The Importance of a Men’s Skin Care Routine
A foundation of good grooming is a religiously adhered to men’s skin-care routine. It brings with it less redness and irritation, less breakouts, and – best of all – less visible signs of aging. It is irrefutable that a daily ritual that takes care of yourself also improves how you feel about yourself before you head off to work or simply a wonderful way to start the day.
But where do you start ?
For the uninitiated, the vast array of oils, serums and exfoliants can lead to ‘paralysis by analysis’ to leave you feeling overwhelmed. Ironically, everybody always speaks about how relaxing men’s skin care is supposed to be.
In this article, we will provide you with a guide, detailing six simple steps to an effective men’s skin care routine. Although, before you start with any routine, there are a couple of factors that you should take in to account.
What is your skin type ?
According to the AAD, there are five types of skin, as detailed in the table below. This list is by no means exhaustive, but its a good, general guide, as you tend to have one of these five skin types.
| Skin Type | Symptoms | Key Skin Care Tips |
| Normal Skin | No sensitivity with very few (if any) breakouts or blemishes.
Fine pores and a smooth texture. |
Stay hydrated and healthy.
Wear Sunscreen and wash or cleanse your face before you go to bed. |
| Oily Skin | Large or open pores.
Greasy to the eye and prone to breakouts. |
Stay hydrated and regularly moisturise.
Wash your face twice a day (do not over-wash). |
| Dry Skin | Itchy, flaky and rough skin.
Has an uneven texture and will likely feel tight. |
Regularly moisturise your skin to maintain softness and hydration.
Wear sunscreen to prevent dehydration. Drink water but avoid spending a lot of the time in the shower. Retain the natural moisture of your skin with a humidifier. |
| Combination Skin (Combination of dry & oily skin) | Oily T-zone and breakouts on the forehead chin and nose.
Oily & sensitive cheeks. |
Have a different skin care routine for your T-zone and the rest of your face.
Wear sunscreen. Apply gentle cleansers. Exfoliating is important but as with any skin type, be gentle and do NOT exfoliate daily. Purchase ‘Oil-Free’ Products to avoid blocking pores. |
| Sensitive Skin | Skin feels itchy and tight (particularly while wearing tight clothes).
Will become red after hot water or after heating spicy food and becomes oily in the summer. Skin becomes dry in winter or when exposed to the cold. More prone to reaction from Skin care products. |
Don’t be excessive – e.g. use mild sunscreens, moisturizers and cleansers.
Always conduct a patch test – even if a product is advertised to be allergy friendly etc. |
Do You Have Any Skin Concerns ?
‘Skin Concerns’ include anything that is happening on your face that you would like to address, e.g. irritation, hyperpigmentation or acne. You will likely have seen that there are products that are often labelled as being effective against specific skin problems. Although if it is a serious skin problem, you are better off having a consultation with your GP.
Five Steps to a Comprehensive Men’s Skin Care Routine
Step 1: Cleanse
We are all washing our hands more due to Covid-19 and the same should apply to our faces.
For most face cleansers (sometimes referred to as face washes), a small amount should be applied on a wet face for 30 seconds, followed by a splash of warm water and a pat (not a rub) with a towel. The type of cleanser you should use (as previously mentioned) depends on your skin type.
Step 2: Tone
You will likely all too often often skip this crucial step. This skin care technique is best explained with the metaphor of painting a canvas. Before you start painting, first you have to clean the canvas (cleanse) ad then you have to apply a primer (tone).
We recommend that you cover a cotton pad with your toner and then rub it all over your face and neck. However, if you prefer, you can apply a small coin-sized amount of toner on to one of your palms. Finally, put your palms together and continue to press the toner in to your cheeks, neck and forehead.
Step 3: Serum
What has serum got to do with a man’s skin-care routine ? An individual may be more likely to associate serum with spy films than a skin caret. But in the ‘real-world’, the term ‘serum’ refers to something that has a high concentration of performance ingredients with the consistency of a light-lotion or a gel.
You only need to apply a couple of drops on to your finger tips before rubbing your hands together and applying the serum to your forehead, the bridge of your nose towards your cheeks and finishing with your neck and jawline.
Step 4: Eye Cream
This part of a man’s skin care routine requires a lot more care and attention because apart from the lips, the layer skin under your eyes is the thinnest on your face. Therefore, we advise that you use your ring finger to apply it for it is the least likely to cause tugging or pulling in that area.
Ideally you should apply a pump (or a half pump) on to the end of our finger and then tap along the outsides of your eyes moving inwards. Be sure to keep tapping in the eye cream until the product is at least mostly absorbed.
Step 5: Moisturise
In reality the fifth step of any men’s skin care routines should be split in to two because you need to apply different types of moisturisers. One for when you wake up and the other for when you go to bed. Nevertheless the application is the same.
You want to put a penny-sized quantity on your fingertips and then rub your hands together. After that you simply rub the moisturiser in quick motions across the foreheads, cheeks and along the neck until it has been absorbed by the skin.
In the morning you will want to use a lighter product, ideally with a minimum of SPF 30 before going outside to protect yourself against sun damage.
Before you go to bed, you should finish your routine with a rich moisturiser that can soak in to your skin while leaving your pores able to breath.
Step 6: Perfume
This step is placing the ‘cherry on the cake’. For us here at Pairfum London, it’s what we enjoy the most.
While we would of course recommend our Eau de Parfum range, you might prefer to discover first the fragrance that truly reflects your style and personality using our Perfume Experience Box. It allows you to experience each fragrance in your own time, without distraction and for a few days before you decide.
We should point out that Eau de Parfum is not the same as Aftershave or Cologne. For more information, please have a look at our FAQ page.
What About Shaving?
You may wonder why we haven’t mentioned shaving.
In this routine, the step of shaving in the morning or evening (before you go out) comes before our Skin Care routine starts, with the emphasis on ‘care’.
The ‘Perfect Shave’ is a subject in its own right and deserves its own article with our favourite tips & tricks.
What Next ?
As we briefly mentioned before, we are washing our hands more frequently, leading to dry, rough and sometimes even cracked skin on our hands.
It would be a pity to neglect them.
We invite you to browse two of our Skin Care products that might be the solution for you:
- Pre-biotic & Organic Hand Lotions: Made using organic and natural ingredients to strengthen the micro-flora of your skin, they leave your skin soft, pampered and gently fragranced.
- Organic Hand Wash & Oil: This product moisturises your skin with natural oils as you wash and it is naturally antibacterial / antiviral.
For men, we would recommend one of these fragrances: ‘Cedar Noir’, ‘SPA’ or ‘Pink Grapefruit’.
This is it: the fundamentals of what the ideal men’s skincare routine should look like.
If you are looking for a more advance routine, you may find this article from Esquire an interesting read.
