Over recent years, the men's skincare industry has enjoyed significant growth. An increasing number of men are beginning to acknowledge the benefits of a robust skincare regime and embrace high-quality skincare products to help keep their skin feeling soft, youthful and full of life.
While a well thought out skincare regime will include a number of different products, ranging from cleansers to anti ageing creams, one of the most important additions is a top of the range facial moisturiser.
This is especially important for men, for a number of different reasons, including regular shaving, which can leave the skin feeling irritated, dehydrated and rough.
In this article, we take a closer look at the importance of using a good quality moisturising face cream as part of a daily skin care routine. We also examine the best moisturisers for men to use in order to combat dry skin, sensitive skin, signs of ageing, dark spots and a variety of other skin related problems.
Understanding Men's Skincare
While men's skincare products now enjoy great popularity around the world, this mainstream acceptance of male grooming is a relatively recent phenomenon. Nevertheless, today’s younger men have now grown up in an age where men's skincare regimes are encouraged and many older men have also embraced this revolution.
However, with skincare traditionally being a female dominated area, the modern trend for male grooming has also challenged the industry itself. It’s now common for brands and manufacturers to be asking the question, what is the best face moisturiser for men?
After all, while the basic reasons for skincare are the same regardless of gender, men's skin is different from women's and lifestyle factors mean it is often treated very differently too.
For example, generally speaking, men's skin is thicker than women's skin and men are also more likely to have oily skin, due to the fact that men produce more sebum. Moreover, many men shave every day, or several times a week, and this can make the skin more susceptible to issues such as dryness, irritation and razor burn. So the best face moisturiser for men needs to take this into account.
Ultimately, this means that men need to use cosmetic products that are designed to help the particular challenges their skin faces. At the same time, men need to pay careful attention to the ingredients contained within these products, and ensure they are suitable for their specific skin type and are therefore more likely to produce the desired results.
Finding the Best Moisturiser for Men
Knowing what moisturiser is best for your skin is a case of working out your skin type. Someone with an oily skin type for example, will probably need a different moisturiser to someone with dry skin. (Unless you opt for Sönd alkalising skincare, which is designed to support all skin types and is suitable for all genders!)
But how on earth do you work out your skin type in order to find the right men’s moisturiser for dry skin? Or the right men’s moisturiser for oily skin? Let us help you…
What is My Skin Type?
Discovering your skin type is simple when you know how. Then you’ll be able to choose the right face moisturisers for men, whatever your skin is feeling like.
All you need to do is wash your face using your normal cleanser (we don’t recommend using standard body soap or shower gel on your face, it can be too harsh and strip your natural skin oils. The skin on your body is much more hardwearing and can withstand these products.)
Pat your face dry with a clean towel, and leave your skin bare. After 20 minutes, how does your skin feel? If it feels tight and uncomfortable, then you have dry skin. If it’s starting to look and feel oily or greasy, you have oily skin.
Take a tissue, and separate the layers so you just have one ply. Now press it gently onto your face. When you take it away, if you see any oily parts, they correspond to the oily parts of your face. Some people have combination skin - this will be you if you only see oil in the areas where the tissue was pressed against your T zone - your forehead, nose and chin.
What is the Best Men’s Moisturiser for Me?
If you have dry skin, your skin will benefit from a heavier, oil based moisturiser for men, especially so in the winter months. Oily skin requires an oil free, lighter moisturiser, to help prevent the pores from being overloaded and clogging.
Combination skin is a little trickier, but can be well managed with a light, oil free moisturiser.
Sensitive skin is a different type again, and results in itchy, red or inflamed skin. A gentle, natural moisturiser is best.
If you don’t have particularly dry, oily or sensitive skin, then kick back and relax. You can use whatever you like, you have ‘normal’ skin!
Recommended Men's Moisturisers
Ideally, because of the heightened levels of sebum production in men, which can result in oily skin, men need to seek out an oil free moisturiser, which can be easily absorbed, which will leave the skin feeling nourished and hydrated, and which will not damage sensitive skin, or strip the skin of any of its essential oils.
For this reason, it’s important to stay away from products that are overly acidic or made with harsh chemicals. Where possible, it is best to opt for skin creams that are alkaline based, with a pH score above seven, as this promotes the ideal environment for skin cells, and will not damage the skin's natural protective barrier.
Sönd’s Calming Hydration Day Cream is formulated with shea butter, silica and pentavitin, and these ingredients combine to provide long-lasting moisture to the skin, keeping dry skin at bay. The product also contains pomegranate extract, which has the kind of anti-inflammatory properties necessary to combat razor burn.
This product combines perfectly with Sönd's Overnight Replenishment Night Cream, containing coconut oil, hemp oil, organic argan oil for the face and sunflower seed oil. These ingredients are effective for soothing skin irritation, nourishing dry skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and the other common signs of ageing.
Both products have been designed for use on ALL skin types!
Can I Use the Same Moisturiser on My Face that I Use on My Body?
Ideally no, although a lot of men do. Moisturisers that have been designed for the body tend to be heavier and oilier, and contain harsh perfumes that aren’t great for the more delicate skin on the face.
Also, using a face cream on the body probably won't do much, since it’ll be too light to be absorbed by the thicker skin of the body. You really will need different products for the best skin.
How Do I Apply Moisturiser to My Face?
Moisturiser works best on clean skin. So always use a gentle cleanser, twice a day, to keep your skin healthy and happy. Also, use a gentle exfoliator once or twice a week to keep those pores really clean and clear.
Then, with your skin still slightly damp, use gentle circular motions to rub a five pence piece sized blob of moisturiser into the skin all over your face.
Adopting a Well Rounded Skincare Regime
The best moisturisers for men are used as part of a robust, rounded skin care regime, which provides protection against all the wear and tear that men's skin faces on a daily basis, while also producing the desired results in terms of anti ageing effects and making skin appear healthy, well nourished and protected.
A good skin care regime should include the use of a cleanser both in the morning and at night. The Sönd Rebalance and Reset Cream Cleanser is the best cream cleanser and is ideal for this purpose. After using the cleanser in the morning, a day cream can be applied in order to provide additional moisture and this can then be used throughout the course of the day, as needed.
Cleanser and day cream products can then be supplemented with an effective night cream, which should be applied after cleansing, and before going to bed. Used in this way, a high-quality night cream will provide long lasting moisture and protect skin from wrinkles and fine lines caused by habitual sleeping positions. The Sönd Day & Night Trio package contains a cleanser, day cream and night cream specially formulated to work in combination.
In addition to this skin care regime, there are several lifestyle factors that can contribute to healthier skin. For instance, wherever possible, men should ensure they are staying hydrated throughout the day, eating a healthy, balanced diet and using appropriate sun protection products before spending prolonged periods in the sun.
Sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6258368/
This article is not meant to treat or diagnose. Please visit your doctor for advice about any health concerns you may have.