Skin Care for Men – the Truth You Need to Know

Skin care for men should be a little different than it is for a woman.  To many men, skin care is limited to showering, shaving and applying aftershave.  Guys that do shave have more problems with redness, itching, irritation and blemishes.  These visible signs indicate an underlying problem.  That is inflammation.

Chronic inflammation causes damage to collagen molecules and fibers, one of the structural proteins responsible for the skin’s firmness and elasticity.  If the inflammation continues, you will look older before your time.  So, one of the necessary components of skin care for men is to prevent and reduce inflammation.

When they are designed for men skin care products from the major cosmetic companies are the same as those that they design for a woman.  The company just adds a different fragrance, one that is more “manly”.  When all is said and done, an effective men skin care solution will not contain an added fragrance at all, because they are likely to increase irritation and inflammation.

Fragrances are some of the most common causes of adverse reactions in men or women.  Companies use a variety of synthetic chemicals to create a fragrance.  Some of them are carcinogens.  Some are toxic to the central nervous system.  Any of them can be irritating.

A dab of cologne is not a problem, but when you consider that your shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, after shave and cologne all contain added fragrances, then you start to realize that it is simply “too much”. 

When it comes to skin care for men, the ingredients that I recommend for use on the face include witch hazel, vitamin B5, capuacu butter and a special form of keratin.  Keratin has been included in skincare products for use, but the latest form is extracted from sheep’s wool and has been shown in clinical studies to prevent inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory molecules called prostaglandin.

After a single use, prostaglandin production decreases by as much as 70%.  Measuring prostaglandin is one way that researchers measure inflammation.  What you will see is a decrease in redness and a reduction of blemishes, as well as other signs of irritation.

Witch hazel has been recommended for men skin care routines for many years.  Its popularity waned, because petroleum based alcohols are cheaper and more readily available.  That’ what your aftershave probably contains.  That’s why it burns and causes redness.

Witch hazel provides soothing skin care for men that also prevent infection in shaving nicks and cuts.  When combined with capuacu butter and vitamin B5, you get relief from razor burn and some protection from the sun.  These ingredients are also natural moisturizers that do not cause greasiness.

Those are the ingredients that I recommend for an aftershave.  You won’t find many men skin care solutions that contain them, but it’s worth the effort to look for them, if you want to delay the signs of age.  In my opinion, that should be one of the goals of skin care for men or women.

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