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Cleanse
 If you do nothing else, cleansing is the single most important thing
you can do for your face. It should be the basis of your skin care
regimen, but that doesn’t mean reaching for a simple bar of soap, which
leaves your skin dryer than a desert.
Men’s skin typically has large pores and very active sebaceous
glands. They can often produce too much sebum, leaving your skin feeling
greasy. Neglecting to wash away the excess oil and dirt can clog pores,
which leaves the skin prone to breakouts. A basic gel works just fine,
but not all facial cleansers are created equal. Look for one that is
strong enough to cut through the grease and yet gentle and affordable
enough to be used at least once a day.
Exfoliate
Sometimes cleaning the skin with a simple face wash just isn’t
enough. A cleanser washes away only surface oil and dirt. That’s why it
is important to exfoliate two to three times a week. It helps dislodge
debris that normal washing can’t touch. A good scrub should have
granules to help smooth the skin and eliminate the dullness that results
from normal pore clogging and dirt build-up. Exfoliation also softens
hair follicles for a closer, less-irritating shave and allows the skin
to better absorb moisturizers.
Moisturize
Washing is the absolute least you can do to prevent blackheads. Skin
can get dry after showering and, over time, the aging process makes it
lose elasticity, plus regular shaving, leaves skin irritated, parched
and taut. Showering and shaving open up pores and allow precious water
to escape, but a light moisturizer can fix this. It replenishes the
skin’s moisture content and prevents razor burn.
A moisturizer with SPF will also provide a critical shield against
the sun. Harsh UVB rays cause the skin to burn, but it’s the UVA rays
that lead to long-term damage like deep lines and skin cancer. A
moisturizer with multispectrum defence is the best solution.
Protect your eyes
The skin around the eyes is an area that deserves special attention,
because men don’t age the same way that women do. Instead of a slow
progression of fine lines and wrinkles, men’s aging occurs in quantum
leaps, and one of the first visible signs of aging comes from the skin
around the eyes. All of this can be prevented with regular use of an eye
cream.
 It smoothens and protects the skin, but requires serious commitment
and proper usage. Applying eye cream once in a blue moon won’t work and
against all common sense, it shouldn’t be put on the soft skin
underneath the eye. Instead, eye cream needs to be dabbed gently on the
edge of the bone around the eye to maximize effectiveness and prevent
irritation. It will slowly absorb and spread to the fragile areas that
need it most.
Protect your lips
The skin on your lips is incredibly thin and prone to severe dryness,
cracking, bleeding, and burning from exposure to the elements.
That’s because the lips lack both oil glands to keep them naturally
moist and melanin to provide protection against harmful UV rays. Over
time the combination of sun exposure, stress and a small cut can lead to
nasty cold sores. You can avoid this by the regular application of lip
balm with a hint of SPF once a day.
- www.askmen.com
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