Skincare 101: Back to Basics

For some guys, the thought of skincare entails long morning and nightly rituals, slaving in front of the bathroom mirror with a handful of creams and serums. You may have heard friends or others raving about a new serum to minimize pores and you still have no idea what that means. It’s a global, billion dollar industry and for some, skincare products are a life force. But skincare doesn’t have to be as complicated as it’s made out to be.

Forget everything you ever thought about skincare and beauty because I’m going to break it down for you. Skincare is simple: it’s caring for your skin. As guys, we are not expected to worry about our pores or under eyes or dry or oily skin. But we should be expected to keep our skin healthy and clean. Our skin is the largest breathing organ on our body and it is important we take care of it. So how do we do it? There are three (maybe 4) easy steps that take up to 5 minutes when you wake up and before you go to bed:

1. Cleanse
   This is obvious (I hope). Everyone, regardless of how clear their skin is, should be washing their face twice a day. The toxins we are exposed to throughout the day and the sebum and dead skin cells that build up overnight need to be washed away. And water isn’t going to cut it. If you are new to starting a skincare routine, choose a gentle cleanser to avoid any bad reactions should you have sensitive skin.
2. Tone
   Tone? Don’t worry, I didn’t know what that was either. After cleansing your face (even with water…) you need to use a toner. A toner treatment or solution restores your skin’s pH level. Our skin has a pH balance of 5.5 meaning that it is naturally slightly acidic. When you wash your face, you are also removing your skin’s acidity and natural oils and it’s important to restore them. Toner takes care of that by bringing your skin back to 5.5.
3. Treat (optional)
   This step is optional, depending on your skin concerns. If have acne, you’ll want to use a spot treatment with salicylic acid or another anti-acne ingredient. If you have dark spots or discoloration, find a treatment with Vitamin C or Tea Tree Oil to boost collagen and promote cell turnover.
4. Hydrate
   Using moisturizer has proven long term benefits. Hydrated skin cells can rapidly repair themselves and turnover fresh cells, which offers huge anti-aging benefits in the future. In addition, some moisturizers are packed with rich ingredients that can also treat the skin, which means you could skip Step #3 if you invest in a good moisturizer that targets your concerns.

And there you have it! 3 (or 4) simple steps to start you off with building a solid skincare regimen. Once you start off with this system, you’ll eventually become more comfortable with skincare and be able to swap out some products for ones that suit your needs and better address your concerns!