Basic Skincare Routine for Men - Youthful Skin in Under 1 Minute Per Day!
Men's skincare is a strange beast.
Without trying to generalise, if you're a male and reading this, chances are you fall under one of two categories:
- You're a modern-day "metrosexual" with a detailed and thorough skincare regime and your own array of go-to skin products
- Skincare doesn't even register on your radar - you either think you're too busy, that it's more of a feminine issue, or just straight up don't care.
Here at Luminositie, we think that's a bit of a shame - especially since the vast majority of men are in the second category.
There's a lot of space for more guys to slot in the middle there, and there are a few simple steps that can be taken daily to ensure your skin remains youthful, healthy and attractive looking in under 1 minute per day.
Of course, this isn't just important for aesthetic reasons.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body and is also the one responsible for protecting all the others.
It absorbs sunlight, dust, pollution and debris every single day.
Treating it well and making sure it's in a healthy condition can make you healthier, more energetic, and more confident.
If you can achieve all that in one minute per day at a time when you're likely showering and shaving anyway, is there a reason anybody wouldn't?!
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of men get put off taking care of their skin properly because of the huge variety of skin care products they see marketed to women.
It just seems way too complicated and expensive to get right!
But luckily, you don't need 99% of those things.
You certainly don't need masks, toners, or fancy new fad ingredients - these can all help but are mostly for people who are really into skincare as a hobby and are willing to spend time and money optimising their routine to get the best possible outcome.
We are going to boil it right down to the basics, allowing you to achieve results you won't believe with just a few simple, inexpensive products.
We'll tell you exactly what to use and how a bit further down, but first, let's take a look at the ways in which men's skin differs from women's:
Is Men's Skin Different From Women's?
We have to start here as you could be forgiven for assuming men's and women's skin work in exactly the same way.
This is actually a long way from the truth, and the reason is hormones.
As you likely know, hormones directly affect our skin, with hormonal changes being behind many skin complaints such as acne, oily skin, or even more positive changes including the glowing skin regularly enjoyed by pregnant women.
With men producing 10x the amount of testosterone as women, it should be no surprise that this results in a completely different natural skin condition.
Let me explain how some of these differences manifest themselves:
Hydration in Men's Skincare
Men generally have more oily skin than women as a result of these differences in hormonal content.
While oily skin is generally considered a bad thing, it can also be a good thing.
This is because sebum (the oil in our skin) helps to keep moisture in, protecting us from getting dry skin, which in turn protects us against ageing and keeps the skin nourished.
Skin Texture Differences Between Men and Women
Men's skin tends to be rougher and around 25% thicker than that of women's, especially in the facial area.
Men also generally have larger pores which can lead to increased sebum production which of course contributes to the oilier skin mentioned above.
This difference in skin texture, hormones and oil production can actually lead to certain skin conditions that are exclusive to men or at least very rare amongst women - for example, Rhinophyma, a severe skin disorder that results from untreated rosacea and which leads to the nose appearing swollen and bulbous; and severe enlargement of the pores.
Collagen Differences Between Men and Women
Collagen is something that's trending right now, and for good reason.
It keeps your skin looking youthful and is one of the most effective ingredients in the world for preventing wrinkles.
Our research into this has led to us creating a niacinamide cream that contains collagen, and a powerful snail essence renewal cream that boosts your skin's natural production - it just works that well.
With that in mind, men will be happy to learn that the natural collagen content of a man's skin is much higher than that of a woman's.
In fact, it's likely this is the reason men have been theorised to age more slowly than women - or at least we would if we took care of our skin as much as women do.
Studies continue on the topic of gender differences in skin, but hopefully, we've made it clear to you that there are differences worth taking note of.
Now without any further delay, let's look at some quick and easy men's skincare tips:
Men's Skincare Guide
Cleansing (Every Day, 20 Seconds)
As mentioned previously, the increased oil production experienced by men comes with increased chances of acne breakouts.
Use a facial cleanser or foaming face wash every morning in the shower. One aimed at men specifically is usually a good idea as they are formulated with the increased oil in mind.
- Warm your face up under the showerhead first to open up your pores
- Use a very small amount of your cleanser or facewash and lather it into your face
- Rinse off immediately, ideally with cold water as this will cause your pores to close up again.
The whole process should take no longer than 20 seconds but will keep debris and bacteria out of your pores, preventing spots and giving your skin a clean, fresh appearance.
Exfoliating (2-3x Weekly, 20 Seconds)
Exfoliating removes dead skin, clears out the pores and helps get rid of excess sebum, leaving the skin looking healthy and clear.
Using an exfoliating scrub 2-3 times per week will prevent breakouts and slow the development of wrinkles and other signs of ageing.
If you have particularly oily skin you may want to do this more regularly, over-exfoliating can lead to dry, irritated skin which can then spur new sebum production, worsening the situation in the long run - so be careful not to overdo it.
Moisturizing (Every Day, 10 Seconds)
Moisturizing forms a protective barrier over the skin, hydrating it and nourishing it.
As a result, it's important to moisturise every day, ideally after shaving and/or exfoliating.
This prevents any potential damage, irritation or dryness that might be caused by those activities and protects your newly cleaned pores from subsequent blockages.
If your skin is quite oily, it is best to use a tiny amount of moisturizer to avoid increasing the oiliness and encouraging breakouts, but if you have quite dry skin, you can, of course, use more.
That's it for our men's skincare routine - follow the tips above and you will be able to look younger and feel healthier than ever, in less than 1 minute per day!
Here are a couple of final extra tips to keep in mind, just in case you do get some extra time:
Always Wear SPF
UV rays from the sun mutate skin cells leading to dry, irritated skin, sun spots, moles, increased symptoms of ageing, and even skin cancer.
Men's skin generally ages slower than women's due to the higher oil content, but by the time we hit 60-70 years old this difference has evened out.
Why?
Because women wear suncream more than we do.
Sun damage is a major cause of wrinkles and visible ageing, so wearing sun protection on a regular basis is a huge factor in preventing it and keeping your skin looking youthful.
If you struggle to find the time to apply suncream or simply don't think of it most days, consider killing two birds with one stone by purchasing a moisturiser cream that also has an SPF.
Hand Cream
This is slightly different and may be unnecessary depending on your job and hobbies, but it's worth remembering that in general, men work with their hands and do physical labour more commonly than women.
With that in mind, we highly recommend finding a good hydrating hand cream that isn't too greasy, to help your hands stay smooth, soft and healthy.
This, in turn, will reduce your chances of injury, rashes, dry skin and other issues.
That's it for our guide to men's skincare - hopefully, you have learned how maintaining a healthy and effective skin care regimen does not need to be time consuming or expensive.
Just following these basic tips will keep your skin more healthy and young looking than ever before and since they can be done during your normal shower and shave morning routine, there's really no excuse not to at least try them out and see if you notice a difference.
Here at Luminositie we are disappointed by the lack of no-nonsense, honest information online regarding men's skincare, and will continue to bring you actionable tips in the near future!