Men's Skin Care

 

PAULA'S CHOICE PRODUCTS SUITABLE FOR THIS SKIN TYPE

Men's Skin Care Normal to Dry Men's Skin Care Normal to Oily

Don't Waste Your Money
Over the past several years there has been a marked increase in the sales of men's skin-care products. One major downside to all this is now men have about the same opportunity to waste their money on unnecessary or problematic skin-care products as women do. But in many ways men have it even harder differentiating between reliable and unreliable products because in general, they are reluctant "cosmetic" consumers and are hesitant to spend too much energy delving into consumer information on the topic. As a result, most men don't use sunscreen on a consistent basis and leave their skin at risk for cancer, not to mention wrinkles. This also means that most men don't know what irritating ingredients might be lurking in their shaving products, and they end up with razor burn, (which is often really "product" burn). While it would be great if it were simple enough to recommend products from skin care lines "designed" for men, it turns out that most of those products are either poorly formulated, contain far too many irritating ingredients, or are overpriced and not worth the extra expense. Here is the information every man needs to know to take great care of his skin.

Shaving Without Pain
Shaving is the most typical start to a man's day, and it is the first area where they can make mistakes. Most shaving creams and pre-shave products, especially those geared toward men, contain irritating ingredients such as alcohol, menthol, mint, and camphor, as well as high levels of potassium or sodium hydroxide. These skin irritants make the hair follicle and skin swell, forcing the hair up and away from the skin, supposedly allowing for a closer shave. Unfortunately, the irritation and resulting swelling cause some of the hair to be hidden by the swollen follicle and skin. Note that sodium hydroxide is used in many skin-care products at very low levels (the lesser amount of an ingredient in a product, the lower it will be on the ingredient list on the label) to adjust the pH value. In these low quantities, it is not irritating to skin. Additionally, the swollen skin makes it harder for the stubble to find its way back out. If the hair begins to grow (which it does almost immediately) before the swelling is reduced, the likelihood of ingrown hairs is increased.

Shaving with a razor abrades the skin enough to cause havoc, but then men typically splash an alcohol-based aftershave lotion with irritating ingredients over that broken skin. Think of splashing aftershave on a cut or scrape on any other part of your body. Now, why would you want to do that to your face? Basic skin-care rule number one for both men and women: If the skin-care product you use burns, irritates, tingles, causes the skin to become inflamed, or hurts, don't use it.

Men's Skin Care Guide
What products should men use to take care of their skin? To start with, all men need a gentle, water-soluble cleanser; a gentle shaving product (such as Paula's Choice Close Comfort Shave Gel), followed by a gentle, non-irritating aftershave or shaving lotion (which for all intents and purposes are just masculine names for a gentle toner) or an alcohol-free topical anti-inflammatory product. An ideal after-shave product for men is an aspirin-based topical product that uses additional potent anti-irritants. Aspirin is a very effective anti-inflammatory agent for irritated skin and is able to alleviate the redness and razor bumps/burn many men who shave experience. Paula's Choice Skin Relief Treatment contains stabilized aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) with other anti-irritants and is designed to work beautifully as a gentle, effective after-shave for men or women.

Follow with the same options as women's skincare for treating breakouts (disinfectant and beta hydroxy acid), sun care (SPF 15 with UVA protection), or dealing with dry skin (a good moisturizer). The one exception is that for some skin types it can prove to be too irritating for men to follow shaving with an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA product.

However, for men dealing with blemishes, milia, or blackheads, a well-formulated BHA product can be used over non-shaved areas, or over the entire face in the evening (assuming the man shaves in the morning). Men who shave do have an advantage, because shaving removes the top layer of dead skin cells, improving cell turnover. Yet it doesn't mean that men have to avoid the advantages of using a retinoid—like Retin-A or Renova—or that they should omit using a reliable sunscreen.

Men's Skin Care Q & A
What if I have sun-induced skin discolorations?
If you have normal to very dry skin, treat skin discolorations with our Remarkable Skin Lightening Lotion. Those with normal to oily/combination or oily skin should use our Clearly Remarkable Skin Lightening Gel. Note that a skin-lightening product must also include daily use of a well-formulated sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher.

What if I have rosacea?
We highly recommend sampling the Paula’s Choice products you’re considering to be sure they are compatible with your rosacea-prone skin. Generally, our customers with rosacea report excellent results with our cleansers, moisturizers, beta hydroxy acid products, Skin Relief Treatment, and Pure Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15.

How do I take care of razor burn and/or ingrown hairs?
Regular use of our Close Comfort Shave Gel and Skin Relief Treatment will reduce and eventually eliminate signs of razor burn. It is also very helpful to change razor blades frequently (at least every third shave) and rinse the blade between strokes. Ingrown hairs respond well to our beta hydroxy acid products. Because shaving manually exfoliates skin, we recommend using a BHA product in the evening rather than immediately after shaving.

What if I have sensitive/reactive skin?
As a general rule, the fewer products you use, the happier your sensitive skin will be. Because all Paula’s Choice products are fragrance-free and avoid needless irritants, you’re already ahead of the game! Use caution with our topical exfoliants and Blemish Fighting products; a patch test is recommended to be sure your sensitive skin will tolerate these active products. The same holds true for our sunscreens, with the exception of Pure Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15. This product contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide for sun protection, both being excellent for sensitive skin.