The term skincare is alien to most men. For the majority of mankind, grooming routine comprises of the usual body spray and shower gel sets received as gifts during the holiday season. If you feel stumped every time someone talks about cleansing and moisturizing, this article is just for you. The greatest thing about this best skincare routine for men is that it only takes ~3 minutes a day.
Why bother with Adopting the Best Skincare Routine for Men?
The common notion is that men will only spruce up for an important occasion like a date or an important interview; our aim is to convince you otherwise. Your personal appearance depends a lot on how you treat your skin day in, day out. If you have been skipping out on skincare, it is time to take things seriously.
Skincare is neither mundane nor is it too hectic to follow. Even if you are one of the laziest persons, you can easily squeeze in 60 seconds in the morning and another 60 before you hit the sack. In this article, we will walk you through a simple, enjoyable, straightforward yet extremely effective skincare routine for men who are too laidback to follow an extensive skincare regime.
Put your Best Face Forward
Modern technological and industrial advancements brought pollution and environmental deterioration in their tow. These hazards directly affect our skin, the largest organ of our body. Without a proper skincare nourishment regime, putting your best face forward can become a problem. Is your skin plagued with issues like blemishes, wrinkles, and uneven skin-tone? You need to take action and step up your skincare routine.
With market aisles filled with endless skin care products and influencers sharing their must-haves on social media, selecting the right skincare products for your skin type can be a difficult decision. Before starting a new skincare regime, you need to consider a variety of factors like product ingredients, your lifestyle, and your skin type.
You don’t need to splurge on luxury products to get started on your skin care routine. However, consulting a skin professional like a dermatologist or an aesthetician can educate you on which products might work best.
Say Bonjour to a Fresh, Radiant Outlook
The most important part of any skincare routine is consistency. From busy mornings to late-night sittings, we know you have a lot on your plate. We understand that a 7 or 10 Step skincare routine can be too overwhelming. So, having a simple yet effective skincare routine for men that you can actually adhere to is the key here. Before you get started with the best skincare routine for men, it is important to identify our skin type.
To Know Thyself is the Beginning of Wisdom
Although Socrates was talking about inner-self, we understand that beauty is always inside out. Since a skincare routine is centered around your skin type, it is important that you figure it out first!
There are five ways to categorize skin type.
Normal or Neutral Skin
Those blessed with a normal skin type retain almost perfect balance of moisture, neither too oily nor too dry. Also, those with normal skin almost never face blemishes or acne issues.
Mature Skin
You have grown wise with age and the age spots and fine lines reinforce this fact. Key issues faced are dryness and dullness along with aging skin. Therefore, adopting an anti-aging skincare routine is effective to combat these issues.
Oily Skin
All that glows is not always good. You may have more than a few oily patches on your skin. Common skin problems include acne, sebum production, and enlarged pores.
Sensitive Skin
A subtle and profound approach towards skincare needs to be adopted by the ones who have sensitive skin. Products that work for others may cause redness or irritation for you. Your skin may react more strongly to weather conditions as well. Skin allergies are a commonly associated issue. It is advisable to opt for an organic skincare routine.
Combination Skin
The characteristic of a combination skin type is an oily T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin) and drier rest of the face. It is the most tricky skin type as you need to formulate an exclusive skincare approach to reap maximum benefits.
3 Step Morning Skincare Regime
Here is the breakdown of the simple and effective morning schedule of the best skincare routine for men.
- Cleansing (30 seconds)
- Toning (10 seconds)
- Moisturising ( 10 seconds)
- Sun Protection (10 seconds)
1. Start your Day with A Clean Slate
Cleansing is an important skincare ritual. Remember, all those expensive skincare products you splurge on will not be effective if they don’t get absorbed into your skin. You need to rid your skin of all that gunk and dirt to allow the rest of the products to really work their magic. If you are a novice, you might want to start with a gentle skin cleanser that contains a mild exfoliator like glycolic acid. Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser is one of the best cleansers for men that caters to a wide range of skin types and issues.
Pro tip: You can go for double cleansing which is even more effective. Remember the school lab experiments of like dissolves like? Well, just as oil and water don’t mix, water-based cleansers remain ineffective at removing sunscreen and oil-based impurities from skin. Solution is quite simple. You take an oil-based cleanser (we recommend Dear Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil) and rub it into your skin for 15 seconds before washing it off with lukewarm water. Follow it up with a gentle water-based cleanser like COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser to get rid of other impurities. A fair warning: this 30-seconds routine is addictive. So you might want to place an order for multiple jars of the products you select!
2. Tone it Up!
Toner is doubtlessly the most difficult skincare product to pin down. Cleansers strip moisture from your skin. So, your brain will stimulate the pores to produce more oil. Toners keep oil production in check by balancing the pH level and thus encouraging your pores to stay closed. So, you can rely on a toner to mattify the shiny skin. Dry and sensitive skin types experience irritation or tightness after cleansing. Toner maintains the pH level of your skin and restores the balance. Therefore, toners remain the secret weapon in the best skincare routine for men. All you need is to take a few drops of the toner on a cotton pad (we recommend Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Toner) and apply it on your skin for 10 seconds.
Pro Tip: For better results, tap the product into your skin using the pads of your fingertips instead of rubbing it in.
3. Lock in that Moisture
The most effective arsenal for combatting dry skin is a moisturizer. But this does not imply that a moisturizer is only for the dry and sensitive skin type. After a thorough cleanse, your skin requires rehydration. Also, tired and aging skin can benefit from an additional dose of slick and creamy concoction. All you need is to squeeze a small amount of a moisturizer of your choice like The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer and get ready for plumped, enviable skin in ten seconds.
4. Throw Some Shade
An age-old adage goes: prevention is always better than cure. Face ravaging effects of sun-like sunburns are no joke. Fine lines and aging spots that make you flinch every time you glance in the mirror are simply indicators of a missing crucial skincare step. No best skincare routine for men is complete without slathering some SPF. Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 is the perfect, non-greasy sunscreen for both routine and outdoor activities. Tap some sunscreen into your skin and keep the sun rays from upsetting your skin!
Pro Tip: You can combine Steps 3 & 4 by opting for a SPF Moisturizer. 2-in-1 products like Clinique Superdefense Fatigue + 1st Signs of Age Multi-Correcting Gel SPF 40 give you the best of both worlds.
Night Skincare Regime
Night time skincare routine is even simpler. For starters, there will be no Step 4, so you can skip on the sunscreen. The rest remains pretty much same except for replacing the moisturizer with a serum. Here is the breakdown of an effective night time best skincare routine for men.
- Cleansing (30 seconds)
- Toning (10 seconds)
- Face Serum (10 seconds)
- Beauty Sleep (8 hours)
Since we have already discussed cleansing and toning, we will dive right into face serums:
What the Heck is a Face Serum and Why do I Need One?
Face serum is the underrated, often overlooked product in men skincare regimes. Those who try them once get hooked quite quickly. For a tiny and unassuming product, it leaves a lasting impact. Serums are a super-concentrated mix of emollients and humectants (moisture attractors). They also cater to active skincare issues like brightening and anti-aging to deliver super-fast results. All you need is to tap it onto clean and dry skin, concentrating on your forehead and cheekbones. You can also go for an all-rounder like Dr. Dennis Gross B³Adaptive SuperFoods Stress Rescue Super Serum. For Worry Lines, Flareups, and Dullness to target all your skin problems in one go.
Pro Tip: Lock in the benefits of the face serum with face oil like Bio-Oil, and you will instantly feel your skin is more youthful and radiant.
Catch some Zzzz’s
Even the best skincare routine for men cannot fix dark circles, under-eye bags, and a dull, tired dull complexion if you skimp on your sleep. Effects of a sleepless night are readily apparent on your face. This is why skincare experts recommend getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep. As you snooze, repair and maintenance functions of your body become active. Look at yourself after a well-rested night and you will realize that the morning glow is not a myth.
Don’t Skimp on Your Skincare
Skincare is not a ‘women-only’ club! In the long run, who doesn’t want to look good and fresh? Start with this basic, easy to follow, best skincare routine for men and you can thank yourself later for sticking to it!