Our skin is our largest organ, but many men and women have no idea how important it is to take care of their skin. Grooming for men will look a little different from women who are taught self-care habits from a young age. What happens if you’re a man wanting to start taking care of yourself, but you’re not sure where to start because you weren’t taught a hygiene routine as a boy? It all starts with a good shower, a good bar of soap, and drying the whole body well, including crevices! The three steps below will help you better take care of your skin and give you a foundation for starting your body care journey.
Soap - Use a soap that cleanses versus stripping the skin of its natural oils. For example, a couple of male clients loved the male Bath and Body Works soap because of the scent. It smelled great, yet, when they came in for their hair removal appointments, their skin looked really red and irritated. After asking them about their skin care routine, I realized their soap was probably drying out their skin causing the irritation. I understand liking the smell of a soap, but when you use an alcohol based product, such as a shower gel, you end up cleaning and stripping the skin of its natural oils because alcohol is drying whether you drink it or put it on your skin. The reason alcohol is in soap is because it is a carrier, meaning it will help perfumes last longer in skincare products such as shower gel. If you continue to use an alcohol based cleanser, consider switching it out every few days with a non-alcohol based product or use lotion after you wash to hydrate your skin. Make sure to read the ingredients in all your skin care products. I also sell soap made of minimal ingredients that help with all skin types and an exfoliating soap.
Exfoliating - Skin is the largest organ of the body and it is continuously shedding dead skin and making new skin. If you do not exfoliate, your dead skin will become compacted to the live skin not allowing the new skin to breathe or absorb skin care products. The compaction can lead to a scab, which is now attached to live skin, and if that scab is ripped off, it will take off the dead and live skin. Exfoliation is necessary to rid the body of skin, dirt, and grime that gets stuck to your skin and hair. Have you ever seen an old man or woman picking at a scab on their arm? This is a scab that may have started because they did not exfoliate and the dead skin became compacted. When we age, the skin cell turnover is much slower so it's a really important step in a hygiene routine. Different ways to exfoliate are with a physical exfoliant such as a Supracor mitt that I sell at the shop or online, or with a chemical exfoliant. I sell a chemical exfoliant that is medical grade and the primary ingredient is Glycolic Acid. Exfoliating three times a week is a great routine to have in order to keep skin cell turnover healthy and eliminate excess dead skin build up. This can be done all over the body.
Dry - Dry your body really well in between the cracks and the crevices. The reason for this is to stop the potential of unhealthy stinky bacteria growing on the skin from excess moisture and potential to become weak and breakdown. For example, this summer I have been sweating a lot and the bead of sweat drips down my butt crack. If my butt crack is not completely dry by the time the sweat bead gets there, that can be potential for bad bacteria to grow in the moist wet dark area. Another example is toe jam. Toe Jam can be caused by the inability to dry between the toes. Since the toes are usually in socks and shoes, this can be the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and excess dead skin causing it to hurt when walking or irritate the skin in between the toes. With a dry cotton towel dry your whole body including the crevices.
Creating this simple hygiene routine can keep your skin healthy and clean. It might add slightly more time to the normal male grooming routine, but in the long run it will lead to the sweet side of having healthier, happier skin. Taking self-care steps for our skin, as men and women, can be a preventative measure from getting cracks, infections, or bad bacteria into yourself. The skin is the first shield of armor we wear to keep us healthy and it deserves a little care — whether you’re a man or woman.