Why Should All Men Have A Proper Skincare Routine?
Are you questioning whether or not skincare is for you? Do you find yourself lost in the complex world of skincare? Or do you not have any interest in skincare at all?
If you responded “yes” to one of the questions above, let us show you why you have all the reasons to start taking care of your skin !
In recent years, the world of skincare has seen a significant shift, challenging long-standing stereotypes that equate skincare routines with femininity. The strict boundaries on the use of skincare by men have been fading, and a lot of new options have emerged on the market. Indeed, whether it's protecting against environmental damage, preventing premature aging, or simply maintaining a healthy complexion, men have as much to gain from a dedicated skincare routine as women do.
Skincare And Masculinity: The Korean Men Hype Explained
In South Korea, considered the pioneer of the male beauty revolution, the use of skincare by men is mainstream. Originally, the country was conveying an image of men based on the idea of hyper-masculinity, glorifying traits like toughness and roughness and a strong-looking appearance. Yet, from the 90s, a different concept and understanding of masculinity emerged in South Korea under the “Flower Boy” trend. A Flower Boy, or 꽃미남 (kkotminam) in Korean, is a man that embodies “soft masculinity”, associated with an immaculate appearance, soft features, smooth skin, clean haircut, fashionable clothes and makeup and decent manners.
These characteristics would initially describe femininity but what is crucial to comprehend is that they actually accentuate a type of masculinity that is more appealing to women, a masculinity that still showcase male features while allowing traits talking to women, like emotional sensitivity, a safe presence or social progressiveness, to be part of it.
The Flower Boy is a figure that would mainly be found in Japanese mangas and that is more recently also represented in K-dramas and K-pop. Women’s craze about K-dramas actors and K-pop idols all around the world can, thus, be also explained by this appeal for a soft masculinity, generally underrepresented in media.
Skincare Is Not Only About Beauty
Another reason why men should start using skincare products is that skincare products are, above all, products supposed to bring benefits to your health. Several men may want to avoid using skincare according to this misconception that they will look “pretty” but these products' first aim is to respond to a well-being matter for you to feel in better condition.
Indeed, your skin may face several concerns like acne, oil excess, dryness, sunburn, etc… that can become very inconvenient, uncomfortable, or even painful in your everyday life. In this context, the role of skincare is to bring you great relief just like when you take a painkiller when you feel sick.
A Simple Guide To Skincare
When you want to start a skincare routine, it is generally so overwhelming due to the amount and variety of products in the market, the difficulty to understand the purpose of each product and to identify what are the needs of your skin.
A very simple guide to help you to start taking care of your skin revolves around the essentials of a skincare routine: a cleanser, pH balancing and exfoliating toner pads and a moisturizer. Achieving those three steps won’t take you more than 10 minutes and is very beneficial to the health of your skin and your well-being.
Cleansing
Cleansing your face is a non-negotiable step as it eliminates sebum, dirt and bacteria resulting in oily skin, clogged pores, blackheads, blemishes and acne breakouts.
Cleansing starts the process of the regulation of the pH balance of the skin, as the impurities trigger an acidification of the pH, leading to an increase of the oil production causing acne.
Foam cleansers are the best options to effectively remove dirt and impurities while being gentle on the skin, not damaging it or stripping it of its natural moisture. The lightweight texture and hydrating formula ensures a thorough cleanse suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
pH Balancing and Exfoliating
In order to remove dead skin cells and residues of impurities that accumulate on your skin and clog your pores, you should use toner pads with a hydrating formula ensuring a very gentle physical exfoliation, protecting the skin barrier.
It balances the skin's pH levels and restores the skin's natural pH, as after cleansing the skin's pH can still be imbalanced. This promotes oil control and a healthy and strong skin barrier, which is essential for preventing moisture loss and irritation, and protecting against external aggressors. It is also essential to lock in moisture and ensure hydration to your skin.
Moisturizing
Moisturization is an essential step for your skin to be healthy. Even if your skin doesn’t feel dry, it still needs to be moisturized.
When your skin is dehydrated, it tends to produce extra sebum to make up for the lack of moisture, which can result in a greasier appearance. To correct this, it's important to nourish your skin to restore its moisture levels. This helps signal your sebaceous glands that they don't need to produce as much oil, leading to a more balanced, less oily look throughout the day.
Using a moisturizing gel is a great solution to avoid clogging your pores and risking your skin to break out because of oil excess.
Moisturizing gels are a good alternative as they also have soothing and cooling properties with ingredients providing instant relief for sensitive, irritated, inflamed or sunburned skin.
