Men’s skin is significantly different to women’s in terms of its thickness, collagen density and texture. As such, your daily grooming routine should be tailored to suit your needs.

And thankfully, a skincare regime doesn’t need to be incredibly complex. Instead, following a few key steps will keep you looking your best.

A simple breakdown of cleansing, exfoliating, moisturising and sunscreen

Cleansing

It might be the most obvious step in a daily grooming routine, but a surprising number of us forget to wash our faces at the end of a long day when all we want to do is to hit the pillow.

If you do nothing else, cleansing twice-daily is the most important maintenance of your skin. In contrast to women, men’s skin tends to have larger pores and, thanks testosterone, active sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing oil.

Cleansing regularly helps not only to wash away the grime of the day (particularly important for office workers caught in the city smog) but also to unclog pores and maintain oil control. This aids in preventing breakouts and blackheads.

Invest in a cosmeceutical-grade cleanser to avoid parabens and other additives that tend to strip the skin. For sensitive or dry skin, a foaming or mily cleanser is better suited.

Exfoliating

While cleansing is important, sometimes it can’t work hard enough to clean deeper down in your pores. An exfoliating scrub helps to unclog pores and remove dead skin cells, instantly brightening the skin as it works to naturally rejuvenate itself.

For more sensitive skin or to help in resurfacing the skin’s texture, Ultraceuticals’ Even Skintone Serum is a leave-on exfoliant, working like pac-men to dissolve and impurities, leaving you with a more refined complexion.

Moisturising

Even if your skin is naturally oily, it’s still possible for it to become dehydrated, leading to dull, tired-looking skin and, in some cases, even more oil production. Dry skin speeds up the ageing process as the collagen loses its elasticity.

It’s important then to keep skin well hydrated by moisturising after cleansing. Many brands offer moisturising products specific to various skin types – a lightweight lotion for oily skin provides a shine-free finish, for example – so look for one that best suits your needs.

At night, a thicker, creamier moisturiser can be applied to enrich the skin with nourishing nutrients and prepare it for the day ahead.

The eyes have it

Unlike the rest of our face and body, the skin beneath the eye doesn’t naturally regenerate itself. As a result, ageing is typically first seen in the area, with small lines fast turning into wrinkles, particularly for those who spend a lot of time in the sun.

But because of it’s the eye area’s delicate nature, many treatments, such as face masks and microdermabrasion, can’t be used on it. Yet there are ways to help protect and rejuvenate the eyes area.

Applying an eye cream on a daily basis will help to moisturise and smooth the area. Nonetheless, it should be applied fairly sparingly, and not immediately beneat the eyelid. Gently dab the cream on the edge of the bone around the eye area, which will absorb into the surrounding skin while avoiding irritation.

Sun protection

In Australia, skin cancer is an all too common – yet largely preventable – occurrence thanks to our regular exposure to the sun.

Health concerns aside, sun is one of the most significant factors in premature ageing, leading to wrinkles, dark sun spots, freckles and course, leathery skin texture. And yet this, too, is preventable.

Many men might wear sunscreen for a day at the beach but neglect to use it on a daily basis, despite considerable time spent outside on the commute to work. Beyond that, UVA rays (the most damaging) can penetrate through glass, so the sun is usually damaging your skin while you’re sitting at your desk.

A sunscreen with a high SPF rating will not only protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays, but also allow it time to heal and the immune system to repair damage. after cleansing and moisturising should be a daily step not forgotten.

The next step

Face of Man offers a wide variety of tailored facial treatments and products. Book in for a consultation or treatment today.

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What Happens to Your Skin in Winter?

Between meetings, you are outside in the cold, with the wind lashing against your face. Then very suddenly, you’re in the extreme warmth of your office or home, with internal heating turned up.

Your skin reacts strongly to these changes in temperature and humidity. As a result, it is common for you to experience dry skin, itchiness, redness, rashes, flaking and the development of fine lines. Those who have sensitive skin (or have skin conditions such as eczema) are particularly affected. Such dry and dehydrated skin can lead to cracking and bleeding which can leave your skin more vulnerable to infections.

Signs That Your Skin Is Suffering During Winter

There are many signs that can help individuals determine if their skin is suffering from dryness, dehydration or can point towards needing a little bit of extra help. These can include:

• Tightness of the skin
• Flaking skin
• Development of fine lines
• Cracks in skin
• Itchiness of the Skin
• Sensitivity to creams, handwashes or moisturiser
• Redness

Tips On Caring For Your Skin in Winter

Most people will treat their dry skin by applying additional layers of moisturiser in winter. Doing this can actually have adverse effects on your skin and can cause breakouts of the skin. Thus, it is important to pay attention to the products you are putting on your face, to not only ensure that they are going to help your skin, but also prevent any potential breakouts.

During winter, it is important to use men’s skincare products which contain hyaluronic acid. This is an ingredient which is naturally produced by our skin. It has the ability to hold 10000 times its own weight in water, meaning that it helps to hydrate the skin from the inside out.

This ingredient helps to create a barrier against the harsh elements of Winter, rather than leaving the skin exposed. Consider products in the Ultraceutricals range, including the replenishing mask, which is rich in vitamin B and contains hyaluronic acid.

Consider implementing new skin treatments into your routine, including:

1. Treatment Masks

If your skin is suffering from dryness, lack of radiance, dullness or surface congestion, consider doing some skin treatments. This can be masks at home, or professional peels and facials for extra help. Facial masks are able to introduce moisture back into your skin, helping your skin, during Winter, feeling less dry and more nourished. Consider using a treatment mask at least once a fortnight.

2. Switch to a Heavier Moisturiser

As your skin is drier, it may be time to switch to a heavier, more hydrating moisturiser. Look for creams that contain hyaluronic acid, rather than lotions. This will help keep your skin hydrated during the day and night and helps minimise any dryness you may experience.

3. Warm Water over Hot Water

As it is Winter, it is tempting to use hot water for everything, including showering and washing your face. However, hot water can contribute to the dryness you may be feeling and even make it worse. Hot water can wash away natural oils in your skin, which then make your skin less hydrated.

4. Avoid Harsh Cleansers

Face cleansers that have ingredients such as fragrances or additives tend to dry out the skin. Thus, in Winter, it is best to avoid them. Consider switching to a gentler cleaner to ensure that your face cleanser is not damaging your skin and is not stripping your skin of its natural oils. The more protected your natural oils are, the more moisture your skin will have.

Preventing your skin from the harsh effects of Winter does not need an entire skincare routine change. It just means switching out a few products and being mindful of your skin by giving it a little extra care. If your skin is suffering, it is worth consulting one of our skin professionals for more information about our skin treatments. Ultimately, changing a few things in your grooming routine during Winter and some extra support from Face of Man can save your skin from dryness, irritation and discomfort.

TIP:

The Ultraceuticals mask range is designed to have multi-uses. For optimum skin benefits these masks can be massaged into the skin after 10 minutes and left overnight.

To help you this winter with your skin health we are going to give you a complimentary mask valued at $65 when you purchase 2 Ultraceuticals products

Only whilst stocks last
Book in for a consultation or treatment today.

but is also the one area that revels your age the most. Because of the skin under our eyes being thinner than other parts of our face and with consistent eye movement and blinking it is highly susceptible to forming excess wrinkles early on in life. Along with this, fluids gather under the eye holding toxins in it leading to puffiness and dark circles. One question I get asked a lot is to why you should use a separate eye cream to other face creams?

This is because the pores on the skin under eye skin are smaller so will need a cream with smaller molecules to penetrate through and be effective in the area. Your skin here is also much more prominent making the area seem rougher, and an optical illusion casts shadows forming deep, dark, unwanted craters.

So, eye creams are formulated to target these concerns

There are many reasons as to why dark circles happen; some stemming from hereditary gens but a lot of the time it’s from broken, interrupted sleep or eye strain from looking at computer screens for a long time. Certain eye creams and formulations target different or specific eye concerns. The most effective ingredient at targeting aging, dark circles and wrinkles is vitamin A also known as Retinol. Retinol stimulates cell turnover helping to strengthen skin and giving it a more youthful appearance.

As Retinol can make the skin more sun-sensitive and can be overly drying, just apply sparingly before bedtime only. If your finding that the skin around your eyes is looking like its loosing firmness and has a “crêpey” appearance, then you’re looking for an eye cream that has Vitamin C in it. Vitamin C stimulates collagen production so will be best to tighten the skin back up. Both of these vitamins are very active in the skin so I recommend applying them once a day (at night) as an over application can irritate the eyes.

As the skin around the eyes is thinner and more delicate its best to have its own stand alone “eye treatment”. In a standard facial the eye area is never really treated so I would always opt for adding an eye treatment to your facial. Having an eye treatment is very stimulating to the eye area and is the fastest way of getting rid of that tired, sleep deprived look. In doing an eye treatment it is very stimulating to the blood flow and capillaries in the areas around the eyes, helping to drain excess fluids, reduce sagging, tone and nourish new cell growth. It Speeds up lymphatic drainage to remove toxins and is relaxing the muscles that cause crow’s feet. I have been asked a lot on how to properly apply eye cream, so my top tips for you when applying eye cream are:

• Always gently pat/ dab product on
• Use your ring finger as it has the lightest touch
• Apply around the occipital bone (i.e. on the bone that forms the eye socket), never apply directly underneath the eyes as your product naturally seeps up. If its applied too close it will go into the eye and irritate them.
• Only ever use products designed specifically for the eye area.
• Don’t overload on product – use a small pea sized amount to dot around the occipital bone. Too much will clog up the pores around the eyes and lead to little congestion bumps.

If you notice changes to your face in Summer, you can blame the quick transition from normal to oily skin on the humidity. In a panic, you may try to wash your fash profusely, however, there are more effective ways to control your oil production and exposure to the elements. Avoid the pore-clogging, sweating and skin burning, and take greater care of your Summer skin through following this easy guide. From sun protection to an essential cleansing skincare routine, you can feel more confident without the glistening skin.

How Your Skin Reacts to Summer vs Winter

Your skin really does not like the change in weather, even though it happens every year. Skin takes a while to adjust, and in the process, you may end up with the dryest or oiliest skin of your life. It is often not just the temperature itself that affects the skin, but rather how we as humans react to it.

When it is cold, we have heaters on often and hot showers which cause dryness and flakiness. During this time, heavy-duty moisturisers, and nourishment is a must for your skin, especially if you suffer from eczema. On the opposite side, the winter months really amp up cravings for carbs and sugar from comfort food, however, this can increase the oil production in your skin.

In transitional periods where high winds are present, your skin can be stripped of its moisture, leaving your skin rough and dry. The dust and pollen in the air can work against your skin’s natural oils and can create itchiness and inflammation. Your skin’s protective barrier, the stratum corneum, is at risk when exposed to the harsh elements such as UV rays and wind, which increases dead skin cells.

Alternatively, when the humidity is present, your body produces sweat to cool down. Then the oils of your skin start to fill your pores, which may lead to acne, blackheads and exceptionally shiny skin. The extra exposure to UV rays in the warmer months can accelerate the ageing process such as creating fine lines, wrinkles and age spots which are absolutely not ideal.

The dehydration experience in Summer can create dry skin spots, and despite popular belief, oily skin can be dehydrated which forces your glands to produce even more oil to compensate. This could result in a nasty looking breakout during these Summer months. Any wind or harsh elements that your skin has been exposed to over the year can make your skin more susceptible to sun damage during the Summer period. If you are trying to understand the type of skin you are experiencing such as dry, oily or sensitive skin, check out our Men’s Skin Type Guide.

How to Take Care of Your Skin in Summer

Now that the seasonal effects on your skin are understood, how can you tackle your Summer skincare routine? There are a few areas to consider, involving how to clean your face as well as sun protection. A combination of these care tips will lead to your skin looking healthy and non-irritated whilst slowing down the ageing process.

1. Cleansing

Whilst washing your face profusely is not the way to solve oily skin, a light foaming face wash in Summer can help prevent sunscreen, dirt and oils from building up. Twice a day is enough, as any more can cause the opposite effect where your body starts increasing the oil production to compensate.

Hyaluronic acid is an ingredient to look out for in cleansers during summer, as well as a lightweight cleanser which will not clog pores further. The results of this will be smooth skin, as you will not strip your skin of all moisture, but simultaneously not suffocate oily skin.

Non-comedogenic, non-drying and non-irritating cleansers are essential for your Summer skincare routine, and try a vitamin C serum after cleansing to stimulate collagen production to slow down the ageing process and avoid hyper-pigmentation.

2. Hydration & Moisture

Whilst those with oily skin may feel hydration is not necessary, this is untrue. Dry spots can develop even if the rest of your face is oily. You should increase your water intake in Summer to ten glasses a day, and even more if you are having caffeinated drinks. Drinking more water will not only hydrate your skin but also speed up any sunburn recovery.

Summer sweat may have you showering more times a day, which dries out your skin. Picking a Summer moisturiser should involve a product that is light-weight, with ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Perhaps opt for a gel moisturiser or another water-based product as these are known to not encourage further oil production. This differs greatly from the rich, thick moisturisers you need in Winter.

The best time to apply moisturiser is after a shower, to lock in the water moisture whilst you carry on the rest of the day. If you notice that instead of excess oils, your skin is feeling dryer in the Summertime commonly due to swimming often, a hydrating serum with natural ingredients like avocado oil, aloe vera and turmeric may be added to your routine for brightening.

3. Sun Protection

The first way to protect your skin from the sun is to remove yourself from the harshest UV ray period, which is between 10 am-2 pm. You need to apply water-resistant sunscreen with a high SPF 30. Reapplying every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating can protect your skin for age spots, cancer and sagging. Opt for a matte finish sunscreen for the face in particular to control oil, such as products that involve Silica. And put a hat on your head for the day to create more shade which protects your skin from the harsh elements.

4. Exfoliation

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells that build up on your body and should be used to handle oil overproduction once or twice a week. The worst thing you can do to your skin is over-exfoliate, especially when used with an abrasive tool or harsh chemicals. However, one chemical that can be beneficial for your skin is Glycolic acid, especially at night as it can create skin sensitivity towards the sun.

Exfoliation can remove excess oils built up from sunscreen also, however, if you realise you are over-exfoliating, you can hydrate your skin’s natural epidermal barrier. A skin peel can be completed to exfoliate, but ensure you stay out of the direct sun for 3-5 days in order to give your skin time to heal. If you are unsure about the best way to treat your skin, especially if it is acting differently in the summertime, consulting one of our skin professionals about potential skin treatments options could be beneficial for you.

Conclusively, the ultimate skincare routine requires a few changes for the Summer weather. This is because Summer can create excess oil production as well as dry spots from showering more often. Ultimately, you should start your skincare routine with a foaming cleanser and vitamin C serum. Then, add in greater hydration and a lightweight water-based moisturizer. Finally, exfoliate around two times a week to avoid abrasion, and this will handle oil and dirt removal from the skin to have your skin feeling smooth without the shine.