Guys, Moisturise
I’m 48. I’ve been using a moisturiser on my face every night since I was 15. I was in a school play, and the Mums pitched in to help with the makeup backstage. My mate Gary’s Mum lectured me on skin care. “You’ve got beautiful skin” she said.
“You need to keep it that way. Get your Mum to buy you a bottle of Intensive Care and just rub it in every night before you go to bed”.
Never have wiser words been uttered to a teenage boy.
Still, I did remember to put some on my face and actually enjoyed the cooling effect it had on my skin while I dozed off. Back in the day you’d grab anything with ‘Vitamin E’ written on it and hope it smelled ok. For a while there was a brand called Red Earth and their Vitamin E cream was the best for me. A soft scent and light gel cream. Thirty three years (and a few different brands) later, my skin is still healthy and smooth.
Moisturising is part of my routine morning and night and there are literally hundreds of products to choose from. Moisturizing everyday can seriously reduce the chance of developing extreme dryness or oiliness. They’re both bad for skin and can cause skin conditions like acne.
Every skin type needs to moisturise, and you’re going to do a bit of trial and error to find a product that’s right for you. Your night cream is the heavy lifter. Massage it in gently a few minutes before you hit the sack – preferably after washing your face with a decent face wash – not soap.
If you have naturally dry skin, it’s obvious that a thick moisturising cream will help it out. If you have oily skin. a light moisturiser can help your skin calm down and stop producing so much oil. If you’re in bet ween it’s going to do a little bit of both. I tend to lean towards water based moisturisers over oily ones.
If you have dry skin you need to look at the ingredients. Grab something with ingredients like hyaluronic acid. It’s actually produced by your body and helps your skin retain water. Behenic acid is another great one, and it’s found in The Groomed Man Co Smooth Operator Face Moisturiser. Perfect for dry skin
Tip: If you have dry skin, steer clear of aftershaves containing alcohol and go for an aftershave balm. Alcohol dries out your skin and can diminish the effect of your moisturiser.
For oily skin you need to give your body the support it needs without extra oil that can clog your pores. Aim only for water based creams. Something like Handsome Men's Organic Skincare Antioxidant Daily Nourishing Cream will really do the trick.
The best idea is to moisturise your skin twice a day. Once in the morning after your shower and once again at night before you go to sleep.
Moisturizing after a shower is important because hot water strips all the moisture and oils out of your skin, leaving it parched and dry. Aim for a light SPF Moisturiser like the Charles & Lee Moisturiser after your morning shower. It’ll replace any oils that you just stripped out and protect you from the sun on your way to work. Start with a small amount for a week or so and adjust accordingly. Keep a travel size SPF in your gym bag or backpack to top up with if you are having lunch in the park or doing a boot camp after work.
Rest assured – all this effort is worth it. You’ll feel fresh today, and by stimulating collagen production you’re going to leave your skin feeling soft and supple. Put in the hard yards in your twenties and you’ll really see the results in your thirties and beyond.
By Adam Butler, Designer & Owner - Sluggers Swimwear
www.sluggers.com.au