What product should I(male) use on my face?

santana75

Hi
Bit embarresed about this, feels a little on the metrosexual/girly side. I was in work recently and one of the women made a comment about the skin on my face, she said that when I smiled all these wrinkles and lines appreared at the the corners of my eyes. She also said that the skin on my face looked dry. She recommended I should "change products." I told her I didnt use any products, I clean my face with just water. She seemed a little taken aback by that and proceeded to tell me that her boyfriend used all manner of creams on his face, so did all the men she knew. I laughed at this and told her that she'd wanna be careful with a bloke that spends more time on his appearance than her. Anyway since that conversation I've noticed that a lot of blokes are rubbing all manner of creams onto their faces(I notice this in the gym changing room). I also saw a photo of myself recently with a couple of other guys I know use stuff on their faces and my skin doesnt look as clear or fresh as theirs, I look a bit rough around the edges.
The long and the short of it is Ive decided to give it a go, using some sort of product on my face. I have absolutley no idea what Im supposed to use though, I went into a shop last night for a browse and I was overwhelmed at the selection of creams and the like.
Could anybody tell me what product I could use?
Thanks

Resi12

My routine would be:

Wash (sometimes exfoliate/the odd face mask)
Cleanse
Moisturise
Toner is optional and since you have already dry skin it might be best to give it a miss.

It's not at all girly to look after your skin, it's the largest organ in your whole body. If men can go to the gym to take care of their bodies they can do a good skincare routine.

Now for wrinkles, most products are overpriced and only reduce the appearance meaning they will not help to diminish them whatsoever. If you only want a reduced appearance then Boots/Superdrug/Pharmacy brands are grand (can't reccomend any yet sorry) but if you're a bit more serious go to a dermatologist. While considerably more expensive, they would have the good stuff in their offices.

For dry skin, get a moisturiser for dry skin. Should say it on it, yet again though I can't recommend any because I have oily skin myself. Don't go off buying blindly though, go onto sites like Boots. They have review sections full of people's personal experiences with the products.

Sorry I can't be of much help but that's the basic outline I follow anyway.

Gee_G

You definitely should exfoliate your skin once or twice a week.you can get good pre-shave exfoliants that will also prevent ingrown hairs as well as removing dead skin. This needs to be done in order for your skin to penetrate any products, otherwise your wasting your money on moisturising dead skin! Nivea for men range is good, my boyfriend uses it, he finds their rehydrating moisturiser very good. I also think they do a daily facial wash. You can get these in any chemist or supermarket. Also the Elemis "time for men" range is very good, my boyfriend uses their energising skin scrub and their anti-ageing range. these can be purchased online or in a lot of spas country wide! They are a bit more expensive but worth it!

tan11ie

Resi12 wrote: »

My routine would be:
Wash (sometimes exfoliate/the odd face mask)
Cleanse
Moisturise
Toner is optional and since you have already dry skin it might be best to give it a miss.

A splash of cold water will suffice

santana75

Resi12 wrote: »

It's not at all girly to look after your skin, it's the largest organ in your whole body. If men can go to the gym to take care of their bodies they can do a good skincare routine.

Ah now lets call a spade a spade, for a man it is a girly thing to do.

Resi12 wrote: »

My routine would be:

Wash (sometimes exfoliate/the odd face mask)
Cleanse
Moisturise
Toner is optional and since you have already dry skin it might be best to give it a miss.

For dry skin, get a moisturiser for dry skin. Should say it on it, yet again though I can't recommend any because I have oily skin myself. Don't go off buying blindly though, go onto sites like Boots. They have review sections full of people's personal experiences with the products.

Sorry I can't be of much help but that's the basic outline I follow anyway.

Thanks. Went to the chemist and got what you recommended. Expensive though, cant see myself buying this stuff all the time, bit of a luxury item.

gigawatt

just for future reference santana, if you go to any decent chemist (hickeys/boots etc) and have a chat with one of the cosmetic counter assistants they'll help you out. but they probably will try to sell you the most expensive ranges for men (things like clarins)
it sounds like all u need is a facewash and a moisturiser.
nivea for men and loreal are pretty good mid price range products.
i got my brother stuff from those ranges and he was very happy with it.

pencilsharp

I see you have already purchased some products to use, a lot of men use stuff now and its nothing to feel embarrassed about- we all want to stay looking young and healthy!

If you fancy treating yourself in the future Elemis products are really good and this is a great deal at ther moment http://www.feelunique.com/p/Elemis-Temperley-Safari-Traveller-for-Men ! Also a lot of beauty salons do Elemis facials for men and believe me I say a lot of men going for them!!

Twee.

Also, you don't really need "For Men" products, pretty sure it's just the smell that's different! It's all marketing! Many products come unscented anyway.

Anyway, despite all that, my brother has had luck with the Body Shop mens' range, and my dad uses Clinique for men.

Resi12

Twee. wrote: »

Also, you don't really need "For Men" products, pretty sure it's just the smell that's different! It's all marketing! Many products come unscented anyway.

Anyway, despite all that, my brother has had luck with the Body Shop mens' range, and my dad uses Clinique for men.

Oh it so is marketing and they are usually marked up versions of the 'women's' products.

santana75 wrote: »

Ah now lets call a spade a spade, for a man it is a girly thing to do.



Thanks. Went to the chemist and got what you recommended. Expensive though, cant see myself buying this stuff all the time, bit of a luxury item.

I so have to disagree about the girly thing, that's nothing but peer pressure society telling you that something as simple as washing your face using the right products is girly? It's not girly at all to take care of your skin and regardless it's your skin, so who gives two sh!ts what someone else has to say.

What products did you get? Yeah, they can be dear enough alright but if you use them properly they should last a good while.

tan11ie wrote: »

A splash of cold water will suffice

A piece of ice is SO much better! Seriously, you can't beat that feeling!

kerash

It's natural to have wrinkles at the eyes when you smile, don't worry about that.

santana75

Resi12 wrote: »

What products did you get? Yeah, they can be dear enough alright but if you use them properly they should last a good while.

I got L'oreal Hydra energetic moisturing lotion and another gel thingy that says "exfoliating" on it.
Have to say though, I used the exfoliating gel thingy and I could see a massive difference staright away, just with one use. Would it suffice just to use that without the moisturising stuff? Jesus Christ I cant beleive Im having this conversation. If anybody who knows me found out about this............

tan11ie

santana75 wrote: »

I got L'oreal Hydra energetic moisturing lotion and another gel thingy that says "exfoliating" on it.
Have to say though, I used the exfoliating gel thingy and I could see a massive difference staright away, just with one use. Would it suffice just to use that without the moisturising stuff? Jesus Christ I cant beleive Im having this conversation. If anybody who knows me found out about this............

No you will need to cleanse and tone (splash of water if you don't have a toner) this will remove residue and close the pores. Then apply the moisturiser.

seamus

Scrub your face when you have a shower, liberally apply E45 afterwards. I have particularly dry skin below my eyes, this works for me. Don't need toner or exfoliant or any of that stuff. During the winter, harsh winds and the like can make it drier, so don't be afraid about using it two or 3 times per day.

Anything that you have to buy in a chemist and can't pick up from a supermarket shelf, is overpriced and unnecessary.

I've also found that a good portion of sun exposure is best to clear up dry skin. Yes, excessive tanning and the like can make you look old, but a moderate amount of sun exposure causes vitamin D development in the skin and overall improves the condition of your skin.

If you work indoors primarily, inadequate sun exposure can be a particular problem, so if you can try to get out for a walk during sunny lunchtimes.

Bigcheeze

Surely the act of shaving is way more effective at removing dead skin than exfoliating. I had heard before that men's skin tends to age better than women's as most shave daily. Wearing makeup every day can't be great for the skin either.

santana75

tan11ie wrote: »

No you will need to cleanse and tone (splash of water if you don't have a toner) this will remove residue and close the pores. Then apply the moisturiser.

Sorry Im completely ignorant of these things so could you say that again but this time in terms that somebody who knows nothing about skin or skin care can understand? Cheers.

seamus

santana75 wrote: »

Sorry Im completely ignorant of these things so could you say that again but this time in terms that somebody who knows nothing about skin or skin care can understand? Cheers.

When women clean their face, they tend to do it over the sink rather than in the shower, so when they've finished scrubbing, there will be bits of dead skin and product left on their face. The toner is like a final rinse to remove all this stuff. It also closes the pores to provent the moisturising cream from getting in and causing spots.

Neither are necessary in my experience if you scrub your face in the shower. E45 doesn't cause spots, so you don't need toner, but oil-based face creams will cause spots.

santana75

seamus wrote: »

When women clean their face, they tend to do it over the sink rather than in the shower, so when they've finished scrubbing, there will be bits of dead skin and product left on their face. The toner is like a final rinse to remove all this stuff. It also closes the pores to provent the moisturising cream from getting in and causing spots.

Neither are necessary in my experience if you scrub your face in the shower. E45 doesn't cause spots, so you don't need toner, but oil-based face creams will cause spots.

So you reckon E45 is all I need then? That'd be way more simple.

seamus

santana75 wrote: »

So you reckon E45 is all I need then? That'd be way more simple.

That's what I would recommend initially. Twice a day - after you have a shower (whenever that is) and before you go to bed. Also, don't use soap on your face in the shower. Get a moisturising shower gel or something similar. The Dove Men+ care stuff is expensive but it's definitely been better for me than Lynx or Radox stuff.

Go with that for a month, and if you're not seeing any improvements, then it may be worth looking at stricter regimes as detailed above.

The problem is that you could go the full 10-step hog and you will see improvements, but you won't actually know if you need all ten steps or if it's just the moisturiser that's working.

Twee.

santana75 wrote: »

I Jesus Christ I cant beleive Im having this conversation. If anybody who knows me found out about this............

There's nothing wrong with looking after your skin. More guys than you think do it.

santana75

Twee. wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with looking after your skin. More guys than you think do it.

Theres a fine line though, especially for us blokes. Theres looking after yourself and then theres metrosexual vanity. One is healthy the other isn't.