The Easiest Men’s Skincare Routine Ever From a Skin Expert
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
In case the men in your life need a gentle reminder: skincare isn't gender-specific.
We all want healthy-looking skin, right? But when it comes to building a routine, some men can understandably feel a little overwhelmed and default to the classic "one product does everything" approach (read: a bar of soap that somehow doubles as face wash, body wash and shampoo). The kind of routine that would make any dermatologist quietly weep).
That said, I've actually had a few men in my orbit recently ask how to start a skincare routine because they genuinely want to take better care of their skin. Bravo, friends - we love to see it and, we've got you covered.
On a recent episode of the Beauty IQ Expert podcast, skin expert and host Tegan Mac shared her simple, no-fuss guide to men's skincare.
Like we said, skincare doesn't have a gender, but because male skin tends to be slightly thicker, oilier and rougher, this routine is more of a tailored approach than a completely different one.
Think of it as the ultimate cheat sheet to pass along to your husband, brother, dad, partner or any skincare-curious man in your life so they can stop overthinking it and start taking care of their skin with confidence.
Do Males and Females Have Different Skin?
We’ve done a little data digging and found that more people seem to be searching for “recommended skin care for men” or “men skin care routine products” and as Tegan says, “It’s not a male/female thing.
You want to preserve your skin and even if ageing isn’t the concern, you need to clean your skin regardless. Everyone needs to wash their skin and everyone needs a bit of hydration, whether it be lightweight or richer products.”
That said, Tegan shares that a study from the International Journal of Women's Dermatology determines that male skin is almost always thicker than female skin by about 20 to 25%.
Further, male skin is also usually more oily than female skin, and they generally produce more facial hair, and that’s due to high levels of testosterone.
Basic Men’s Skin Care Routine
Whether it's skin texture, or just a very simple skincare routine with minimal products, below are the men's skin products Tegan recommends starting with...
Cleanser
Tegan says that at a bare minimum, a cleanser is needed. Water alone won’t cut it.
“You need to wash the day off. Whether you’re working outdoors, in construction, you’re in an office job, you’re on transport or you’re going to the gym, you need to wash your face at night time.” she says.
Just like if you’re trying to wash the dishes with just water, the grime and grease aren't going to come off. “You need the detergent to break all the grease and stuff down.”
And if texture is a concern, Tegan suggests opting for a cleanser that includes an ingredient like lactic acid.
“Lactic acid is a good middle ground acid that most people can use without being sensitive, and that way every time you cleanse you’re also giving yourself a gentle exfoliation which is going to help with skin texture.
It’s going to make you feel smoother, and it’s going to help clean out your pores and make them less blocked," she says.
Try:
Moisturiser
Says Tegan, “Pick a moisturiser based on whether you’re feeling shiny and greasy, or dry and tight. If you have shiny or oily skin, you'll want to pick something lightweight in texture like a gel cream."
However, if you’re dry and you’re experiencing dry patches around your nose, your eyebrows or your beard area, then she suggests picking something a little bit thicker. Tegan’s personal pick is the Cosmedix Skin Thirst cream; otherwise, you could try:
Sunscreen
Well, well, well, if it isn't the most important step of all (in case they didn't know that).
Tegan also recommends avoiding moisturisers with SPF in them, as this might deter them from using their moisturiser at night, so getting a standalone moisturiser and sunscreen is key.
There’s a plethora of lightweight sunscreens that absorb well into the skin, or even zinc ones (if they prefer) that have come a long way from the nineties white masks they used to leave on the face.
Try:
- Tegan’s top pick - We Are Feel Good Inc. Good Morning Daily Face SPF50 50ml - Fragrance Free
Extra ‘Nice To Haves’
When it comes to skincare for men, Tegan is pretty confident that all you need are those three essentials; however, there are extra products that can be incorporated into a basic skincare routine if they’d like to level up even more.
Here’s what Tegan recommends:
An exfoliator - if texture is a concern, adding an exfoliator to the mix is a great idea.
"Either a physical, which is something with rough granules in it, or a serum, like a lactic acid serum or an enzyme, something that you can use once a week if texture, breakouts or rough skin is a concern."
A serum - “This is what you use to target your key concern," says Tegan.
So how do you know which serum is for you? Tegan breaks it down:
“If you’re feeling dry, get a hyaluronic acid; if you’re feeling dull, get a vitamin C; if you’re feeling old, get a retinol; if you’ve got breakouts and redness, get a niacinamide.”
Serums to try:
- For dryness: SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier
- Dullness: Viviology Vitamin C Serum 30mL
- Age management: Medik8 Retinol 3TR Advanced 0.3% Vitamin A Serum 15ml
- Breakouts and redness: Medicube TXA Niacinamide 15 Serum 30ml
There’s a few more excellent product suggestions we have including a super easy to use product that's perfect for post-gym workouts to help with managing breakouts but you’ll have to listen to the end of the episode below to find out what those are:
Don't want to miss out on some more of the best beauty content? Catch up on these Beauty IQ articles below:
