Skin Care: Tips

Good skin care — including sun protection and gentle cleansing — can keep your skin healthy and glowing for years to come.

Don't have time for intensive skin care? Pamper yourself with the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.


For the most complete sun protection:
Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.


If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle:
Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

4. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin.

5. Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.

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10 Winter Skin Care Tips

1. Seek a Specialist

If you go to your local drugstore, you'll be hard put to find a salesperson who can give you good advice. That's why going to an esthetician or dermatologist even once is a good investment. Such a specialist can analyze your skin type, troubleshoot your current skin care regimen, and give you advice on the skin care products you should be using.

But that doesn't mean you'll be stuck buying high-end products. "Inexpensive products work just as well as high-end ones," says David Voron, MD, a dermatologist in Arcadia, Calif. "In fact, the extra price you pay for the expensive stuff is often just for packaging and marketing. What's most important is how your skin responds to the product -- and how you like its feel, not how much money you paid for it."

2. Moisturize More

You may have found a moisturizer that works just fine in spring and summer. But as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine. Find an "ointment" moisturizer that's oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. (Hint: Many lotions labeled as "night creams" are oil-based.)

But choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for "nonclogging" oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Shea oil -- or butter -- is controversial, because it can clog facial pores. And vegetable shortening, LaPlante says, is a really bad idea. "It would just sit on the skin," she says. "And it would be really greasy."

You can also look for lotions containing "humectants," a class of substances (including glycerine, sorbitol, and alpha-hydroxy acids) that attract moisture to your skin.

3. Slather on the Sunscreen

No, sunscreen isn't just for summertime. Winter sun -- combined with snow glare -- can still damage your skin. Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they're exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply frequently if you stay outside a long time.
4. Give Your Hands a Hand

The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands. That means it's harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking. Wear gloves when you go outside; if you need to wear wool to keep your hands warm, slip on a thin cotton glove first, to avoid any irritation the wool might cause.

5. Avoid Wet Gloves and Socks

Wet socks and gloves can irritate your skin and cause itching, cracking, sores, or even a flare-up of eczema.

6. Hook Up the Humidifier

Central heating systems (as well as space heaters) blast hot dry air throughout our homes and offices. Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. Place several small humidifiers throughout your home; they help disperse the moisture more evenly.

7. Hydrate for Your Health, Not for Your Skin

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Drinking water helps your skin stay young looking. In fact, it's a myth. Water is good for your overall health and "the skin of someone who is severely dehydrated will benefit from fluids. But the average person's skin does not reflect the amount of water being drunk," Kenneth Bielinski, MD, a dermatologist in Oak Lawn, Ill., tells WebMD "It's a very common misconception."

LaPlante agrees. "I see clients at the spa who drink their 10 to 12 glasses of water a day and still have superdry skin. It just doesn't do that much."

8. Grease Up Your Feet

Yes, those minty foot lotions are lovely in the hot summer months, but during the winter, your feet need stronger stuff. Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. And use exfoliants to get the dead skin off periodically; that helps any moisturizers you use to sink in faster and deeper.

9. Pace the Peels

If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, a toner with no alcohol, and masks that are "deeply hydrating," rather than clay-based, which tends to draw moisture out of the face. And use them a little less often.

10. Ban Super hot Baths

Sure, soaking in a burning-hot bath feels great after frolicking out in the cold. But the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. "You're better off with just warm water," LaPlante advises, "and staying in the water a shorter amount of time."

A lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda, can help relieve skin that is so dry it has become itchy, Bielinski notes. So, too, can periodically reapplying your moisturizer. If those techniques don't work, go see a dermatologist. "You may need a prescription lotion to combat the dry skin," Bielinski says. "Or you may have a condition that isn't simply dry skin and that requires different treatment."

Skin Care Tips

Here are some tips to help prevent breakouts and clear them up as fast as possible:
Wash your face twice a day (no more) with warm water and a mild soap made for people with acne. Gently massage your face with circular motions. Don't scrub. Overwashing and scrubbing can cause skin to become irritated. After cleansing, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends applying an over-the-counter (no prescription needed) lotion containing benzoyl peroxide. This will decrease oil and bacteria.

Don't pop pimples. It's tempting, but here's why you shouldn't: Popping pimples can push infected material further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness, and even scarring. If you notice a pimple coming before a big event, like the prom, a dermatologist can often treat it for you with less risk of scarring or infection.

Avoid touching your face with your fingers or leaning your face on objects that collect sebum and skin residue like your phone. Touching your face can spread the bacteria that cause pores to become inflamed and irritated. To keep bacteria at bay, wash your hands before applying anything to your face, such as treatment creams or makeup.

If you wear glasses or sunglasses, make sure you clean them frequently to keep oil from clogging the pores around your eyes and nose.

If you get acne on your body, try not to wear tight clothes. They don't allow skin to breathe and may cause irritation. Scarves, headbands, and caps can collect dirt and oil, too.

Remove your makeup before you go to sleep. When buying makeup, make sure you choose brands that say "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic" on the label. Throw away old makeup that smells or looks different from when you first bought it.

Keep hair clean and out of your face to prevent additional dirt and oil from clogging your pores.
Protect your skin from the sun. It may seem like a tan masks acne, but it's only temporary. A tan may worsen your acne, not improve it. Tanning also causes damage to skin that will eventually lead to wrinkles and increase your risk of skin cancer.

If you're concerned about acne, talk to a dermatologist. Dermatologists offer a range of treatments that help to prevent and acne scars.

 A dermatologist can help you find the treatment method that's best for you and can also give you lots of useful tips for dealing with acne and caring for your skin type. Some salons and spas have trained skin specialists, called estheticians, who can offer advice and skin care treatments.

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Skin Care Tips For Men With Oily Skin 

Hard-working, disciplined and understanding – sounds like the traits of a good guy, doesn't it? They're also the traits necessary for a guy who has to deal with oily skin. Even low-maintenance dudes may make time for a beauty routine to deal with this common, but annoying skin care issue. The first step is understanding why your skin is reacting the way it is so you can adjust accordingly. And you have to know some of the ways you may be exacerbating the problem. Let's break them down.

Before you can develop a skin care routine you're going to need some basic products like cleaner and moisturizer. Don't be afraid to peruse the shelves of your local drugstore. Consult with a close woman friend or family member if you're confused about what to look for. In addition to cleanser and moisturizer, you may want to buy a mattifier, which comes in a bottle and is designed to erase that shiny, oily appearance and replace it with a matte finish. And finally, make an appointment with a dermatologist. He or she may want to prescribe a treatment that's a little tougher than what you can find over the counter.

Once you have the cleansers, moisturizers and treatments you need, it's time to go to work. But here's the thing – working hard at maintaining clear skin doesn't mean overdoing your skin care routine. Wash and moisturize in the morning and night but don't scrub excessively hard. Avoid hot water, which can dry out the skin. Pat your face dry rather than scouring it. Drink lots of water throughout the day, as well. The goal is to be systematic and meticulous rather than harsh and tough. If you irritate your skin it'll only make things worse.

You may be thinking that the cleansers and treatments make sense but not the moisturizer. After all, you're dealing with oiliness not dryness. This thinking is common and, well, wrong. There's a difference between oil and moisture. A good moisturizer will prevent drying. If your skin is too dry your body will respond by – you guessed it – producing more oil. Moisturizers are your friend, not an accomplice of your oily enemy. Look for products that are specifically formulated for oily skin.

Odds are there's nothing you've done to create the overabundance of oil your body is producing. But there are exceptions. If you're taking steroids in the hope of quickly building an awe-inspiring physique, you're putting your health and your skin at risk. Not only do your muscles get bigger, your sebaceous glands grow as well. That's right, those steroids have built bigger oil glands. If you want a ripped body and clear skin, it's going to have to be done the hard way.

You're certainly not the first guy to deal with oily skin so you can rest assured there's a wealth of knowledge (and products) available to you to deal with it. Pick our products – perhaps with the help of a doctor – devise a morning and evening routine, follow that schedule to a tee, be gentle with your skin, and avoid taking actions that'll harm your health and – in turn – your skin.

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Skin Care Tips For Men With Dry Skin

in years past, a man's skin-care regimen generally consisted of aftershave and a mild sunburn. With our increasing longevity and continued research and development into skin care, many of us now see the sense in caring for the protective suits we arrived in.

The skin you're walking around in is actually your body's largest organ. It's useful and resilient: It holds water in, it keeps bacteria and viruses out, and you can even spill drinks on it without it staining.

But if you have excessively dry skin -- and many, many people do -- your skin's function is compromised. Not only will it feel tight, itchy and uncomfortable, but skin that's scaly or cracked also offers vulnerable points-of-entry to dangerous pathogens.

So how should men care for their dry skin? See the next page to find out.

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Skin Care For Men With Rough Skin

Sandpaper may be great for refinishing a piece of furniture or smoothing out a patch job on a wall, but it's not something you'd want to be compared to your skin. Rough, dry skin is in no way a handy thing to keep around. It can be more than just frustrating with its redness, flaking, tightness, pain or itchiness. It can also be embarrassing, something that makes you tuck your hands in your pockets or hide those body parts more prone to roughness -- say, the front of your legs, arms and even your midsection [source: Skinsight].

That said, dryness is not the only cause of rough skin [sources: News in Health, Mayo Clinic, Several other medical challenges also comprise the rough skin category, such as:
Psoriasis: Known for causing irritated and red skin, this condition is caused by an overactive immune system. Manifestations commonly appear on the feet, palms, back, face, scalp, knees and elbows.
Keratosis pilaris: This skin condition causes small bumps and rough spots on thighs, arms and buttocks. Although not a serious condition or harmful, it does affect the skin's appearance.
Eczema: Eczema is an umbrella term for skin conditions that cause rashes. Atopic dermatitis, which is a rash caused by an allergen, is a common form of eczema. Symptoms include inflammation, redness and itchiness.

Regardless of the cause, there are self-care measures you can take to manage your rough skin -- or get rid of it completely. Read on to learn five skin care tips for men with rough skin.