The Ultimate Guide to Men's Skincare: From Basics to Advanced Treatments
With so many men in the celebrity, wellness and fitness worlds looking fresh-faced and groomed – thanks to a well-honed skincare routine and skin clinic treatments – we decided to create the ultimate guide to men’s skincare: from basics to advanced treatments.
Gone is the time when skincare was largely unavailable to men, or when looking after his skin wasn’t really on a man’s radar. The number of enquiries we have had from men has increased dramatically in recent years.
And please forward the link to the man in your life if you think they may be interested!
When we see men at Noaem Skin, it can be for reasons such as:
- Their partner has been coming to us over a period of time and they are noticing the beneficial effects
- They are trying their partner’s skincare products after a shower and liking them!
- They are noticing age or sun damage related changes to their skin
- They are noticing that their skin is less firm and dull looking
- They feel that they look ‘angry’ or ‘tired’ a lot of the time
- They dislike their eye area due to lines or dark circles which make them look tired
- They are feeling some pressure within the work environment to look fresh-faced and ‘with it’ when in fact they feel exhausted due to having young kids at home!
- They are breaking out in spots in their 40s and unsure why
The list goes on… We have many women attend for consultations who admit that they are confused and totally overwhelmed by the world of skincare. So it stands to reason that the same situation exists for men.
Unique characteristics of male skin
Men have thicker skin than women (between 10-20%) due to having higher levels of testosterone
~ Men’s skin will thin gradually through life whereas women see a more dramatic thinning after the menopause.
~ Men are seen to age slower or later than women. This is due to:
- Denser collagen in their skin
- They have thicker skin
- More hydrated skin due to more oil production
~ Men produce more sebum leading to oilier skin which can be prone to breakouts
~ At the same time, regular shaving can lead to a disruption to lipids in the skin causing dryness and sensitivity
~ Their skin does not feel as smooth as women’s skin as the outer layer (comprised of dead skin cells) is thicker
~ Men generally have stronger facial muscles than women – something that affects dosage of some injectables
Changing your mindset around skincare
These characteristics develop around the time of puberty when higher testosterone leads to excess oil production and, often, acne. This is the perfect time to educate boys on skincare including facial cleansing, moisturising and SPF. We should be doing this more.
But it is never too late to start. Think of skincare as an investment in your health, wellbeing, confidence and of course your appearance. There is no magic bullet that will change your skin overnight, after all it is called a ‘routine’ for a reason.
Changes in habits, although sometimes difficult at first, WILL start yielding benefits, and so will become permanent. Think of it in a similar vein to the gym. You go and workout and in between sessions, you try to eat healthily, stay hydrated, sleep well etc. All good habits that bring good things!
How to create a good men’s skincare routine
Clinic-grade skin care is an unbelievably powerful weapon against the common skin concerns we see. If you have used ‘Men’s Skincare’ brands before that have come from the high street then consider clinic-grade as levelling up. These ingredients, concentrations and formulations are better. There are no men’s or women’s clinic-grade brands – we treat your skin concerns not your gender.
First up in our ultimate guide to men’s skincare , it is essential that the skin is scanned and analysed using a device. We are able to see congested pores, wrinkles, sun damage and pigmentation, which layer of the skin the pigment is in, redness, dehydration, dry skin and textural issues. With this information, we can recommend a simple routine that will make a difference to the condition of your skin.
Let’s break down a good routine:
Cleansing
Cleansing is a very underrated way of improving your skin. Do you wash your face at night? If not, even a simple change like this can make all the difference. We have seen this in practice! It is important to wash away pollutants, oil, grime and sunscreen before hitting the sack.
The morning cleanse should get rid of the products you applied the evening before as well as built-up oil. We also need to consider bacteria from our pillows and hair that builds up on the skin overnight.
Are you using the right cleanser? It can be hard to tell but your skin should not feel tight after washing. In our experience, men can tend to over do it when cleansing the skin. This can lead to a disrupted skin barrier which can bring issues such as dryness, sensitivity and even breakouts.
Exfoliation
Another step that can disrupt the skin barrier if over done. All those harsh scrubs that we have grown up to believe were the answer to good skin (we are looking at you 90s teenage acne brands) are far from it, so please put them away.
If you wet shave regularly, then you are already exfoliating to some extent. We need to exfoliate the skin to help it shed layers of dead skin cells, because our skin becomes less efficient at doing this naturally as we age. This provides a smoother texture to the skin, a brighter appearance and helps to prevent breakouts.
We recommend using chemical exfoliators rather than physical scrubs. These can be in the form of exfoliating face washes or overnight serums. They generally contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) eg. glycolic acid or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) eg. salicylic acid. A salicylic acid containing cleanser can be more useful if the skin is prone to breakouts. Use these products at night, twice a week if tolerated, and do not over do it.
Active Serums
The next step, after cleansing or exfoliating, is the game changing, skin changing step.
Clinic-grade active serums are lightweight skincare products that are packed with active ingredients in a formulation that is able to reach deeper layers of the skin. Again, it is important that you use the most appropriate serum for your skin, especially if using clinic-grade skincare.
For drier skin types, look for a hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid as this attracts water. These types of serums should be locked into the skin by following up with a moisturiser.
Oily and acne prone skin types should look for serums containing salicylic acid to help dissolve oil collected in pores and exfoliate dead skin cells which can ‘seal off’ the pore and encourage bacteria growth, inflammation and eventually a breakout.
For general skin health, a good antioxidant serum, containing vitamin C for example, is perfect for morning use to protect the skin against environmental damage.
Moisturiser
We hear lots of men say that they hate the feeling of greasiness on the skin and therefore are not keen on using moisturiser. However, moisturisers have come on leaps and bounds and they can be as lightweight as you like. Options include lotions, gels, gel creams and heavier creams. Mattifying lotions are also available to reduce oily shine on the skin.
Why do we need to moisturise? Think of your outermost layer of skin as a brick wall. The bricks are your skin cells and they contain natural moisturisers. The bricks are held together by lipids (the mortar). By applying moisturiser, we seal in our natural moisturisers and also support the lipid mortar holding our skin cells together. Good function of the skin barrier leads to healthy looking, hydrated, brighter and smoother skin.
Lastly, forget day and night creams – you should have one moisturiser that you use day and night – unless of course you prefer something a bit heavier at night.
Sunscreen
This is another product that causes concern to many men. Memories of thick, white, paste-like sunscreens from the past come to mind and are pretty off-putting!
Welcome to the new generation of sunscreens. You will only find SPF50 at Noaem Skin. There is one for every single skin type. For the drier skin types we have hydrating and moisturising versions. For the oilier skin types we have oil-free gels that are so lightweight.
Your sunscreen should ideally be a standalone product, and not a moisturiser with SPF, as it is unlikely that you will use enough to benefit from the right amount of protection. This is particularly important in the summer. UV rays from the sun can cause skin cancer and also premature ageing of the skin through collagen loss and sun damage. It is such an easy way to proactively protect your skin. And it is non-negotiable.
Now you have the basis of a good routine. Are there more things you could add? Of course, but one step at a time!
What treatments are most popular with men at Noaem Skin?
This is a powerful and scientifically advanced facial treatment which utilises different modalities to achieve various results for your skin.
Radiofrequency tightens the skin using thermal energy. The treatment uses the Bohr effect – using carbon dioxide to encourage your blood to deliver more oxygen to the tissues. Next we nourish your skin by infusing appropriate serums using massage and ultrasound.
There is no downtime, just fresh, smooth and bright skin straight away. Men adore this treatment.
Skin Peels
These are generally well tolerated by men and some skin peels have zero downtime – consider them a lunchtime treatment. Most peels will tingle on the skin for a few minutes before they are removed. They exfoliate the skin, brighten it, encourage your skin to turnover faster and are brilliant for breakouts. These should be considered during autumn and winter so you can avoid excessive sun exposure.
Periorbital Rejuvenation
By this, we mean the eye area which is a common concern for men. The skin around the eyes is delicate and therefore prone to ageing earlier. When the periorbital area appears darker with more pronounced lines, it can make the face look tired. We have different treatment options to improve the skin quality around the eyes.
Mesotherapy solutions can help to hydrate and brighten the periorbital region – they are injected very superficially into the skin after application of anaesthetic cream.
The newer kid on the block for the eye area is the injection of Polynucleotide solutions which are derived from fish. This treatment encourages the skin to completely regenerate itself, strengthening and improving the appearance of it.
Botulinum toxin
Also known as ‘Botox’, botulinum toxin is injected into certain facial muscles to relax them. It is commonly used to treat the frown area in men, providing a softer and less ‘angry’ looking appearance. Around the eyes and the forehead are also common areas to treat. This treatment addresses the signs of a ‘tired’ face – you won’t look as tired as you might feel! It is important to see a medical practitioner for this treatment and also importantly, one that understands the anatomy of the male face.
Hopefully this guide to men’s skincare; from basics to advanced treatments has cleared up any misconceptions and simplified the barrage of information Google brings up when you try and research men’s skincare.
Our key takeaways are:
- Seek help – you are not expected to be an expert in this field
- Book a skin consultation, get your skin scanned and understand what you are trying to achieve
- Explore the options for skin treatments that could benefit your skin – you would be surprised at the number of men that are already doing this!
- If we can be of help, do not hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email.