Skincare for Him — With Cocokind

No matter your gender, everyone’s skin needs (and deserves) to be taken care of. In today’s blog post, the focus is skincare for him – or, depending on who’s reading this, skincare for YOU.

 

What’s different about men’s skin?

It turns out that there actually is a difference between male and female skin. For example, men produce more androgen (testosterone), which causes their skin to be, on average, 25% thicker than a woman’s. Male skin also has a higher collagen density, helping to fight against aging.

While us ladies may be jealous of these traits, men do produce more oil than women, leading to a higher likelihood of excess oil production, built-up sebum, and clogged pores and acne. Men tend to have longer-lasting acne post-puberty, AND, since men are more likely to be shaving their faces regularly, this can lead to ingrown hairs or other stressors on their facial skin.

All these reasons make it essential that men effectively use skincare, but perhaps in a slightly different way than us women!

 

Here are our top skincare tips – for men, specifically.

Swap out SOAP for TONER to cleanse your face  

We’ve come across many men who don’t reallllly wash their face besides running it under water in the shower. Or if they do, they use body soap on their faces.

Soap isn’t good for cleaning anyone’s face…especially men who tend to have oilier skin. It wipes away all the good oils that your skin is naturally producing, and forces your pores to go on oil production overdrive. This is also the case with many traditional cleansers that are soap-based or foaming.

Our solution for men is to swap out soap or soapy cleansers for toners! We know this is going to be traversing into unknown territory, but toning will cleanse the face while pH-balancing skin and reducing excess sebum production. To cleanse your face, spray either one of our toners onto a cotton pad, then wipe all over face to remove impurities and dirt. This is especially important after working out or sweating!

Our Raspberry Vinegar Toner has a pH level of about 3.5, which can help lower higher pH levels found in oily or acne-prone skin (‘healthy’ skin has a pH of around 5.5). For a toner that you can use all day, every day, use our more gentle Organic Rosewater Toner (with a pH level of around 5.5).

Get on the oil moisturizer train – but start with a lightweight oil

Men can be scaredy-cats when it comes to using oils for moisturizing. We get it – many of our male customers didn’t previously use moisturizer. This makes the thought of using oils every day very daunting!

However, applying moisture is especially important for healthy skin that is balanced — you just have to find the right one! While oil-skincare-experts may be comfortable (or have built up tolerances) for a wide range of oils, we recommend that men begin with lightweight oils. Our new Golden Elixir moisturizer is just that. It’ll help hydrate and soothe the skin, while delivering essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and proteins. However, it feels super light and won’t leave a residue on the skin…aka it’ll be easy to get used to! You’ll be left feeling LESS oily throughout the day and more hydrated than if you used soap.

Exfoliate regularly, especially before shaving

While shaving itself also exfoliates the skin, using a gentle exfoliator prior to shaving will help remove dead skin cells and better expose your hair follicles. Who doesn’t want a smoother shave? Our Sea Moss Exfoliator is gentle enough to be used multiple times a week (anytime before you shave!) without damaging the skin. Additionally, since men’s skin is generally oilier and more acne-prone, exfoliating regularly will help to remove excess oil that may be clogging your pores and leading to acne.

Coconut oil makes a great pre-shave

Just as exfoliating the skin is an important prep step before shaving, so is moisturizing and softening the skin and hair! By applying natural oils, like coconut oil, to the area you are planning on shaving, you will help your body react better to the shave. Coconut oil softens the hair, making it easier to remove. It also helps moisturize the skin, protect it from potential irritation, and allow you to get a closer shave with fewer strokes.

If your skin is especially sensitive or prone to razor burn, using our deeply moisturizing Matcha Face Moisturizer under your shaving cream can help create a healthy barrier on the skin to protect from irritation.

Treat with turmeric

Our Turmeric Spot Treatment combines turmeric, ginger, and tea tree oil to fight blemishes and brighten skin. It helps to treat breakouts and heal hyperpigmentation, from scarring or otherwise. This can also be used to help heal razor bumps and burns, as this product reduces inflammation, is antibacterial, and helps to balance skin tone and discoloration.

Plus, the turmeric stick is extremely easy to use and convenient – a quality that will be especially valued if you’re not used to spending too much time on skincare.

Tame your mane (and brows)

Our Organic Full Brow Balm doubles up as a beard and mustache balm to deliver key nutrients and antioxidants to hair follicles – improving circulation and promoting thicker hair. Naturally tinted with organic cacao, this balm is buildable, and can be used to fill out your beard, regardless of your hair color. Keep your beard and brows in place by gently working this balm into your hair and shaping with your fingertips.

Use skincare, not makeup, to cover up 

It’s 2018, folks – we recognize that men AND women are drawn to makeup and cover-up. However, it’s important to use natural, lightweight products on your face that do not clog the pores. The Colors by cocokind is a collection of superfood-based skincare – not makeup. Our Primer Drops help to smooth over uneven pigment and pores, while protecting the skin from free radical damage and promoting circulation (which can help improve complexion). They also help to extend the wear of our Facial Powders, which provide lightweight, effective coverage while balancing out skin tones.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we hope this guide can help inspire some unique and essential gift-giving! And, for all of our cocokind men out there, here’s to you and your healthiest skin yet! Let us know what you think at info@cocokind.com