couple days (or reverse it, or put a t-shirt/towel over it). USE SUNSCREEN AND MOISTURIZER. Ideally a 2 in 1 product. Wash your hair first in the shower so you're not rinsing the dirt from your scalp right over your clean face and body.

I don't think it would hurt to use stuff marketed towards women but as a trans guy, I can tell you that men's skin is different in texture and (maybe) pH. It might be marketing bullshit but I'd use stuff made for men.
posted by AFABulous at 12:10 PM on October 28, 2017

My husband likes the Neutrogena for men line ... we're not TOTALLY sure it's any different from the Neutrogena I use, but the scents are more male-friendly at least. He uses a moisturizing sunblock for everyday, which combines the moisturizing (improves look of current skin) and sunblock (protects health of future skin) in one fast product. He keeps a sunblock stick in his desk at work in case he has to go be in the sun midday; otherwise, applies dedicated sunblock at home before going out for sunny activities.

For non-face skin moisturizing, he uses whatever I have or the kids have, so just like Johnson & Johnson baby moisturizer or lately I'm using Gold Bond healing moisturizer ... anyway, just drugstore stuff, nothing fancy!

If you want to splurge a little bit, it might be fun to go to a spa a get some skin treatments, but otherwise drugstore brands will (mostly*) be fine! Find a moisturizing sunblock for your face that's relatively inexpensive and easy to buy (whatever your supermarket has in the skincare aisle?) and start there. If you have skin needs you can't address in the drugstore, chat with a dermatologist ... it's frequently cheaper than the crazy-expensive skin "systems" and then you'll have good recommendations for products with medical support, and (if necessary) prescriptions for special skin products. Which are still cheaper than the crazy expensive stuff! Plus if you have not been sunblock diligent until now, it's worth your time to have a dermatologist check your freckles and moles.

(*I have found a very few more expensive products that are worth the cost -- like a $50 moisturizer that is like MAGIC -- but it's not 5 times better than $10 Neutrogena moisturizer, it's maybe 2 times better. Just get the basic stuff to start!)

Pro-tip: When you're wearing daily facial sunscreen, you will start having a white film of sunscreen rub off on your phone's screen all. the dang. time. Have a cleaning cloth handy! (It doesn't hurt your phone, it's just annoying.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:16 PM on October 28, 2017