Advanced Men's Skin Care Routine

If you’re like most guys, you may think the simpler, the better when it comes to your skincare routine. After all, what’s the point in taking all that time and adding all that stuff to your face when you can just make it quick and stick to one or two essentials?

Well, we’re here to say that there’s a major point to it and it’s something that’s worth committing the time and focus to. Why? A basic men’s skin care routine is a great foundation and a solid place to start - but if you really want the best results (like clear skin, fewer wrinkles, no breakouts, and no shine) you have to be more thorough and consistent. No questions asked.

Understanding the 5-Step Advanced Men’s Skincare Routine

The good news? Even an “advanced” skincare routine will take you less than 5 minutes every night, and it’s only 5 steps:

1. Cleanse
2. Scrub
3. Balance
4. Hydrate
5. Prevent

Here are the benefits and key points to keep in mind.

Step 1: The Proper Cleanse

The How:

Generally, you want to wash your face twice a day - when you wake up and right before you go to bed - though you should also wash it anytime you get majorly dirty or sweaty. Total time: less than 1 minute.

The Why:

The foundation for great skin and a bright, clear complexion? Clean, unclogged skin.

And this can’t be accomplished with just a splash of water or a cheap drugstore cleanser. The whole purpose of washing your face is to clean out any oil and sweat that’s sitting in your pores without over-stripping your skin and being too harsh. And neither water nor a cheap cleanser can get that part just right.

Water, on the one hand, can’t get in there and clean deeply enough, while drugstore cleansers take it too far and actually overclean and overdry your skin (if you’ve ever had that tight, dry feeling after you wash your face, that’s what’s happening).

Both extremes can increase oil production, create breakouts, and accelerate aging - which is the opposite of what you’re trying to do when you cleanse.

The solution: a balanced men’s face wash that cleans properly for your skin. If you’re a little dryer or sensitive, try a product like our Purifying Charcoal Face Wash For Men: the activated charcoal will work like a magnet to pull out junk, while the nourishing oils and moisturizers will keep your skin from flaking and feeling tight.  

Tend to be more oily? Find something like the Clarifying Gel Face Wash: the coconut-based cleanser will wash away your oil, while the geranium will work like an antiseptic and clean away any impurities.  

Not sure? Try both and see which one feels more comfortable after for you.

Step 2: Scrub

The How:

We recommend using a men's face scrub to exfoliate 3-4x a week, depending on your skin type.

Apply a dime-sized amount of scrub to your face and gently rub the scrub over your skin. Focus on areas where dead skin is more likely to build up, usually the nose, forehead, and neck.

Total time: Less than one minute

The Why:

This can serve two purposes:

1. Scrubbing before you shave can help loosen up whiskers and elevate them further above the skin, allowing for a closer shave.
2. Scrubbing your face after you wash it can help remove dead skin cells and any deep down impurities within the pores.

Now, you may be thinking I already wash my face - why do I have to do an extra scrub too? Well, dead skin will always build up, and sometimes a simple cleanser just doesn’t cut it. An exfoliator will get rid of any extra surface impurities and allow any good stuff from your toner and moisturizer to really penetrate and get the job done.

Step 3: Balance

The How:

This step is for those with oily, acne prone, or normal skin - so if you have dry or sensitive skin, feel free to skip ahead to step 4.

After washing and exfoliating, dry your skin and spray toner directly onto your face. Alternatively, you can spray onto a cotton ball and swipe it on.

The Why:

Toner does a few things:

• It restores your skin’s pH
• It balances oil levels
• It removes lingering facial impurities
• It prepares the skin for the final two steps

Here’s why that’s important.

First, the pH. Our skin is naturally acidic, and that can get thrown off after cleansing and washing with water. When you don’t apply toner to correct that inbalance, your skin has to work hard to get back to its natural pH - and that can increase oil production and lead to imbalances.

Next: the cleansing. A great toner like this Balancing Toner will contain gentle hydrating ingredients - like cucumber or aloe vera - along with natural astringents, antiseptics, and anti-inflammatories. This can help get rid of any last dirt particles and make sure your skin is ready for awesome nutrients.

Step 4: Hydrate

The How:

After cleansing and/or scrubbing, pat your face dry then apply the men’s face moisturizer. Apply the moisturizer all over your face, taking special care of the areas on your face that get dry most often. If you have dry skin, you may need to reapply a few times a day. If you’re oily, it may be less often.

The Why:

The best face moisturizers for men will provide strong benefits:

• Help keep skin cells hydrated (meaning your face will look firm and energized)
• Protect the face from impurities entering into your pores
• Provide nutrients and anti-aging benefits.

Remember, don’t skip even if you have oily skin! Drying out your skin actually creates excess oil production, so keep it hydrated.

Step 5: Prevent

The How:  

The final step? To prevent aging. There are 4 anti-aging products in the full suite:

• Men’s face serum: Apply all over the face on top of your moisturizer
• Men’s anti-aging cream: Apply instead of moisturizer before bed.
• Men’s anti-aging eye cream: Apply over moisturizer around eye area both in the morning and before bed.
• SPF: Apply over your moisturizer every morning.

The Why:

These are all products that can combat and even reverse signs of aging, helping to undo any damage that may already exist:

Men's Face Serum: A great men's face serum can stimulate collagen production and revive and repair the underlying tissue where the aging process begins.

Men’s Anti Aging Cream: A nutrient-packed anti-aging cream will work with your body’s natural nightly restoring process to help slow down aging and plump up skin cells.

Men’s Eye Cream:  The area around the eyes is the first part of the skin to age, and an effective eye cream can:

• Reduce puffiness and dark circles
• Hydrate cells
• Firm the skin

This will slow signs of aging and allow you to wake up looking refreshed.

SPF: Think you’re one of those guys that doesn’t need sunscreen? Well, remember that skin cancer is a very real concern for everyone, and once you’ve started to burn, major skin damage has already happened.

That’s why we recommend a natural sunscreen for men with zinc based SPF.

Want to get started with your advanced skincare routine right away? Get it all in our Free Starter Sample Kit today.