Ask A Woman: A skincare primer.
If you’ve got a question that needs the female treatment, chances are you’re not the only one who wants to ask it. Beth is our source for the answers. From opinions on men’s style to decoding the sometimes mysterious ways of women, she’ll take on a different question every Thursday. And don’t worry, your identity will be protected too. Click here to get to know Beth, then get in touch with her by sending your question to: askawoman@dappered.com
Hi Beth,
I am moving into anti-aging and more serious skincare. (I spent well over the last year tweaking my shave routine and trying a whole bunch of products.) I am essentially playing with the idea of buying luxury/non-drugstore skincare products. Any ideas on how to save on these things? Do places like Sephora or Macy’s run sales on skincare? Should I be sticking to drugstore brands?
Thanks,
Rafal
Hi Rafal,
These are all great questions, and I’m excited to address a topic previously undiscussed here at AAW. I’m going to use this opportunity to give a skincare primer for beginners, so bear with me Rafal, since it seems like you’re already pretty well-versed on the topic.
First, for those readers who don’t even know where to start when it comes to skincare, you need to figure out what your skin is doing. Do you have oily, dry, aging, sun-damaged, wrinkled, scarred skin? A combination? The best way to find out is to seek expert advice–a dermatologist or an esthetician (someone who specializes in skin care, like a person who gives facials at a spa) or a makeup artist even. The sound you just heard was half the Dappered readership slamming the door on this post. That’s fine, see you next week.
Kanye handles an Editor’s note.
For the rest of you still with me, the reason I advise seeking out one of these people is as follows. Let’s say you frequently break out. Intuition would tell you that you have oily skin, so you might seek out drying products that would eliminate oil from your face. But many times people break out because their skin is too dry, which leads to an overproduction of oil as the skin tries to compensate. So when I was starting to pay attention to my skin in a serious way it was easiest for me to just book an appointment with an esthetician (yes, men get facials all the time, it’s not a big deal) who helped me figure out what kind of skin I have, and I’ve made informed decisions based on that information.
Once you know what your skin is up to, you are faced with the overwhelming decision of picking from literally millions of skincare products. A successful skincare regimen is largely dependent on an individual’s skin, and so an informed trial and error process is the best method for discovering your ideal regimen. One source I regularly use is Beautypedia. I featured this resource on our sister site full clutch last week, so head on over to get the full scoop, but the gist of it is that this website gives thousands of reviews of products by the site founder and her team, based on science. Yes, they read labels, check for any known toxic ingredients or irritants, try it out, then write it up. Unfortunately, the products they’re reviewing are almost entirely for women, but they’ve started to review men’s products as well. For instance: Clinique for Men; Dove MEN+CARE; Lab Series Skincare for Men; and Neutrogena for Men. But even if you don’t find your brand on their master list, you can still read up about what ingredients to look for and what ingredients to avoid–simply search for products rated “BEST” to find out what ingredients make them that way, or search for products rated “POOR” to find out what ingredients make them that way.
Is your skin more craggy…or more baby-faced? (Photo credits.)
Which leads me to finally answering your question, Rafal (you still there?). It is a misconception that when it comes to skincare expensive always means better. Many times the same good (or bad) ingredients are in top-of-the-line department store brands as are in drugstore brands you find in the aisle across from incontinence products. So don’t rule out either. You can find great drugstore brands, but you have to read labels, and you have to give each product time to show you what it’s doing to your skin, and then you decide if it’s for you. Here’s the bad news about department store brands: retailers make a TON of money from these skincare products. They know this, of course, and so it’s been my experience that luxury brand moisturizers and cleansers and anti-aging treatments rarely, if ever, go on sale, and if they do, it’s usually a crappy product that consumers aren’t buying…because it’s a crappy product. Also, if you’re a cardholder for Macy’s or other stores, you often get great coupons in the mail–read the fine print, it usually doesn’t allow you to use the coupons on skincare products. If you find that the luxury brands are just better for your skin, you may have to commit to spending a significant amount of your discretionary income on them.
If you go this route, Sephora can be a great place to shop because they have a section with products just for men, from all different brands. They allow you to try all the products right there, and they usually will give you free sample sizes to take home and try out (be bold and ask if they don’t volunteer it). If a product doesn’t work out for you–your skin looks like an oil slick after four days of use–you can return it for a full refund. This is typically the same policy that department stores have, too (but verify this at the time of purchase to be sure). Hope this helps, Rafal.
-Beth
Got a question for Beth? Send it to: askawoman@dappered.com
Jack Black or Lab Series for Men are two that I use. Especially in the winter when skin dries out easily, a daily moisturizer is key. After typing that I’m going to eat a rare steak, watch 2 hours of NFL Super Bowl coverage and work on my knife throwing.
Euceryn has a line of lotions that aren’t rock bottom cheap but not super expensive either and do a good job.
Here is the best reason to get your cologne, skincare, whatever from Sephora: Their return policy.
Don’t like something or something doesn’t work with your physiology (e.g., colognes, whatever), they will gladly take it back and they will treat you like a human being through the whole process.
Drugstores and department stores usually don’t have as generous return policies. And if you do make a return, they look at you with contempt as if somehow making the return is akin to killing their firstborn.
That is enough in my book to shop there.
Lac Hydrin Five is the only moisturizer you’ll ever need. It has alpha hydroxy acids and acts as an exfoliant without clogging pores. Plus, it’s considerably more effective and cheaper than all luxury moisturizers I’ve used.
I primarily use Murad products for skincare. As Beth noted, knowing how dry or oily your skin is is key, having fairly oily skin, I use a cleansing face wash and then follow it with a moisturizer. With the bitter cold we currently have in the north east I’ve broken out this amazing product called Vanicream, you can get it at target. Its an amazing defense from the cold – just give it a few minutes to absorb.
Ulta did the same for me too
You’d be surprised at how many fantastic affordable options there are in the men’s skincare world but don’t get any press because they don’t have marketing teams like Clinique, Dove, and Neutrogena.
If you want to look as fantastic as the clothes you Dappered guys find, it’s going to take a little bit of maintenance. Since we’re all about affordability here, I suggest you take a look at Cremo face wash. It will run you just under $10 and it works just as well as Clinique’s male line (I’ve tried both).
For shaving/deodorant, consider Speick– it’s the best $5 you can spend in male grooming.
Lastly, as a moisturizer (which yes, you should use, for reasons too long to list here), I suggest the Billy Jealousy assassin. It will run you a bit more than the others, but is still relatively cheap for a good moisturizer. This will prevent so many problems down the road.
Are there better options? Sure. But if you’re looking for a good jumping-off (or in?) point, you can’t go wrong knocking on these doors.
It might be worth adding this thought: drink enough water. Simply staying well-hydrated will help your skin and hair to no end — and help you keep off the lbs.
I have a friend who works as a makeup salesperson at Nordstrom. He has recommended MAC moisturizers to me before (a recommendation I’ve not followed due primarily to price).
Since I’m such a cheap schmo, I’ve found the best “moisturizer” for me is the Vaseline brand lotion in a green bottle with SPF15. It’s something like $8 at Target for a giant bottle that lasts ages and doubles as a light everyday sunscreen (necessary for someone with my pale complexion). It’s a lot cheaper and just as effective as the Neutrogena SPF15 moisturizer I’d been using before.
My wife just turned me onto Rodan and Fields line of skincare – they are the makers of Proactiv. I had some bad sun spots from not using sunscreen and this stuff really cleared my face of the brown spots. They have an anti-age, acne, and sensitive skin line as well. The stuff is not cheap, but it comes with a 60 day, empty bottle, money back guarantee. Good luck getting that from a drugstore or department store.
My gender doesn’t help my case here but I do like Eucerin and Cetaphil products. I have sensitive skin so I need to get brands like these. However, I’ve always thought unscented and non-frou frou nature would appeal to men. Some of their products come with SPF as well. They are pricier than normal drugstore but find what you like at the store and stockpile at Amazon/Costco to save money.
Drink lots of water. Don’t smoke. Don’t eat processed foods. Do eat lots of fruits & veggies. Use sunscreen. Get plenty of rest.
Jojoba oil for face moisturizer if you have dry skin which tends to get super oily. Makes your face glow throughout the day.
Working at a dermatologist (Im the teenager shuffling papers in the back ) I was taken aback by how many business professional looking guys come in for botox and facials. However, once you get past the stigma of manly face care it is quite normal to want to look your best. My dermatologist recommends a lotion called Cerave, which is far from expensive but works wonders in my own personal experience (and many patients agree as well). Cerave AM with sunblock can be a bit thick and oily, but the PM and regular lotion I do recommend. Super dry elbow skin was cured after a few applications. Good luck hunting men!
I’m a huge fan of Skoah, they are out of Canada and are a good middle-priced option
http://www.skoah.com
If you can’t figure out what your skin is doing, I would go with a gentle soap and a “light” moisturizer. That combination will work for a majority of people. Cetaphil makes some great gentle cleaners. Depending on if you have fair skin or not, you can get something with sunscreen.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120903-is-drinking-water-good-for-skin
The water, it does nothing!!
If you have acne, check out http://www.acne.org , it is a fantastic resource that has a detailed regiment on how to treat it and also how to prevent it. You do need to buy simple products like benzoyl peroxide, gentle face wash, and moisturizer but they can be picked up at any drug store. Highly recommend.
L’Occitane. Their products for men are excellent, from shave soap and/or cream to body wash and aftershave lotion. Good stuff, smells natural, isn’t greasy or overwhelming and best of all, it works.
Ha ha. Get enough rest, but don’t sleep past 9am
I have dry skin especially in the winter and use Cetaphil on my face and it works great, but it’s dry all over again in the morning after a shower. I wish there was something that would last longer.
Everyone has there own brand preference, my only recommendation is pay more the longer you have use of it. I’d rather put money down for a good moisturizer with SPF that I can use every day (I use cetaphil) over a face cleanser that you wash off 10 seconds later. And drink water. As long as you’re not retaining water, you’re fine.
Daily moisturizer: I’ve tried a bunch, and always return to basic and inexpensive Oil of Olay Daily, with spf 15. This one: http://www.amazon.com/Olay-Complete-Moisturizer-Sunscreen-Spectrum/dp/B001F51TBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1359221559&sr=1-1&keywords=olay+daily+moisturizer
It smells like nothing, soaks in fast,doesn’t cause any breakouts, and protects against the sun.
I understand facials … but botox? I never understood why people would want to such a thing unless their face is aging like milk gone sour.
Hint (wrinkles on top of your forehead + a receding hairline) is not a good look for the 50+. Age is a cruel wench she is…
Yea, but wrinkles are understandable when one is 50+.
I use raw shea butter (for moisture) and african black soap (for cleaning). Both are very cheap on Amazon and work really well for me! Most of the sellers seem a bit dubious, but I have not had a bad experience yet. I’m made to understand that raw shea butter has some properties that are lost when the product is processed into a more traditional moisturizer. Anyway, when I started using them my girlfriend and I really noticed the difference. Of course I wasn’t using a moisturizer before, so what do I know, lol.
Justin, you need to moisturize more often. Water is drying for the skin. Wash your face? Moisturize after. Shower? Moisturize after. Run outside in the rain? Moisturize after. (OK, I’m kidding about the last part. Wash your face first. Then moisturize.)
My lady friend neighbor used to bring me their stuff and beer as componsation for using my wifi bandwith. I love it but I have no clue how expensive it is due to always recieving it as a gift. What’s their range?