Disclaimer: this video is produced by Brandon Balfour and is shared for educational and entertainment purposes only
The Real Truth About Men’s Skincare: 3 Products That Actually Matter
You’re probably just as confused as every other dude when it comes to skincare. You’re seeing these influencers and celebrities attributing their glass skin to some elaborate 20-step skincare routine, and they swear by it. They swear that if they didn’t have this amazing skincare routine, they would look like Deadpool’s left nut. But here’s the reality check: 80% of the results, or even more, is going to come from just three skincare products.
Just like Pareto’s Principle, 20% of the effort is going to get you 80% of the results, and skincare is exactly the same scenario. So what are those three products? Well, before we even get into the three products, there are three fundamental things you need to be doing first because without these, it’s going to be virtually impossible to have nice skin.
The Foundation: Three Non-Negotiables Before You Touch Any Product
First step is getting your diet in check. I don’t give a damn if dermatologists say that food doesn’t impact your skin – it certainly does, and I know this from personal experience with myself, my brother, my friends, and a bunch of followers I’ve talked to. As soon as you cut out processed foods, sugars, and seed oils, your skin is going to look better than it ever has before. Not to mention, another byproduct of doing this is you’re just going to get shredded in the process, so it’s an added bonus of getting your gut health and that bacteria healthy again.
Second is your sleep. Lack of sleep is going to promote and increase the stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol increases inflammation as well as sebum and oil production, which results in clogged pores and increased acne. You want to make sure you’re getting about 7 to 8 hours of sleep every single night, go to bed at a consistent time, and reduce stress as much as you possibly can in your life. Hit the gym, go to the sauna, meditate, do yoga – do all the things that help you de-stress. Overall, doing all of these things is going to really improve the health of your skin.
Step number three is basic hygiene. Make sure you’re washing your bed sheets and towels with hot water weekly because if you’re using these things frequently or sleeping in your bed for 8 hours, there’s going to be so much oil buildup as well as dead skin cells, and that’s going to cause acne since you’re constantly putting your face on there. Anything that’s touching your face needs to be clean, like your phone – apparently it’s got more bacteria than a toilet seat and that’s going on the side of your face during phone calls, so wipe that down with a Lysol wipe every once in a while.
The Two Approaches: Science-Based vs. Fully Natural
Now that you’ve got those fundamentals sorted, let’s move into the actual skincare. I’m going to discuss two different approaches: the typical science-based dermatologist recommended skincare (which is what I’ve been using since I started skincare) and the fully natural skincare routine for people who don’t want to put any unnatural products on their face.
Step 1: Cleanse (Morning and Night)
The first step in any skincare routine is cleansing. You’re going to do this once in the morning and once at night. For those who don’t know how to cleanse, it’s as simple as getting your face wet with lukewarm water, taking about a quarter-size amount of your product, pumping it into your hand, and then massaging it into your face for about 30 to 60 seconds.
But you’re not just going to choose any cleanser. Everybody has different skin types, so you need products meant for your specific skin type. Typically, each individual falls into one of three categories: dry skin, oily skin, or combination skin (which is a combination of both – you’ll have an oily T-zone and dry cheeks).
To find out what skin type you have, wash your face with just water and leave it for the next hour or so. Then go into a well-lit area like your bathroom and take a look at your face. If your face is shiny, then it’s oily. If your face looks really dry and flaky, you obviously have dry skin. If you have combination skin, you’ll know because your cheeks will be really dry but your nose, forehead, and chin will be shiny.
For oily skin people, you generally want to use a foaming cleanser (though you can get away with a non-foaming cleanser – I just found foaming worked best for removing oil). Key ingredients to look for are salicylic acid and niacinamide. It’s important to note that when using an ingredient like salicylic acid, you should work your way up in strength. Don’t start with the highest percentage if you’ve never used it before because it can be powerful, and depending on how sensitive your skin is, it might not react well.
For dry skin, you want a non-foaming cleanser with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, and aloe vera. It doesn’t have to include all of these – just look for a few of these ingredients.
For normal to combination skin, you can get away with just a gentle cleanser.
For the fully natural solution, just water will do. Wash it as if you had a cleanser on your hands – nice and simple.
Step 2: Moisturize (Morning and Night)
Moving on to the second step, which is moisturizing. Again, you’re going to do this once in the morning and once at night. For those who don’t know how to apply moisturizer, apply a nickel-size amount into your hand. I like to take it on my finger, apply it to my forehead and cheeks, and then massage it into my face from there.
For oily skin, look for moisturizers with ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, or retinol. If you’re going to use a moisturizer with retinol, I suggest saving that for evening time since it can have a bad reaction with the sun.
For dry skin, look for moisturizers containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, shea butter, and aloe vera. Again, it doesn’t need all these ingredients – I’m just giving you a list to look for when buying a moisturizer.
For combination skin, look for ingredients like lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and ceramides.
For the fully natural approach, you can actually use aloe vera or beef tallow. Apparently, beef tallow works really well as a moisturizer because its saturated fats closely resemble the natural oils your face produces. It contains vitamins A, D, E, and K, and it’s also non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores. That’s actually what I have on my face right now – I’ve been using it for the past two days because I’ve seen a lot of people recommend it. I don’t know if it works yet, but so far my face is definitely moisturized. I’ll keep you guys updated, but so far it seems to be doing a very good job.
Step 3: Sunscreen (Morning Only)
The final step in the skincare routine is sunscreen. It’s important that you buy a mineral sunscreen and not one of those other sunscreens that contain harmful ingredients. When applying sunscreen, you obviously only need to do it in the morning (unless you live somewhere like Norway where the sun never goes down). You want to apply a generous amount – about a quarter-size amount should probably be enough.
You will have a bit of a white cast and might look a little like Edward from Twilight, or you can get a tinted sunscreen (that’s what I use if you have darker skin). If you have pale skin, you’re going to look even paler, but it will protect your skin so you prevent sagging skin and dark spots for as long as possible.
Honorable Mentions: The Extras That Aren’t Necessary
Like I said, these other products aren’t necessary, but if you’d like to use them, they might slightly increase the appearance of your skin: exfoliants and hydrating serums.
A chemical exfoliant will basically exfoliate your skin without you having to use your hands or a scrub. Exfoliant ingredients include salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, or even retinol. With exfoliants, like I said before, these can be quite strong, so you want to do a test patch on your skin before going all over your face. Try it out and see how it reacts first because they can be quite strong to begin with. When it comes to application, just read the bottle because every exfoliant is probably different in terms of how frequently you should use them and how to apply them. You’ll use this right after you wash your face.
Next, we have hydrating serums, which are exactly what they sound like – they’re going to give you some extra hydration. Typically, a hydrating serum will have ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and niacinamide. To apply a serum, use two to three drops on your face and pat it in rather than rub. Also bring it down to your neck – that’s a key tip for all your products.
You’ll apply this right before you apply your moisturizer.
The Bottom Line
That is everything you actually need to do and use to have a good skincare routine. I am not a dermatologist by any means, so do your own research before using any of these products, but this is what I found has worked for me. Remember, it’s not about having the most elaborate routine – it’s about consistency with the basics and listening to what your skin actually needs.
Disclaimer: this video is produced by Brandon Balfour and is shared for educational and entertainment purposes only
