It's a normal day. A man undresses in front of me. Not a shred of clothing remains. I can see every inch of his body.
Thus exposed, and without the need for words, I instantly deduce so much about him; his exercise regime or lack thereof, his nutritional deficiencies, his level of stress, his hygiene standards, the quality of his relationships, his bowel habits, his sexual frequency, his degree of self-esteem - the lot.
Of all the non-verbal factors that yield up said information, the largest by far, is his skin. It shows the signs of neglect like no other bodily organ.
- Neglect and abuse
- Why you should moisturise
- But moisturising makes me feel oily!
- What sort of moisturisers do I need?
- When should I moisturise?
- The importance of exfoliation
- Other lifestyle tips for healthy skin
- Related Topics
Neglect and abuse
Typically, men ignore their skin, expecting it to simply function. Its only later in life, as it starts to crack and discolour and wrinkle, that we (hopefully) sit up and take notice.
Many factors contribute to our skin becoming less healthy over time, but contrary to myth, aging is far from top of the list.
In fact, the most impacting factors to poor skin health, are excessive UV exposure and dehydration, both of which are largely within our control.
- Harmful UV exposure is greatly reduced by covering up when outdoors combined with moisturiser that contains sun-block.
- Dehydration is greatly eliminated by drinking plenty of sugar-free fluids combined with moisturising the skin to help retain those fluids.
Why you should moisturise
The common factor here is moisturising. I know that the subject doesn't sound very exciting or masculine, but it's essential to start taking care of your body's largest organ if you want it in good health for the rest of your life. Here are some of the benefits you'll enjoy.
- Thick or woollen clothing and blankets won't make your skin feel itchy anymore. Try it. It's such a simple solution.
- Regular moisturising slows down visible signs of aging, such as liver spots, hyper-pigmentation, scaly warts, and wrinkles.
- Moisturised skin creates a barrier against the elements, particularly the cold and dry. You can actually wear less clothing and not feel cold.
- Unsightly and itchy skin conditions like ringworm and contact dermatitis are less likely to take hold when your moisturise, whereas they do exceptionally well on neglected skin.
- If you get your body waxed, lasered, or tattooed, moisturising beforehand makes the process significantly less painful;
- Applying moisturiser containing tea-tree on clean skin helps prevent and cure fungal infections on the feet and groin, e.g. athlete's foot and jock itch.
- It also helps prevent chaffing of the perineum and inner thighs from friction during sports;
- With healthy skin, you'll look younger and you'll get laid more. Maybe I should have led with that one. 🙂
But moisturising makes me feel oily!
Then you're doing it wrong.
This is the most common complaint I hear from men and it's a fair call, but try not using as much, and also look at how thick the lotion is before you buy it.
If you want a thinner lotion, search for moisturisers labelled 'body milk' or similar, and avoid products labelled 'rich and thick' or 'body butter'.
What sort of moisturisers do I need?
To cover the essentials, you will need:
- a body moisturiser,
- a face moisturiser,
- and an eye cream
The skin of your body, face, and eyes are different. You can't use a body moisturiser on your face because it will clog up your pores and you'll get acne.
Your face needs a specific type of moisturiser with smaller molecules to be properly absorbed.
Your eyes are particularly delicate. That is why they also need a specific type of lotion.
Most body moisturisers can be used on your hands and feet too, but if you suffer from particularly dry hands or cracked heels and toes, I also strongly recommend:
- a light hand cream,
- and a foot cream or heal balm.
When should I moisturise?
Only moisturise when your skin is clean. After you shower is perfect for your body and face areas. If using a foot cream, apply it under thick socks when you go to bed.
You can also wrap your feet in cling wrap to protect your socks and sheets. For hand cream, use it throughout the day immediately after you've washed your hands.
The importance of exfoliation
Exfoliating in the shower with a quality bath oil is great - and when I say exfoliate, I don't mean an exfoliating gel.
Buy a pair of those rough shower mitts you see at the supermarket for a few dollars.
They turn any bath oil or lotion into a exfoliation session AND without hurting the environment like exfoliation bath gels do.
As far as salon-grade treatments go, a good place to start is Diamond Microdermabrasion.
This time-proven treatment cleans out your pores and gently abraids away your dead skin cells.
Other lifestyle tips for healthy skin
- Drink water, lots of it.
- Cover up and-or use sunblock on exposed skin when outdoors, even in winter. Especially remember to cover up your head, neck, and ears. Baseball caps are useless in hot climates like Australia or Africa - wear a hat with a brim.
- If you want a tan, get a fake one. The tanning moisturisers available at supermarkets now, such as Palmers and Vaseline, are brilliant, and they moisturising your skin at the same time.
- Exfoliate in the shower at least once a week.
- Eat green leafy vegetables; broccoli, cabbage, spinach leaves.
- Make sure you get enough fibre. Fibre keeps everything moving through your body and stops toxins building up that can cause premature skin aging. Fibre, guys - It's not just for old people.
- Exercise. Keep your skin breathing. Sweating helps detoxify and lubricate the skin.
- Drink water. Not a misprint. It's worth listing twice.
So that's it guys. My skin survival tips. Follow them and you'll go through life looking a lot better than you do right now.