Face washes for men are not all that different from regular ones. The truth is that they are meant for both men’s and women’s skin. Like all other steps of a skincare routine, face wash has no gender. In a dominantly feminine space, skincare or something as simple as face cleansing for men often goes undiscussed. However, we’re here to break the streak,” Deep Patel, a renowned skincare expert, emphasizes. He advocates for inclusivity in skincare, highlighting that regardless of gender, everyone benefits from a consistent skincare regimen.
While a lengthy skincare routine might be a bit of a leap, a well-performing face cleanser should be a part of every man’s grooming routine. It improves skin texture, cleanses away impurities, regulates oil production, offers gentle exfoliation and helps you achieve a smoother shave.
With an overabundance of skin care products in the market with endless claims and ingredients, choosing a good face wash for men can seem confusing. If you’ve tried tube after tube of face wash but to no avail, we’ll help you go back to the drawing board. While the function of a face wash largely remains the same, here are some things you should factor in before choosing the best face wash for men.
The Anatomy of Men’s Skin
Due to testosterone (male sex organ), men’s skin is 25% thicker and tougher than women’s. This causes the skin to become oiler and grittier. Therefore, men can notice more breakouts, blackheads, and texture of the skin. What’s more, it can also get irritated more often due to regular shaving, which causes razor bumps and burns and ingrown hair. However, the upside is that men’s skin has more collagen and elastin, which means the skin can heal faster and is more resilient against premature ageing.
Knowing Your Skin Type
Though men’s skin is different from women’s, it can still be categorised under the common five types of skin which are oily, dry, sensitive, combination and normal. Dry skin is when the skin doesn’t produce enough natural oils. Sensitive skin is easily prone to redness, inflammation and reactions. Oily skin is indicative of superactive oil glands and produces excess sebum. Combination skin is when the T-zone (centre of forehead, nose and chin) is relatively oilier. Normal skin type is known to be the least fuss-free and is less prone to skin concerns.
Identifying Skin Concerns
Environmental stress, lifestyle, diet, hormones and genes are key contributors to multiple skin concerns like dehydration, pigmentation, dullness, premature ageing, sun damage, acne and blackheads. The latter two are the most common concerns that are caused by clogged pores and oxidised sebum. However, it’s important to identify what your skin concerns look like to know which face wash will work the best. They are formulated with many ingredients and have different consistencies to target specific skin concerns.
Understanding Ingredients
Whether it’s natural or science-backed, ingredients in a face wash for men play a crucial role in making sure your skin stays healthy and clean. Nature-based ingredients are natural extracts like citrus, neem, tulsi, tea tree and bakuchiol that possess antibacterial and anti-ageing properties. Ingredients like niacinamide, retinol, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are science-backed synthetic actives that are highly potent and give faster results. Learning what each ingredient does helps you narrow down what you’re looking for to reap maximum benefits out of your face-washing routine. Other ingredients like surfactants (key cleansing ingredients) also help you determine how gentle or harsh a face wash for men can be.
Formulation and Consistency
Aside from ingredients, it’s also important to know what a face wash’s consistency is like. A gel-based foaming cleanser is perfect for those who struggle with oiliness and pimples. The foaming nature deep-cleanses the pores and rids them of oxidised sebum and grime. But a creamy, non-foaming face wash for men is better suited to those with dry, sensitive skin. The creamy base ensures that the skin remains soft and hydrated while still feeling cleansed, not stripped. People with sensitive skin are better off without foam as it usually means a face wash has a stronger surfactant. This could lead to extra dryness and irritation.
Exfoliation
Exfoliation is another form of skin cleansing that should be prioritised once to twice a week, depending on your skin type. There are two types of exfoliation – physical and chemical. Physical exfoliation makes use of smooth microscopic beads or finely milled walnut shell powder. Chemical exfoliation comes in the form of salicylic acid and glycolic acid. The former method involves gentle circular motions to remove dead skin cells and roughness. Whereas the latter is kept on the skin depending on the formulation. A salicylic acid-based face wash for men is best used when you keep it on the skin for an extra 30 seconds for deep exfoliation.
Other Things to Keep in Mind:
- Do not cleanse the face more than once to twice a day. Regardless of skin type, over cleansing can damage the natural skin barrier exposing it to more skin concerns.
- Always use gentle motions. Harshly cleansing the skin won’t make the face wash perform better. It will just lead to irritation and uncomfortable dryness.
- If you have sensitive skin, avoid face washes with exfoliating beads as it’s a product you ought to use every day. Instead, buy a separate face scrub which you can once a week.
- A little goes a long way. Using a pea-sized amount of face wash is sufficient to properly cleanse the face. Using too much can overly stripping on the skin.
When in confusion, we hope you can use this guide to choose the right face wash for men.