by Will
/ September, 23 2015 01:30
Men often think of skin care as a women's thing or, at best, something to begrudgingly slap on after a shave. We don't dispute that after a shave a moisturizer is a real skin saver. We'd just add that a complete men's skin care routine (women's too) doesn't need to be complicated. A cleanser, some moisturizer and sunscreen are really all a guy (or gal) needs. So why a cleanser? Let's take a look.
Why Men Should use a Cleanser
After a long day out and about dirt and grime build up on the skin. Sometimes it's obvious like when you've spent the whole day outside working, exercising or playing. Other times it might be harder to tell. If, for example, you've been behind a computer typing away. Regardless, it's important to clean your skin once a day to keep it fresh. It'll remove the build up and prevent things like clogged pores and black heads. Plus your skin will just feel better. We also recommend not over doing it. Cleansing too many times a day is also not good for your skin.
What Men Should Look for in a Cleanser
When choosing a cleanser we advocate making sure it's a gentle one. You don't want overly harsh ingredients. They will clean your face but they will remove essential skin oils, have a higher probability of irritating your skin and are simply unnecessary. It's hard to specify all the ingredients to avoid but some basics are fragrance (this is a catchall term for secret ingredients that can be put into products without identifying them), parabens, alcohol (although not all alcohol, fatty alcohols are good), petroleum based oils and sodium lauryl sulfate. That's quite the list to remember or you can try our Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser if you want an easy way to find such a product. It will clean and freshen your skin without being overly harsh.
Do Men and Women Need Different Cleansers
Another common piece of advice is to choose products geared towards men. Generally we disagree with this. For the most part skin is skin. So you can use the cleanser that your sister, girlfriend, mother or wife uses. Vice versa - if there's a product you use, your female friends can use it too.
Final Steps to Complete your Skin Care Routine
Last, after cleansing your skin make sure to take the final step. If it's during the day that means applying a broad spectrum at least SPF 15 (SPF 30 is better) suncare product. This can be a sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF. If it's at night make sure to apply a moisturizer like our Organic Revitalizing Night Cream to re-hydrate your skin.
