It starts with the skin. Looking good isn’t only limited to wearing fine clothes and combining beautiful colors. Great skin says a lot about you beyond just the aesthetics of looking good. It’s the first sign of healthy living, as stress, bad health conditions, or feeding habits all show on the skin. I guess that’s why it’s called the birthday suit. Even when you don’t dress well (which happens to most of us sometimes, it’s not all the time you feel like decking up) or you take off your clothes in the other room you want a skin you can be proud of and people can aspire to have your kind of skin as well.
I know for we guys, most of us don’t care, we just use any soap or lotion we stumble on and we’re good to go. I used to be like that too until I met Flavor on a flight some years ago. O boy, his skin looks like a mirror, I could almost see myself on his body, lol… Bro I tripped. That’s how my journey to skincare started. I wanted that kind of skin and I knew I won’t have it with the current routine I follow. I realized a great skin doesn’t just fall on you, it takes effort, commitment, time, consistency, and a little bit of financial investment to get it right.
Since our mission at men style plug is to help men look and feel amazing, I’ve put together a number of tips on routine and products that can help you, as you decide to improve your skin texture, and tone. This is going to be a 2-part series because skincare isn’t just about the kind of soap, cream, or other external things you do, the quality of your lifestyle, as well as the food you take too, plays an important role in having a great skin. So, we start out today with the external stuff that can improve your skin significantly over a period of time. But first…
WHY THE FUSS ABOUT MEN SKINCARE?
- It’s an act of self-love: having a skincare regimen reaffirms you are worthy of nice things, not just something that’s meant for celebs or other public figures. Plus the confidence and satisfaction it reinforces about your appearance.
- Reduces the effect of ageing: our skin takes a lot of beating over time from air pollution, smoke, stress, industrial chemicals, UV rays (sunlight) which hastens the onset of ageing or skin discolouration. Taking care of the skin can make you look years younger and fresher than your actual age.
- Ladies love it: women love good, soft, smooth, and clean skin. Don’t be surprised when you finally have a great skin, your woman will always want you topless, just to ravish the sight of your handsome skin.
- First impressions matter: your skin is usually your first introduction. Right from the first handshake, to holding conversations, your skin can play a massive role in how a potential client or investor perceives you.
- It shows you’re healthy: as stated earlier, many health conditions are usually revealed on the skin. Discolouration, paleness, skin flaking or cracking, acne or pimples, eye bags, or dark rings around the eyes are all pointers to the quality of your lifestyle and shows something is wrong internally.
I don’t expect you to go through a rigorous or complicated routine like a lady will, life is already rigorous enough, your skincare routine shouldn’t be. But if you can follow these points religiously, you’re sure to get amazing results within a short period of time.
RECOMMENDED LIFESTYLE TIPS AND ROUTINES FOR AN ADORABLE SKIN
SLEEP
This is the most restorative activity you can engage in as it not only benefits your body but also your skin. The dark ring around the eye and eye bags are caused by inadequate sleep. Not only that, lack of quality sleep can lead to a breakout of pimples on your face because of the increase of the stress hormone cortisol, which causes increased production of oil by your skin’s sebaceous glands.
DRINK WATER
I used to be guilty of this myself as I only drink water when I eat. It took a lot of effort and consciousness to drink water at intervals. Water keeps your skin hydrated from within, helping it stay moisturized and soft.
AVOID ANTISEPTIC SOAPS
I know this will shock some people, as antiseptic soaps give you that squeaky clean feeling. But it does more harm to your skin (especially your face) than good. Antiseptic soaps overdo the work of cleaning by stripping your skin of natural oils, making it dry and itchy. Plus, they are fragrance filled, which is a combination of different aromatic extracts and synthetic chemicals which can lead to skin irritation like itching, redness, burning, stinging, blisters, etc. Lastly, they have no preventive, reparative, or restorative value to your skin other than the crispy clean feeling you get when you use them, so why bother?
SOAP OR BODY WASH
Now, this is not cast in stone, it’s a matter of preference, but using a body wash is recommended (especially if you have dry skin). Body wash usually comes with moisturizers, vitamin E, olive oil, and the likes. That’s why you feel there’s still soap on your body even after rinsing. Some soaps too have moisturizers and I’ve made recommendations at the end of the post for all skin types. I use soap because I have naturally oily skin and it serves my skincare purpose just fine.
As a side note, I know it’ll be hard to convince you not to use a sponge, but if you must, please don’t sponge your face. Apply a dime size of face wash (soaps contain chemicals that may be harsh for your face skin) and rub on your face into a lather in a circular motion for about 30 seconds. Try not to rub down as you don’t want to hasten the natural occurrence of wrinkles or loose skin by gravity.
MOISTURIZE
What’s a skincare routine if you don’t moisturize? Moisturizing is to your skincare what water is to a fish. Most guys say they don’t like to moisturize because they don’t like the sticky feeling of the lotion on their body especially on a hot day. I get that. Moisturizing traps water close to your dermis, giving you the ‘glow factor’.
The moisture reduces the effect of wrinkles and can make dry, chapped, or flaky skin look better. After a warm water shower, pat-dry your body instead of rubbing and apply a moisturizer immediately before the skin gets dry. To save you the trouble of having to get a separate sunscreen, some moisturizers contain sunscreen ingredients to reduce the effect of UV rays on your skin.
FACE/EYE CREAM
As stated earlier the skin on the face is softer and of course, the face is the most exposed part of the body, so special care is required for the face. The eye cream takes care of dark circles, puffy eye bags, and wrinkles around the eyes. Any man over 30 should be using an eye cream, your older self will thank you for it. The face cream gives you an even tone all over your face and doubles as a moisturizer and sunscreen with more specific and concentrated ingredients. You apply morning and night after cleansing the face for faster results.
EXFOLIATE
This is somewhat an advanced skincare routine and it is advised to do it at least once a week. Exfoliation is the process of rejuvenating the skin by removing dead skin cells and moving younger and fresher skin to the surface. Asides removing dead skin cells, exfoliation also helps to make skincare products like moisturizers and the likes to work their best. This is a critical point, and why many people get discouraged when they don’t get results from skincare products. Men have thicker skin by nature and have more collagen and elastin in their skin which helps them to age slower. However, this could be a disadvantage to having an effective skincare routine as the texture of the skin prevents some of the products from working. Exfoliation takes care of this by opening up the pores and softening the skin.
You exfoliate by using scrubs, or acids like alpha and beta hydroxyl acids (AHA and BHA). The direction for use is on the container and once a week is just fine.
SERUMS
This is a more advanced, pro move for your skincare. but they give amazing results. They’re more potent than the regular moisturizers and impart active ingredients and nutrients, quickly and effectively. They contain hydrating and skin building ingredients which help for specific skin concerns like pimples/acne, wrinkles, and removal of dark spots on the face. Some examples of active ingredients in serums are vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and retinol. The one you’ll go for depends on your skin concern. What I do is, I add my serum to my moisturizer (some skincare experts may have a problem with this, lol), because I really don’t have the time to apply it separately, but I get the same results.
BONUS GROOMING TIPS
- Use hair removal creams: Manscaping is the act of trimming your pubic hair, armpit, and genitals. Many guys are guilty of leaving this unattended, but pubic hair can harbor germs, which can lead to body odour when you sweat. Using shaving sticks can cause bumps, so hair removal cream is a safe and effective way to get rid of pubic hair.
- Wash or change your pillowcase daily: Your face cream and all rub off on your pillowcase daily, which accumulates as dirt and still rubs off on your face eventually. This is counter-productive for your routine, so daily or every other day change is essential.
- Have a separate towel for your face: Germs can breed on a towel especially when we don’t sundry. Having a separate small towel for your face makes it easy to avoid the transfer of germs to your face and gives you a sense of discipline for what you’re trying to achieve.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you see anyone male or female with great skin you admire, it just didn’t happen, trust me they make effort and do different skincare routines to make it possible. Of course, if you ask them what’s their secret, they’ll give you an answer like “it’s the Lords doing”… bro the Lord has no business with your skin, lol. It’s your duty to give yourself a great skin worthy of admiration.
Many guys have been psyched up to think paying attention to things like skincare is a frivolous or vain and a feminine thing, or it’s something for the elite or celebrities. Well, let me ask you these questions if you think like that… Don’t you see yourself being an elite? Do celebrities have 2 heads? Won’t you like to give responses like “it’s the lords doing” when people start complimenting you too? I mentioned earlier that skincare is an act of self-love and self-worth.
Love yourself enough to give yourself an enviable skin. Plus, you have nothing to lose, and nobody ever complains about great skin. However, it takes some time at least 2 weeks to get noticeable, I’d be lying if I said you’ll see results in a week. In fact, any skincare product that promises instant results is most likely a lie or will be too harsh on your skin, compounding your problem. So, patience is key. Best wishes bro.
Below is a list of products I recommend, those I use myself as a light-skinned guy and those I recommend even to dark-skinned men that want to improve their complexion. I took the liberty to help you look for the best prices on Jumia. You can order directly with the link provided.
Would love to hear from you when you start to see results. Please hit the share button too, to share with your loved ones.
The list of products and recommendation of use below
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Amos White Make Me White Strawberry Flavour +Honey Shower Bath₦2,700 -
Anivat skin lightening lotionOriginal price was: ₦6,000.₦5,800Current price is: ₦5,800. -
Asantee salt scrub with turmeric and ginger salt₦2,500 -
Caike red ginseng radiant spot removing lotionOriginal price was: ₦2,800.₦2,500Current price is: ₦2,500. -
Caike red ginseng spot removing face cream₦1,000 -
Carrot Glow Exfoliating Gold Intense Toning Body Wash₦2,900 -
Fair & White Carrot Shower Gel Brightening & Toning₦3,200 -
Gold Whitening Scrub for Face and Body₦2,850 -
Iman Cosmetics Extra Whitens Shower Gel₦3,000 -
La Fresh Cucumber Deep Exfoliating Scrub₦2,900 -
New Smooth as silk soapOriginal price was: ₦2,500.₦2,200Current price is: ₦2,200. -
Nivea Natural Fairness Body Lotion₦2,500 – ₦2,700 -
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Body Lotion₦3,100 -
Vienna Whitening Body Scrub [With Goat’s Milk]Original price was: ₦6,000.₦5,800Current price is: ₦5,800.
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