The Right Approach to Men’s Skincare

For once can we be honest? More and more men are regularly treating their skin both at home and at spas. For many of you reading this, male clients maybe some of your most loyal clients. But if we look at the reality of the state of men’s skincare, it is by no means normalized in the mainstream markets as experts have long been predicting.

Why is this the case? Why am I in the minority being a man who sees the real value in properly caring for my skin? Why is it rare for men like me to look forward to a consistent morning and night skincare routine?

In this article, I am going to share with you my thoughts on what the men’s skincare industry is doing wrong in an attempt to “normalize men’s skincare” without addressing the real topic at hand: men’s health.

Why Men’s Skincare is Men’s Health

When looking at what skincare brands have traditionally done to attract men to use their products, two major themes are common. First, we have the ultra-masculine advertisements touting how “washing your face is manly.” Secondly, more traditional brands use similar languaging that attract most women consumers. This includes promoting products that “reduce wrinkles, dark circles, and improve texture.”

What are they failing to see? Most men do not care about wrinkles. What if they have long accepted that the dark circles are just going to be there and it is not worth the hassle (or price) of doing anything about it? What if most men just don’t care? And if they don’t care, then why should you as a professional in the industry?

If men are not interested in treating wrinkles or baggy eyes in the morning, then neither am I. However, I am intensely passionate about educating men on why those dark circles are there and that skin concerns always indicate underlying holistic health concerns. You see, marketing products based on the results they achieve can only go so far if the end user is not interested in those results.

Treating men’s skin based on what they see on the surface is easy. On the other hand, I am interested in addressing men’s skincare from the lens of what is going on underneath. This work, albeit more challenging, is the key for any professional that is looking to expand their male client list and begin to truly normalize men’s skincare.

Our skin is a window into the health of the rest of our bodies. It is our largest organ; our first line of defense against the environment. And while it is easy to focus on acne and fine lines, men’s skincare must start by focusing on how the health of our skin is directly related to our holistic health.

The Beginning of the Men’s Skincare Journey

The foundation for anyone’s journey to healthy skin and a healthy body is always important, especially with men. Historically, most men do not receive a fundamental education on the importance of skin health. I remember when I first left for college and being astonished to be the only person on my floor with a skincare routine made up of 5 products, let alone being the only one with a dedicated cleanser. But these days I am not so surprised to hear that most men were simply never taught the difference.

As a professional esthetician, you have the great opportunity to be this source of education for young men; in particular, teenagers. For most young teenage boys, their first introduction to an esthetician is around the time they first begin experiencing hormonal acne. The body starts to change and teenagers become self-conscious when those white heads start popping up. The great news for holistic estheticians is that this is the perfect time to introduce men to the concepts of how the body is all connected.

Always remember that we cannot have healthy skin if we do not have a healthy body.

How the Body Reacts to Hormonal Changes

On the outside, the pimples or whiteheads that surface as a result of acne are caused due to the pores on the skin being clogged with excess oil, dirt, or the day-to-day environment to which the skin is exposed. It is important to remember that the skin has as many as 2800 pores per square inch.

So, if keeping the pores clean is as simple as washing one’s face, then why do teenage boys suffer from acne so much? During the adolescent changes in puberty, the teenage body begins producing the hormone, testosterone. Lots of it. A result of these hormonal changes in the body is an increased secretion of oil from the skin’s sebaceous (oil) glands.

Though the body has always released oil from these glands, the excess production begins to fill the pores. If these pores are not clean and free from bacteria, problems occur such as blemishes, inflammation, and blackheads. In addition, the pH of the cleanser is imperative in keeping bacteria off of the skin. The pH balance of the skin is 4.5 – 5.5 and a daily cleanser should mimic the skin’s natural pH. Simply put, this increase of oil secretion is so high that simply washing the skin in the morning and at night may not be enough to control the excess oil.

At face value, professionals need to start with a deeper exfoliation outside of a daily cleanser. However, never should an exfoliation be abrasive or burn the skin. The risk of breaking the capillaries, spreading the infection, or worse, scarring the skin is reason enough to gently but effectively exfoliate. But treating acne is so much more than a weekly face mask.

How to Understand Skin Holistically

Professionals need to conduct a proper skin consultation when treating acne. Knowing the food that the client eats, the exercise level, and the existing skincare routine (if any at all) is critical in prescribing the proper treatment.

Foods high in fat, sugar, or dairy are likely to assist in unwanted oil production. Not drinking enough water is another way to keep the skin cells from flushing out toxins from the pores and staying hydrated. If the teenage boy is involved in sports and excessively perspires during games and practice, then acne will start to form in particularly high areas of sweat concentration. For example, teenage boys that play baseball may experience patches of acne where their foreheads meet the baseball hat lining due to pressure, perspiration, and dirt. Only when all of this is considered can a proper series of advanced skin treatments begin.

Treating Mature Skin

The goal of treating young skin is to educate teenage boys on a lifetime of healthy skin and a healthy body. Knowing that everything from diet and sleep to stress management and skincare routines all work together to determine our bodies’ health is critical in educating young clients on how to have sustainably healthy skin.

Although we can manage the aging process, we can never completely stop it from happening. And why should we, given that an older yet healthy body is a true gift worth celebrating? Nevertheless, skin will start to age and professionals must always start by having the foundation of knowing why this happens if they are to properly treat mature skin in men.

The human body naturally produces two proteins in particular that directly affect mature skin: collagen and elastin. While these proteins when turned into supplements are very trendy on the market in the beauty industry, it is important to understand what they do in the first place.

More Collagen: More Supple Skin

Collagen is a protein that keeps the skin “supple.” It is plump skin with a natural shine. But as men get older, the body starts to produce less collagen in conjunction with fewer oil-producing hormones. So, all of those problems as a teenager with shiny, over-productive oil glands have become the opposite in mature skin.

How Elastin Snaps Skin in Place

The other protein, elastin, is what gives elasticity to the skin. In youth, teenage boys can stretch their cheeks as much as they want and the skin will snap back into place like nothing happened. However, when elastin levels start to decrease with age, the skin’s ability to “snap back” is lessened. This is when we start to see the sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. The following men’s skincare routine is a great place to start for prescribing your male clients with the proper products that have ingredients designed to treat the skin as the organ that it is.

Men’s Skincare Routine

The name of the game is simplicity when it comes to men’s skincare. The language we use for men is designed around creating a holistically healthy body and skincare is just one part of that. This routine is designed so that the effort is no greater than the post-workout protein shake or the early stress-relieving morning meditation. Your conversations with your male clients should be centered around the parts of their routines and habits that promote holistic health. Men’s skincare is just one part of the whole.

The Morning Routine Your Male Clients Need

1. CleanserLook for cleansers that are water-based and pH-balanced. Especially important for acne-prone skin, teenage boys need to be cleansing their skin morning and night to flush out the excess oil and dirt that is clogging their pores. The pH balance of the product with the natural pH of the skin (4.5 – 5.5 slightly acidic) is going to assist in keeping bacteria off of the skin and out of the pores.
2. MoisturizerAs our skin begins to age and produces less and less natural oil, it is important to moisturize the skin with highly refined oil. This is going to start to heal the skin while also replenishing the skin with an oil that will not clog the pores, but rather give the skin that much desired shine. For men, these highly refined oils also serve as a beard moisturizer to give the facial hair a healthy sheen as well.
3. Hyaluronic AcidFinish both morning and night routines with Hyaluronic Acid. From a health perspective, Hyaluronic Acid is about maintaining what the body does internally. Hyaluronic Acid is going to retain the body’s natural moisture system for an extra boost of hydration and evening of the skin tone. The effects of this ingredient are immediate, especially when looking to fight the dark circles under the eyes.

Night Routine for Men

1. CleanserYes, the same first step as before. Cleansing both morning and night is always the first step in removing the oil, dirt, and sweat from our pores that have accumulated throughout the day. And no, men do not need two different cleansers for morning and night. Finding the right, pH-balanced, and water-based cleanser is the first step in simplifying men’s skincare.
2. Anti-Aging SerumThis is where being proactive is critical in maintaining healthy skin. By using naturally derived ingredients such as bakuchiol, green tea leaf extract, and peptides, to name a few, men can slow down and reverse the signs of aging. Apply an anti-aging serum with these ingredients every night across the whole face, but especially where fine lines begin to form, namely on the forehead, eyes, and smile lines. At the end of the day, all skincare routines are proactive habits in investing in the health of our current and future bodies.

Bonus Products and Ingredients

1. Charcoal MaskWhile an at-home mask is not necessary for men if they are receiving regular treatments with an esthetician, it is always a good idea to have one that pairs at home with what is happening during a skin series treatment. Especially for teenage boys, an additional purifying mask with activated charcoal is going to work to exfoliate the outer layers of skin, stimulate vascular activity, and get deep into the pores beyond the daily cleanser.

Men’s Facials in the Treatment Room

As we already mentioned, all advanced treatments done by estheticians must start with a holistic consultation to understand their clients’ health. Only when an esthetician has a clear picture of what is happening both on the surface and underneath the skin can they begin a series of facial treatments.

All of the ingredients above should be used in the treatment room. The best results are seen when pairing the home-use products with the formulation of the back bar ingredients. Furthermore, these ingredients pair with high-frequency and LED light therapy machines for a more advanced approach to treatment, especially for treating severely problematic acne.

By treating your male clients from a holistic perspective, you are educating them on why the health of their skin matters. They will begin to understand what the surface of their skin is telling them about their overall health. And most importantly for you, they will become loyal clients as you have proven to them that you are genuinely interested in their overall health and well-being— that you took the time to get to the root of their health instead of just treating lines on the surface.

Men’s Health is Men’s Skincare

In summary, the real revolution in men’s skincare must start with men’s health. In fact, you cannot have one without the other. November is obviously more than just “Men’s Skincare Month.” It is called Men’s Health Month for a reason and men’s skincare is just one of the many facets that go into our health.

As professionals in the skincare industry, we all have the unique opportunity to be the source of education for our clients. Right now, there is a high demand for men who need the education that you can provide that can truly change lives. By reading the skin’s warning signs, taking proactive steps, and maintaining holistic health, men’s health and men’s skincare will finally start to be normalized.