When you buy a new pair of shoes, a belt, or a watch, why do you support the brands that you do? There are likely a ton of other companies selling that exact product, but you might feel the brand aligns with your personality/vibe, that they use good quality materials, or maybe they’re doing something meaningful for the world that you agree with.
While you may have that ‘I’m so excited this new edition of xyz is coming out!!’ feeling about other products, we doubt you’ve had that about any of your skincare choices.
For men today, not only are there limited options in terms of ‘personality-aligning’ brands, there’s also a lack of understanding around skincare needs. Perhaps in an effort to ‘un-fussify’ things, men are simply given the traditional ‘dry/oily/combo’ buckets. This is helpful to an extent (if you feel like you fit into one of them), but skin type can also be affected by hair growth/removal, climate, environment, not to mention hormones.
Perhaps surprisingly, skin type is also related to your ethnicity and genetics. The colour of our skin is affected and determined by the distribution and density of melanin. While this obviously translates to the actual colour of your skin and how you might tan, different skin tones also react differently to irritation, inflammation, pigmentation, and sun damage.
This means that you’ll want to make sure you’re using products that are actually right for you and your skin type. If you tend to have acne that gets inflamed, you might want to use products that are ‘balancing’ and ‘soothing.’ If your skin becomes dry and ‘flaky’ after washing it, you might consider checking the ingredients in your face wash and making sure it’s not too harsh, plus using a rich moisturiser after.
Skincare can often feel like it has lots of jargon words put in there, but once you understand what your skin needs, you can find the products that are right for you. And while beauty companies continue to adhere to the trends and needs of customers, men in particular can expect to see more options that are right for them.
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