FIVE MEN’S SKINCARE MYTHS – ALL CLEARED UP

The male relationship with skincare is a lot different from the way women are taught to feel about it. While the majority of women have some sort of skincare routine or are at least taught that they should, it can feel like skincare isn’t necessary for men – like it’s not worthwhile or masculine enough. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Most men have heard a lot of misconceptions about skincare over the years, and we’d like to clear those up once and for all. 

Here are five misconceptions about male skin care – and what the truth really is.

“Men don’t need skincare as much as women do.”

This certainly isn’t true. Whilst men and women do have very different skin – men’s skin is around 10% thicker, therefore slightly more hard-wearing – it’s still important that you adopt certain products into your daily routine to keep your skin looking and feeling great. 

Shaving, for one, has effects on the skin similar to microdermabrasion, leading it to become rougher, as well as a little more porous and sensitive. Without using certain products and treatments to balance these effects, men can find their skin feels rough or dry, is prone to irritation, and may even begin to notice the effects of aging earlier on.

Men also have naturally oily skin due to their higher levels of testosterone, causing an increased risk of acne breakouts in adult men who do not keep their skin clean. 

While skincare hasn’t always been marketed towards men, there have been many more dermatological studies in recent years that have found that men could certainly benefit from adopting a skincare routine.

“Men don’t need to use moisturizer if they have oily skin.”

The natural oils of the skin aren’t a reliable indicator of how hydrated your skin is! Even if you are prone to very oily skin, it’s still important to keep moisturizing to prevent it from becoming rough, dry, and damaged. 

If you do have particularly oily skin and are attempting to avoid it becoming any oilier, the best thing to do is to use an oil-free moisturizer. These products offer that all-important hydration without contributing to the oiliness of your skin, making them ideal for achieving a balance between the two. Do be careful not to over-moisturize, though, or you could risk breaking down these helpful natural oils and giving your skin a particularly greasy appearance. 

“Men only need to use sunscreen on sunny days.”

One of the most dangerous misconceptions out there amongst both men and women is that you only need to wear sunscreen during the summer or on a particularly sunny day. Everyone should be wearing sunscreen every day, as UV rays cannot be blocked out by clouds and are still present even in bad weather. 

If anything, men should actually take even more precautions in this area than women need to, as they are statistically more likely to develop skin cancer at some point in their lifetime. Stay safe – apply sunscreen fifteen to thirty minutes before heading out for the day, wherever you’re going.

“Men don’t need to use exfoliators.”

Men can benefit from the use of an exfoliator just as much as women can! Exfoliators are there to scrub away dead skin and are a good way of ensuring that there is no dirt trapped in the pores, as this is the most common cause of blackheads. Exfoliation can also give you much smoother, clearer skin. 

However, do ensure that you don’t fall into the habit of exfoliating too often if this is a routine you would like to start practicing, as over-exfoliating can lead to dry, damaged skin. It’s best to keep exfoliation to around once a week for the most beneficial results.

“Washing my face with soap is fine.”

Yes, it is – if you don’t mind dealing with clogged pores, greasy skin, and frequent breakouts. 

Soap is designed simply to keep our hands and bodies clean, but it’s not particularly good for our faces, as our faces just need a different kind of care. The skin on the rest of our bodies does not need such specialized formulas in order to prevent any damage, but the skin on our faces can be a lot more sensitive to certain chemicals and products, as well as to hormonal changes – this is one of the reasons that we don’t get as many pimples on the rest of our bodies as we do on our faces. 

The best thing to use to wash your face is a gentle daily cleanser, which will allow you to wash away the oil and dirt of the day without damaging or clogging your skin.

Now that you know the truth about these men’s skincare misconceptions, why not look into a skincare routine of your own? You’re sure to notice a huge difference in your skin, which will keep you looking great and feeling great, too.