Skin Care For Men | 7 Steps For Better Skin

More men are recognizing the need to take better care of their skin and there is an evolution gradually taking place when it comes to skin care for men.

To help guide you further in the right direction, here are 8 steps to follow for healthy, clear skin:

The Ultimate Guide - Skin Care For Men

1. Keep Your Skin Hydrated Inside & Out

Your body needs to stay hydrated from the inside and out. Start by making sure that you are drinking plenty of water; enough to be appropriate to your personal circumstances.

There is a general rule that you should drink 8 x 8-ounce glasses of water a day (2 litres or half a gallon) and whilst this is a respectable target, you should understand that there are plenty of variables to take into account.

Men generally require more water than women because on average we expend more energy and have less body fat for mainly biological reasons. At what is medically regarded ‘normal’ size for example, body fat content for men is 15% and for women its 25%.

This is clearly not the reality in all cases, but all things being equal you are likely to need to drink more water than your female counterparts for the same level of hydration.

 

Once you have a plan for your water intake, it's time hydrate your skin from the outside using a good men's moisturizer. The science suggests that staying hydrating will not automatically lead to hydrated skin, especially if you have dry skin.

The key to a good men's moisturizer are the ingredients. That's why when we developed The Unknown's Men's Premium SPF 30 Moisturizer we made sure to include key actives, natural extracts and vitamins like shea butter, argan oil, peptides, squalene and vitamin E. 

A good moisturizer should hydrate and nourish your skin throughout the day and you may have guessed from the name that our SPF 30 Moisturizer goes one step further in also protecting you from both UVA and UVB rays with broad spectrum SPF 30. 

2. Get plenty of sleep

It’s not just about how long you sleep for, but also the quality of your sleep. Your body and skin use sleep to restore, repair and rejuvenate. The list of benefits to good sleep cover much more than encouraging healthy skin of course and are clearly supported by research and medical evidence. These benefits include:

• Increased concentration, productivity and cognitive ability
• Increased energy and athletic capability
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Strengthened immune system
• Increased social and emotional ability
• Reduced inflammation
• Reduced risk of depression

In terms of duration, there is significant research to support the notion that as adults we need 7-9 hours sleep to function at our best. This is often contradicted by high profile figures claiming that they only need 6 hours of sleep or less a day, but I wouldn’t believe everything that you read and there will always be exceptions to rules. No-one knows your body better than you do, so listen to what it is trying to tell you. 

Now to quality of sleep, something that has been a challenge for me throughout my life. There is an almost endless number of factors that can improve or harm your quality of sleep. It could easily be the subject of a lengthy article in its own right. In the interest of remaining concise, let’s focus on some of the key recommendations to help:

• Moderate your caffeine intake, particularly late in the day
• Exercise during the day
• Reduce blue light exposure in the evening
• Maintain consistency in the times you go to sleep and wake up
• Reduce alcohol intake
• Optimize your sleep environment including temperature and amount of light
• Use the right mattress and pillow for you
• Avoid naps if you have trouble sleeping at night
• Create a relaxing evening routine to help your body prepare for sleep

A good resource for additional information on sleep is sleepfoundation.org. If you continue to experience difficulty sleeping then you should consult your doctor for additional support.

 

3. Wash your face daily with a men's face wash

 

If you are reading this article then you hopefully understand that a basic soap or shower gel is just not going to cut it when it comes to effective skin care for men.

You need to cleanse away the excess oils, dirt, dead skin cells and other impurities that build up throughout the day without irritating or drying out your skin. This is where using the right product comes into play.

The Unknown Charcoal Face Wash took 15 months to test and develop because we wanted to get the balance just right: activated charcoal to attract dirt like a magnet, a unique AHA/BHA blend to clear out your pores and gently exfoliate, licorice extract to help fortify your skin's defences and vitamins B3, C and E to strengthen and protect. 

Use a great product like this to wash your face once or twice a day in a smooth, and make sure to rinse off with cool or lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel or cloth.

If you adopt this face washing regimen consistently you stand a much better chance of maintaining clean, clear and healthy skin.

 

4. Exercise regularly

 

You will find that there are some recurring suggestions of advice that crop up time and again when considering personal development and wellness. Exercise will always be in there and for good reason.

When it comes to your skin, exercise has a big impact by increasing blood circulation and helping to deliver vital oxygen and nutrients to cells around your body.

This in turn helps promote the production of collagen and generation of new skin cells. So if you want visibly healthy skin, then get those trainers on and hit the gym or your running track of choice regularly.

 

5. Use sunscreen every day

 

When considering skin care tips for men we couldn't leave out the most important one - the risks of UV radiation. Sun exposure is about balance; with the right exposure, sunlight can benefit your skin by triggering its production of vitamin D, but if your skin is not protected the sun's rays will be the biggest cause of damage to your skin.

According to the World Health Organization, 5 to 15 minutes of casual sun exposure of the hands, face and arms two to three times a week is sufficient to keep your vitamin D levels high.

Now balance this by mitigating the risks of UV radiation outside of the required exposure for vitamin D maintenance. Protect yourself from the sun’s rays by wearing appropriate levels of SPF protection. If you go for SPF 30 or above then you can keep yourself protected from 97% of UV rays. Don't forget that this comes included in our SPF 30 Moisturizer.

Make sure to use the right amount (about a teaspoon) and top up every 2 hours if you are out in the sun. It doesn't need to be hot out for UV rays to be present and UVA rays also go through windows so use sunscreen no matter what.

For more information on SPF protection in general check out our post on ‘SPF protection, UVA and UVB rays explained’

 

6. Maintain a healthy, balanced diet

 

You are what you eat as the saying goes and yes, your diet does impact your skin.

There is evidence to suggest that eating foods that contain healthy oils and omega-3 fatty acids can support the collagen production in your skin. Consuming more vitamins D, E and antioxidants will help neutralize free radicals and lowering your sugar intake can reduce acne-inducing hormones and inflammation.

Food and drink elements you should look to moderate to preserve healthy skin are alcohol, processed foods, fast foods, caffeine, sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates and dairy (particularly if you have a dairy sensitivity).

The key word is moderation; a balanced diet will allow you to enjoy your food, maximize your nutrient intake and maintain your overall health and wellness.

 

7. Maintain A Regular Skin Care Routine

 

That right, in the modern world men have skin care routines too and it something to be proud of - you have the self confidence and awareness to boost your personal care regime in the right way.

The fact that skin care is still a female dominated thing is actually a strange cultural anomaly - men's skin is no less at risk to common skin problem's than female skin and lets be honest, as men we want our skin to stay looking clear and young too.

The key products everyone needs for a skincare routine are a good cleanser/face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen. We've already got you covered on these (and in just 2 products) but you can take this one step further by incorporating a good serum like the our Repair Serum. 

A serum gives you a concentrated boost of key actives for additional skin nourishment. For more information on how ours works visit the product page to learn more.

And if you want the full product set that gives your man face everything it need for effective daily care and maintenance the our Men's Skincare Set is for you and you even benefit from a 15% reduction on buying the product individually.

 

And there you have it, you are now armed with the information (and products) you need to help maintain your skin more effectively. 

Now go and enjoy your healthy, clear skin you handsome devil.