The 5 most important questions about facial care for men

 Fortunately, today no man is looked at crookedly when he is stocking up on various care products. In order to shine with pore-free facial skin or a well-oiled beard, they now invested a lot of money and time in the morning beauty ritual. But mistakes often creep into the care routine. So that you really do everything right, the following facial care tips should be observed.

No matter what time of year, good skincare is the be-all and end-all - men have also recognized this and therefore diligently apply a cream to their face. But if you only rely on a half-hearted care program, in a few years it will annoy you that the skin is limp, pale, and no longer looks youthful. So that nobody complains, STARRYMILLE answers the most important questions about the care of men's skin.

1. Are soap and water enough for facial cleansing?

So that the complexion remains radiantly beautiful, men should also pay attention to a gentle but effective facial cleansing. A lot of dirt accumulates on the skin during the day and this quickly leads to clogged pores. So just water and soap are not enough, which would also be extremely dry out the skin in the long term.

Like women, men also need different cleansing products for their different skin types: Light gels counteract an oily complexion, while oil-based products are lipid-replenishing and ideal for dry skin. Facial cleansing takes place in gentle, circular movements. Fast, aggressive scrubbing does not make sensitive skin cleaner but attacks the protective layer. This leads to an uncomfortable feeling of tension, redness, and, in the worst case, to dry, flaky skin. The face should also be carefully dabbed with a towel when drying.

A peeling should also be used at least once a week; this not only makes the skin look softer but also helps against ingrown whiskers.

Exfoliators make you look older instead of younger

Everyone knows the baby-soft feeling after peeling because flakes of skin and talc residues are scrubbed away. Stop! Because peeling apparently does more harm than it does.

Regular peelings are THE beauty tip to make the skin appear fresher, rosier, and softer in next to no time. But obviously, this is not doing the skin as good as it was previously assumed

Beauty policewoman Paula Begoun, who has been evaluating beauty products on Paula's Choice for 20 years and explaining their advantages and disadvantages, is now even warning against it. Mechanical peelings can damage the skin and even contribute to premature skin aging.

Begoun: "If the skin is scrubbed with peelings that contain abrasives, it causes mini-fine micro-cracks in the skin and makes it susceptible to harmful environmental influences and solar radiation in the long term".

Face feels like sandpaper

New York dermatologist Dr. Dennis Cross confirms Begoun's theory and explains the peeling problem in “New York Magazine” as follows: “Granules are a primitive method of peeling. It's like using sandpaper on your face. If you then look closely, you can see microscopic scratch marks on the skin ... "

According to the expert, these abrasive particles contained in the peeling can cause irritation and inflammation and accelerate the aging process. Dr. Gross estimates that peelings of this type are so popular because the insidious long-term effect only sets in later, sometimes after years or decades.

Good peel, wrong peel

But: That's why nobody has to do without peeling. It just depends on the right product. The alternative to mechanical peelings is, for example, enzyme peelings. Instead of scratchy microparticles, fruit acids, enzymes, or glycol, also known as salicylic acid, are used. The peeling effect is much gentler. Often these peelings are a lot more expensive than the good old scrubbers.

2. Can you squeeze a blackhead out?

The courageous squeezing of pimples and blackheads is particularly popular with men when they are standing in front of the bathroom mirror at home. The result, however, is usually not very pleasant: bacteria get through the open wound into the inflamed pores and sebum often remains in the hair follicle. It should not surprise anyone who also has uncleaned fingernails and does not use facial tissues to express them at an unsightly result. It is better to use an antibacterial cream to reduce the excessive production of the sebum glands. The good old zinc ointment also dries out a pimple.

3. Do men need an eye cream?

During the day, we keep rubbing our eyes with our fingers. When removing the contact lenses, we also tug on the sensitive eyelid and forget that the very fine skin around the eye is quite stressed. Anyone who wants to enjoy tight eyelids and elastic skin can avoid any rough handling in the future, buy an eye cream, and dab it in gently every day. And if you use contact lenses, you should get a so-called hollow suction device. With this, the lens is gently removed from the eye.

4. Can I use my girlfriend's cream?

Absolutely no way! Men's skin differs from women's: thicker, larger-pored, oily, and more often irritated by shaving. Rich, greasy creams are not for him. Better: Light gels and emulsions that mattify, soothe inflammation and irritation and minimize and conceal broken veins. Do not be afraid of the advice of a beautician, pharmacist, or specialist saleswoman in the perfumery. There you will receive a personal skin analysis and the appropriate products recommended. And stay true to it. So they care. Frequent changes only lead to so-called perioral dermatitis, also known as flight attendant disease, which causes blemishes and inflammation.

5. I only need sun protection in summer. Or?

Sufficient sun protection is also important in winter. First, the sun is not as weak as one would think, even in winter. Second, in winter, the skin is used to the sun, which makes it particularly sensitive. So also in everyday life at least SPF 15, but preferably 50.

6. What else do I have to consider for good skincare?

The pillow is also responsible for clean skin. Because the pillow is a place where we spend a lot of time and press our faces into it. But nobody wants to think about WHAT and WHOM we lay our tired head-on: dead skin, dirt from the sebum glands, fat and dandruff particles that we give off through our head and hair. Besides all the skin oil and bacteria, there are also the excretions of house dust mites, i.e. feces. The solution is simple: every six to eight weeks, wash the pillow (and of course the blanket) in the washing machine at 60 degrees and change the bed linen regularly.