The Best Men’s Skincare Routine

A new year means it’s time for a new skincare routine for men.

If you’ve noticed your skin looking a little dry or has a few more pimples than you’d like, then it’s high time you start being proactive with your skin care routine, especially if you’re a man.

Far too many men have minimal or non-existent skincare processes, so make this the year where you finally start taking control of what your skin looks like.

The version of you 10 years from now will thank you for it.

What is a Skincare Routine?

A skincare routine is a series of steps used to make sure your skin is healthy and looking its best.

This might sound a little daunting and overcomplicated. However, it’s pretty simple. Think of it like taking a shower. 

Your daily shower routine might consist of you using shampoo, then conditioner, and then some body wash. That’s a routine!

The only difference is that a men’s skincare routine might have a few more steps to follow.

Here at Stryx, we want to develop a skin care routine for men that covers every possible problem you might face with your skin.

Whether it’s acne, clogged pores, or blackheads, our ultimate male skincare routine will make sure that everything is covered! 

Why Men Should Have a Daily Skincare Routine

Credit: GQ

Men should develop a skin care routine because healthy skin is one of the easiest ways to look your best.

All it takes is a few minutes everyday and before you know it, you’ll feel more confident in your own skin.

Even something as simple as washing your face everyday and using a moisturizer will show great results.

However, one of the biggest reasons we love using a skincare routine is because it prevents those dreaded acne breakouts.

No one likes waking up and seeing acne in the morning. That’s why it’s important to use skincare products that replenish your skin consistently. 

The Ultimate Male Skincare Routine

Our ultimate skin care routine for men has six steps. This might seem a little daunting, but each step is simple and easy to implement.

In total, you’ll only need three to five minutes of your time to go through this routine. 

Are you ready? Let’s get started! 

Step One: Wash Dirt and Oil Away With a Cleanser

It’s vital for men to cleanse their faces regularly.

By and large, men’s skin tends to be oilier than that of women due to the increased presence of sebaceous glands.

Additionally, these glands tend to be larger in men, resulting in enhanced production of oil.

Throughout your day, your skin will be exposed to dirt, dust, and grime. All of these will stick to your face and cause your pores to build up.

Add on the excess oil and dead skin that naturally accumulates on your face and you have plenty of reason to cleanse your face twice a day.

How to Wash Your Face With a Cleanser

Washing your face with a cleanser is easy. To start, splash some lukewarm water onto your face. Next, squeeze out the size of a nickel into your palm.

Then, rub the cleanser in a circular motion on your cheeks, nose, and forehead for about 10 seconds. Afterwards, wash off the cleanser with lukewarm water.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends using a non-abrasive cleanser to remove impurities.

For best results, you can try using Stryx’s Gel Cleanser twice daily. 

 

When Should Men Cleanse Their Face?

Ideally, you should wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Men should cleanse their face in the morning as soon as they’re in the bathroom and they cleanse their face in the evening before they go to bed.

Any more than that and you risk drying your skin out too significantly.

The only exception should be if you sweat substantially throughout the day and need to remove sweat and oil more often than usual.

Step Two: Exfoliate Your Skin With a Face Scrub

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the skin.

Under ideal circumstances, your skin’s able to get rid of the cells on its own, but sometimes, it doesn’t shed completely.

To be able to exfoliate properly, you’re going to need to invest in a face scrub.

How Often Should Men Use a Face Scrub?

Most men will find they only need to use a face scrub once or twice a week.

However, if your skin is particularly oily, then you may need to exacerbate the regimen and use the device three times a week.

You shouldn’t use it any more often or else you run the risk of over-drying your skin. 

How Do Men Use a Face Scrub?

You should exfoliate your skin after you’ve cleaned it using the above steps.

After that, gently apply the facial scrub to your skin with gentle massage motions. 

Important note: Men with beards should spend a little extra time applying the scrub.

You want to make sure the substance is able to bypass your facial hair and actually help the skin. After you do this, you can wash the scrub off using lukewarm water. 

Here’s an affordable and high-quality men’s face scrub we like to use from our friends over at Vitaman

 

Step Three: Use a Toner to Rebalance pH Levels

Toners are essential because they help rebalance pH levels and clear impurities left behind from the cleansing and exfoliation process. Some toners help rehydrate the skin while others reduce the appearance of pores.

It’s important to figure out which toner is best for your skin before you move forward with applying it to your face. 

The Best Toner for Hydrating Skin

Some toners are better for dealing with acne. Other toners are better for dealing with oily skin. If you want to hydrate your skin, we recommend using a toner that has vitamin C or bamboo extract.

This will help replenish your nutrients while also leaving your skin looking bright and healthy.

The Best Toner for Acne

If you have a lot of acne or ingrown hair, we recommend looking for a toner that is rich in lactic or salicylic acid. For dark spots, look for ingredients like glycolic acid or BHA.

How to Use a Toner for Your Skin

Start by dousing your toner on a cotton pad. Then, rub all the areas where you put cleanser or exfoliate. If you don’t have a cotton pad, make sure to buy a toner in gel form.

Afterwards, all you need to do is squeeze a small amount on both your palms and rub your skin. 

Step Four: Apply Serum to Replenish Nutrients

Credit: Skincraft

Be honest with yourself — Do you really feel as though you look your age?

Due to some people’s genetic makeup, they begin to age faster than others.

Fine lines and crow’s feet can make you look years older than you actually are, but you can help reverse the aging process (to an extent) with the right serum.

Serum might not seem like a necessary item in the male skincare routine. In contrast, serum is actually one of the easiest ways to keep your skin and eyes healthy.

Serum for Aging and Sensitive Skin

Like toner, there are multiple types of serum for different skin issues. If you’re dealing with aging and fine lines, then a retinol serum might be best to improve your skin’s appearance.

If you have sensitive skin, we recommend staying away from retinol serum and instead, using a serum rich with zinc, Aloe Vera, and licorice root. 

Serum for Dry Skin

For those with dry skin, consider using a serum that has hyaluronic acid. This type of acid is crucial for skin moisture. You should also look for ingredients like glycerin and panthenol, both of which take moisture from the air and saturate it into your skin.

In some cases, you can find eye serums which help replenish nutrients in the eyes. These can substitute for eye cream, which is another part of our skincare routine. 

 

How to Apply Serum

Serums usually come in a small bottle with a pipette of some kind. To start, squeeze out two to three drops on your fingertips. Then, apply the drops to your forehead, nose, and cheeks in a quick, circular rubbing motion.

If you have an eye serum, do the same thing but only for your eyes. Do this for around 10 seconds and afterwards, apply the leftovers to your neck and jawline.

How Often Should I Apply a Serum?

A facial serum should be applied twice daily. You should put it over your face in the morning and in the evening to help replenish nutrients you end up losing over the course of the day. 

Step Five: Hydrate Your Skin With a Moisturizer

 

You should know the importance of drinking enough water in the day.

Drinking the recommended eight glasses of day can do a lot of good for helping your skin. But, if you need an extra boost, then consider adding a moisturizer to your regimen. 

This is by far one of the best things you can do and one of the most important steps in our skincare routine for men. 

When Should Men Use a Moisturizer?

You should apply a moisturizer after every time you wash your face, which means twice daily.

Keeping up with this process regularly helps protect your skin from environmental harm.

How Should Men Use a Moisturizer?

You should apply the moisturizer while your skin is still damp. This way the product traps moisture in the skin to keep it hydrated. 

It’s also a good idea to moisturize after every time you wash your hands.

While a lot of men focus on their facial skin’s health, it’s just as important to pay attention to other parts of your body as well.

Additionally, your hands are more likely to be exposed to irritants than your face, and they could use the extra protection. 

Step Six: Conceal Pre-Existing Acne With a Concealer

No one wants to deal with pimples. While the blemishes are often associated with teenagers, they can absolutely follow you into adulthood. When they pop up, you need to be able to treat them accordingly. 

When Should Men Put a Concealer On?

You only need to apply concealer when you have an active pimple present. In relation to your skincare regimen, concealer should be the last thing to apply. After you put moisturizer on your skin, you should wait about 10 minutes before using your concealer tool.

Step Seven: Prevent Skin from Aging With an SPF Sunscreen

Facial scrubs and moisturizers are great for keeping your skin in tip-top shape, but you need to think about all the ways you’re inadvertently hurting your skin as well.

With a little foresight, you can take a big step in holding back the aging process. 

Some parts of our men’s skincare routine are pretty flexible. For example, you can use a face scrub only once or twice a week.

For sunscreen, we make sure to put it on everyday before we go out. This is non-negotiable for us. 

Whenever you’re out under the sun, sunscreen helps protect your skin’s melanin. 

Without sunscreen, the ultra-violet rays can burn your skin’s outermost layer, causing discoloration and premature aging. 

When is the Best Time to Use Sunscreen?

You need to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before getting any sunlight exposure. This gives the substance ample time to absorb into the skin to protect it. 

A lot of people only think to apply sunscreen when it’s hot out in the summertime. But even if it feels cool outside, the sun is still out there, and all it takes is 15 minutes to result in damage. 

Does Skin Type Affect Skincare Routine? 

No skin is the same. Our skin can be affected by our environment, genetics, and past management.

Skin can be pretty much be put into four categories: dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, and natural skin.

However, skin type doesn’t affect our skincare routine for men too much since we’ve made sure to add products that cover every problem you might face. 

All you’ll need to do is make sure that you adjust the amounts used based on your skin type.

Dry Skin

For dry skin, you’ll want to make sure that you use a little more moisturizer. Since your skin tends to dry up faster, adding more moisturizer to your routine will go a long way.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can be fixed by adjusting step number one. Use more cleanser to wash away the extra oil that your skin produces. After that, you’ll be set! 

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin can be a little trickier. However, none of the above steps should cause a breakout unless you wear acne concealer to bed.

If you’re still worried, we recommend using each product in moderation except the sunscreen. Then, once your skin has become used to the product, you should be good to go! 

Natural Skin

Natural skin is the easiest because all you need to do is follow all six steps everyday and your skin will thank you.

Since your skin isn’t too oily or too dry, all you’ll need to do is use the normal amounts for each product. Afterwards, you should see results that you’ll like. 

How Expensive is a Daily Men’s Skin Care Routine? 

Some people might not want to have men’s skincare routine because they think it will get expensive.

We’re not going to lie. Men’s skin care products can be a little pricey sometimes, but great skin is one of the key components for helping you feel more confident about yourself.

A great male skincare routine helps you achieve this.

Therefore, even if there are some costs associated with men’s facial care, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. 

Ultimately, the expense is probably a lot lower than you’re thinking. And higher price tags don’t necessarily correlate to better products. 

FAQS

What Should Be in a Men’s Skin Care Routine?

A men’s skincare routine should include concealer, moisturizer, cleanser, face scrub, sunscreen, and eye/lip serum.

What is a Good Skincare Line for Men?

You can find a lot of great skincare brands at your local retailer. We recommend trying out our line here at Stryx or some of our friend’s products over Vitaman.

What Type of Skin do I Have?

If your skin seems shiny after thirty minutes, you have oily skin. If your skin feels flaky and rough, then you have dry skin. If your skin is oily on some parts of your face, then you have combination skin.

Is it Better to Have Dry or Oily Skin?

Neither is great. Oily skin means that breakouts won’t stop as you age. However, one good thing about oily skin is that you’ll have less wrinkles when you get older. 

References:

2018. Rahrovan, MD, MPH,a F. Fanian, MD, PhD,b P. Mehryan, MD,a P. Humbert, MD, PhD,b and A. Firooz, MD. “Male versus female skin: What dermatologists and cosmeticians should know.” US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 22 June 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116811/

“Face Washing 101.”American Academy of Dermatology Association. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/face-washing-101

De Souza, Anna. “Are you wasting moisturizer? Here’s how much you really should use.” Today, 8 Dec. 2016. https://www.today.com/style/how-much-skin-product-apply-serum-moisturizer-more-t105697

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Moisturizers: Options for softer skin.” Mayo Clinic, 18. Oct. 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-skin/in-depth/moisturizers/art-20044232