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My oh my, how things have changed. Until recently, the mere mention of Men’s Skin Care conjured images of sissy, wimpy, metro sexual girlie-men. "Real men" didn’t use skin care products. Men are traditionally reluctant to indulge in grooming products or adhere to anything as superficial as a men’s skin care regimen. At best, men are much more self conscious about purchasing skin care products than their female counterparts are.
Skin care is really a science and is not only designed for the feminine gender; skin care is for everyone young and old, male or female. While a relatively new phenomenon, men’s skin care is a rapidly growing industry. Men are finally realizing that taking care of their skin not only makes them look better, but feel better as well. When you’re confident about your appearance, you radiate a positive self-image. Let's face it, it's a tough competitive world and the rules have changed for men. Taking steps to look your best is no longer just an option - a man's face is his business card.
Men’s Skin Care Tips
The first step in a man’s skin care program is establishing a proper Skin Care Regimen. In addition, men have one particular skin care need that differs from women – shaving.
- Shaving is the most typical start to a man's day, and it is the first area where they make mistakes. Most pre-shave products contain irritating ingredients such as alcohol, menthol, mint, and camphor, as well as high levels of potassium or sodium hydroxide. These skin irritants make the hair follicle and skin swell, forcing the hair up and away from the skin, supposedly allowing for a closer shave. Unfortunately, the irritation and resulting swelling cause some of the hair to be hidden by the swollen follicle and skin. Additionally, the swollen skin makes it harder for the stubble to find its way back out. If the hair begins to grow (which it does almost immediately) before the swelling is reduced, the likelihood of ingrown hairs is increased.
The shaving process itself irritates skin enough to cause havoc when an aftershave with irritating ingredients is splashed over that broken skin. Think of splashing aftershave on a cut or scrape on any other part of your body. Now, why would you want to do that to your face? Basic skin care rule number one for both men and women: If the skin care product you use burns, irritates, tingles or causes the skin to become inflamed, don't use it.
So now that you know what you’re doing wrong, what should you do to take care of your skin when you shave? To start with, precede shaving with the first step on the Skin Care Regimen page – cleanse your face with one of Feierabend’s Cleansers. After a proper face cleansing, use a gentle pre-shave product such as Feierabend’s Soothing Shave Creme. A pre-shave product should yield a close and refreshing shave, kill bacteria, softens the follicles and leave the skin smooth. Shaving also exfoliates dead skin cells.
After shaving, rinse face with tepid water and apply a gentle, nonirritating aftershave (which is actually just a masculine name for a Toner) like Feierabend’s Soothing Aftershave Splash. Follow toning by applying your favorite Feierabend Moisturizer.
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