Gentlemen, Start Your Skin Care Regimen
Moisturizing isn’t just for the ladies anymore. Despite the fact that society regards men with wrinkles as “distinguished” while regarding women with wrinkles as “old,” plenty of guys are doing what they can to delay that distinguished look for as long as possible. Sales of men’s skin care products are up 50 percent over the past six years, although at $70 million they’re still dwarfed by the $2.1 billion women spend, according to a report by market research firm NPD Group. Shave Smart Keep It Smooth Avoid the Sun
One of the best ways men can protect their faces is to shave smarter. The worst kind of shaving cream to use is an alcohol-based foamy formula. Such creams strip moisture from the face, and day after day, year after year, the damage accumulates. Shaving gels are better in general, especially if they have added moisturizers such as lanolin. If you want to invest a little more time and money in your daily shave, grooming experts recommend doing it the old-fashioned way, with shaving soap and a shaving brush, such as those found at The Art of Shaving (www.theartofshaving.com). If you’re used to a speedy in-shower shave, however, that may be a hard habit to break.
Giving your face some post-shave help is a good idea. Again, avoid alcohol-based products (the ones that sting), and look for a good moisturizer instead. To help fight fine wrinkles, try one with alpha hydroxy acids. A line of sorts was crossed recently when Avon began selling a skin care line just for men (http://shop.avon.com/shop/search_prod_line.asp), including an inexpensive aftershave balm. Chances are men won’t make an appointment for a visit with the Avon lady, but their wives might. Other products specifically for men from well-know skin care specialists such as Nivea (http://www.nivea.com/formen) and Neutrogena (http://www.neutrogena.com/men.asp) are easy to find in drugstores and are also relatively inexpensive.
Melanoma is the sixth-most common cancer among men, and other skin cancers are on the rise as well, so that burn you got on the golf course or tennis court yesterday was a big mistake. Even if you’re not scared of cancer or unsightly skin damage, too much exposure is only going to lead to more premature wrinkling. Fight back with sunscreen every day, or, to make it easier, a moisturizer that has some SPF power built in.
