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Fashiontropolis
Beauty
Making Faces
Men do care how they look when trekking along the fashion concrete
jungle.
by David Villanueva
Men have been concerned with skin care for decades, but have admitted
to using only a bar of soap and water. Today more and more cosmetic
companies are now introducing lines of men’s skin care for specific
areas of the face to cater to this target market, allowing men to feel
comfortable and educated when buying cosmetics. With stress, air
pollution, and sun damage considerable factors in today’s problematic
skin, men everywhere are starting to pamper their faces to get rid of
discoloration, acne, and fine lines. From deep pore cleansers, to
toners, from blackhead removers, to clay masks, men go to extremes to
create that flawless face as they say good-bye to that old bar of soap
that their fathers used.
The first step to healthy skin is to determine your skin type. There
are four different skin types ranging from DRY (Thin and flaky with no
visible pores, prone to fine lines and wrinkles), SENSITIVE (Irritated
easily, red, blotchy, and can also be oily and dry), OILY (Clogged
pores, acne, blackheads, shiny surface, blotchy), and COMBINATION
(Oily on some areas of face dry on other parts, “T-Zone” the area that
stretches from forehead to nose to chin, is oily, while eye and cheek
area is dry). These different skin types are relatively visible to
determine when one looks in the mirror.
The big difference men face when selecting products for themselves, is
that if one thing works for another it must work for them. One
misconception about a man’s skin, is that using women’s products are
the cure for everything. Absolutely not true for every man says Reyna
Pecot, an L.A. based make-up artist. She says, “Women tend to use more
products than men, causing their skin to become too sensitive. Women
exfoliate, tone, moisturize…which is fine for a man too. Men just need
to find the right product suitable for their skin type because they
usually use the wrong products.”
So is searching for the right product easy to find? Of course, it just
takes some research and product testing. Here are some products worth
trying.
Because a man shaves, the skin surface becomes rough if not properly
taken care of. A product to protect men from having their skin
irritated and blotchy is using Mario Badescu’s Shaving Cream. It is
thick and moisturizes the skin. After shaving, to soothe the skin of
nicks and cuts, using Clinque’s Post Shave Healer which is rich in
Aloe, provides comfort to a man’s face. It is allergy tested, and 100%
fragrance free.
Exfoliating the skin is important because it sloughs off dead skin,
allowing a man to have that fresh-faced appearance, and is recommended
to do two times a week. An exfoliating product like Tommy Hilfiger’s
Polished Cream is perfect and effective in trying to look younger.
Washing the face is very important. It releases the face of dirt and
oil. Buying the most expensive or designer product doesn’t guarantee
that it will be effective. An over the counter face wash like Cetaphil,
which is recommended by dermatologists and is very affordable, is
non-alkaline, and mild enough for every skin type. It is also usable
on the entire body, and soothes and softens skin.
After washing the face, a toner is necessary to rid the skin of pore
clogging debris that a cleanser didn’t fully wash away. Reyna Pecot
says, “Don’t use an alcohol-based toner because it strips and dries
the skin.” A toner worth trying is Kiehl’s Cucumber Herbal
Alcohol-Free Toner. It is non-drying, and is for dry or sensitive
skin. It gives off an astringent effect, making the skin feel
refreshed.
One of the most important factors of skin care is moisturizing. Mario
Badescu’s Oil Free Moisturize with SPF 17 is a light moisturizer for
any skin type, and won’t clog pores. Dermatologist advise men to use a
moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher, not only to hydrate the skin, but
to protect it from the sun’s harmful rays which can cause cancer,
wrinkles, and fine lines.
As with everything, it is best to try out a product first before you
buy it to determine if you aren’t allergic to it, and seek a
dermatologist’s opinion if you are not quite sure about ingredients or
use of a product. Looking good is just a few steps away!
The 411:
MARIO BADESCU
320 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
800-BADESCU
www.mariobadescu.com
CLINIQUE
Available at fine department stores
www.clinique.com
KIEHL’S
Available at Fred Segal
1-800-KIEHLS-1 or 1-800-KIEHL’S-2
CETAPHIL
Available at discount stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Savon, Rite-Aid
TOMMY HILFIGER’S POLISHED CREAM
Available at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora |
