Eight easy enough steps to follow along for a skincare routine tailored to men, and the nine grooming products to fill it (and your bathroom counter) with.
Hands up if you’d like healthy skin, plain and simple — just an even, clear, and fresh complexion. As you probably already know, it’s easier said than done, with the word “done” here referring to a skincare routine you just don’t have. Yet.
Think about men in South Korea, who according to the founders of Korean brand Glow Recipe, are the most skincare-savvy men on the globe. The boys from BTS don’t get their glow from skipping sunscreen.
Having said that, the building blocks of healthy skin aren’t limited to skincare. What you eat, the environmental conditions of where you live (hello, humidity and clogged pores), and even how you spend your weekend nights, all play a part in the health of your body’s largest organ (gulp), the skin.
But don’t panic. Stress is no good for skin either. Instead, get accustomed to a new and improved routine that includes 8-steps of skincare. We promise you’ll even enjoy it.
A skincare routine for men:
Step 1: Foreo Luna 3 Men & Dermalogica Clear Start Foaming Wash
If you think well-groomed men use their hands to wash their faces… you could be right. Still, it helps to use a facial cleansing brush to amp up the cleansing experience and removes any kind of grime, oil, and dirt sticking to your skin. The Foreo Luna 3 device helps prevents razor burns, conditions your beard, and vibrates for a firming facial massage. Use it with a small amount of your facial wash and massage it all over your face, avoiding the eyes. The device charges with a USB cable and comes with a guide so you know exactly what to do.
Pair the device with Clear Start’s Clearing Foaming Wash, an energising cleanser that purifies without stripping away the good oils your skin needs. It’s designed with botanicals to cleanse and treat breakouts, anywhere you need to, your face, your back, you name it, no one’s judging.
Step 2: Biossance Squalane + Glycolic Renewal Facial Mask
You definitely need a go-to face mask, and we mean of the skincare-kind. This one by Biossance is a peel and exfoliator in one, which in just 10 minutes can help to polish away dull and rough patches of skin, minimise fine lines, correct discolouration, and shrink the appearance of larger-than-life pores.
Step 3: SK-II Men Facial Treatment Essence
There’s a holy grail beauty product worth getting very acquainted with, but head’s up, it doesn’t come cheap. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is powered by its key ingredient named Pitera, aka miracle water, which contains over 50 micro-nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and organic acids. The product feels like water, which might confuse you, but rest assured brighter skin is on the other side of consistent use. Dab dab dab the essence sparingly all over your skin.
Step 4: Clinique For Men Maximum Hydrator Eye Concentrate
You’ll never show up to brunch looking like you’ve just survived a rager (even if you have). Clinique is one of the most popular skincare brands for men, and if we had to pick just one product, it’s this: the Maximum Hydrator Eye 96-Hour Hydro-Filler Concentrate. That’s right, a supposed 96 hours of moisture thanks to aloe better and an auto-replenishing lipid-sphere technology. Moisturised skin around the eyes will help keep crow’s feet and deepest lines at bay.
Step 5: Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment For Men
Men love Kiehl’s Facial Fuel moisturiser, so much so that it’s often the only product used in skincare. So imagine how healthy and dare we say, even radiant, your skin can be with a complete skincare routine? This moisturiser perks up fatigued and dull skin, formulated with caffeine and Vitamin C with a fresh scent. It doubles as an aftershave that protects the skin from irritation and absorbs quickly into the skin.
Step 6: Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense SPF 30
As Baz Lurhman famously sang/spoke in the 1997 essay, “Everybody is free to wear sunscreen.” You should with good reason: sunscreen is single-handedly the best anti-ageing product out there, and extreme sun rays do lots of damage to your skin’s overall health. A little sun: good. Too much sun: not so good. So, go ham with with Drunk Elephant’s Daily Defense SPF 30, which comes in a sheer white texture or a tinted beige for some cheeky coverage. This sunscreen is safe for sensitive skin types as its made without Drunk Elephant is committed to using only ingredients that directly benefit your skin’s health or support the integrity and effectiveness of their formulations. This product is free from essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical screens, fragrance, dyes, and SLS.
Step 7: Boy de Chanel Foundation
Speaking of cheeky coverage, did you know that Chanel launched a line of makeup for men? The line called Boy de Chanel, and its most popular product is the lightweight, easy-to-use Foundation. This fluid formula glides on smoothly and leaves skin matte and evened out with tiny soft-focus particles that blur out the complexion, like an Instagram filter. On the skincare side, it contains the ingredient hyaluronic acid for hydration, and additional sun protection with SPF 25 PA++.
Step 8: Mario Badescu Mint Lip Balm
But of course you need a trusty lip balm. Skip the usual pharmacy brands and try this fan-favourite mint lip balm from Mario Badescu. It’s ultra-rich, infused with peppermint with Vitamin E, and moisturises with nutrient-dense butters, avocado and sweet almond oil. Your lips will feel cool, comforted, and slightly tingly, while you my friend, have just completed your skincare routine. Congratulations.
(All images courtesy of brands. Main image credit: Ron Lach/Pexels)
