People associate skincare routines with women. However, men’s skin needs as much TLC as women’s do. While a lot of guys might not admit to caring, having dry and irritated skin is never nice! I’ve joined forces with The English Shaving Company to help the men out there look after their skin and to bring you some tips to encourage your partners to care for their skin!

Is Men’s Skin Different From Women’s?

In its essence, no. Men and women’s skin has the same biological structure and they both react to the environment in the same way. Extreme temperatures, for example, dry out both men and women’s skin alike.

However, according to the experts at Danny Jelaca hair salon, there is a difference in men’s facial skin.  This isn’t due to the skin itself, but because of his facial hair. The thick and wiry hairs affect the skin, often irritating it, and if he shaves, it’s routinely being damaged. Whether your partner has a beard or is clean-shaven he needs to look after his skin.

Shaving

If your partner is clean-shaven, then his skin will be suffering from frequent abrasion. Razor blades have to be sharp in order to effectively remove hair and stubble, but it means they also scrape away the top layer of skin. While gently exfoliating your face is a good thing to do a couple of times a week, razors aren’t gentle and remove the skin’s natural protection.

Most men’s shaving routines automatically ensure at least some protection during shaving. For example, shaving cream acts as a protective layer while also moisturising. However, if this is the only step your partner takes, it’s likely his skin won’t be overly happy! Razors are so abrasive that skin needs a lot of protection in order to retain moisture.

Aftershave

After your partner’s shave is complete, he might just rinse and leave it there. However, aftershave is vital. Not only does it protect the damaged skin from infections (which can lead to shaving rash), it also moisturises to ensure his face doesn’t dry out. There are two types of aftershave: cream and splash. Splash has a longer-lasting fragrance, but it doesn’t moisturise as effectively as cream. To look after his skin, you could buy your partner a quality aftershave cream (The English Shaving Company have quite a collection!). When he has the product, it’s easy to build it into his routine. It’s a simple and quick post-shave step that really makes a difference.

Traditional Shaving Soap vs Canned Foam

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing a shaving soap, cream, gel or foam. Traditionally, shaving soaps come as a hard block that is worked into a lather using a shaving brush and bowl. Nowadays, shaving creams and foam are available in cans; you simply spray the cream onto your hand and apply it to the face.

While canned products are more convenient, they’re not very good for his skin. They are often filled with lots of chemicals that pull the moisture away from the skin. The lather produced from traditional shaving soaps, however, is much richer. It creates a more effective protective barrier between the skin and razor blade, as well as giving moisture rather than removing it.

Beards

If your partner has a beard, the skin on his face is largely hidden, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be taking care of it – if anything, it’s more important! Beard hairs can be coarse and therefore rub against the skin. This is one of the causes of beard itch and can mean skin flakes more easily. To tackle it, he needs to keep his beard hair soft. Working beard oil through the hair, ensuring it reaches right to the root, softens the hair and protects the skin from irritation. It’s best applied just before bed, so perhaps remind him to do it after brushing his teeth each evening!

Beard oil is also designed to act as a skin moisturiser. Not only does it help by softening abrasive hairs, it also restores moisture and prevents drying out.

Beards stop dry and dead skin cells from properly flaking away. The hairs trap the cells, as well as sweat and dirt, close to the skin. Again, it’s very itchy! It also blocks the pores. The solution is simple: get him to wash his beard every few days with a beard shampoo. It’s important not to use a standard shampoo because these aren’t designed for facial skin and can dry it out. Beard shampoo, on the other hand, is targeted to work for coarse facial hair, while also being gentle on skin.

If he wants to go a step further, you can get beard conditioner which is washed out like the conditioner you use on your head. It keeps the hair soft and even moisturises the skin underneath.

There are a lot of different ways that men can and should look after their skin. If your partner has dry skin or an itchy beard, then buy him a quality aftershave cream or beard oil and point him towards this post!

I love to hear from my readers, so let me know your thoughts – do your partners have a skincare routine?