There are two kinds of men in the world…

There are two kinds of men in the world:
those who do exfoliation and those who don’t.
Guess who have the healthy skin?

 

Exfoliation is the process of scrubbing off dead skin cells to reveal and expose “younger,” fresher skin. The shedding process unclogs pores, keeps skin clean and helps reduce acne breakouts. It’s usually the first step in cleaning your face, to be followed by washing your face with soap (preferably one with hypoallergenic properties), and finally, moisturizing.

Unfortunately, many men wash exclusively with plain old hotel-grade soap. It’s certainly enough to keep you clean, but it’s not the best bet to keep your skin healthy. Indeed, bar soap dries out your skin, its ingredients sometimes clogging pores and leading to rougher skin in the long run.

Exfoliation also specifically helps men in a huge way: It exposes the face’s hair follicles, allowing for a better shave. And we all know that a smoother shave is practically the holy grail of a man’s morning ritual.

Exfoliate part by part

For men, there are three major areas in need of regular exfoliation: face, back and chest (exfoliating your feet and hands is great, but not essential).

Face

The skin on your face is quite different from that of a woman’s. It contains larger pores, whiskers, more collagen and elastin (fibrous proteins that help hold everything together), a denser supply of blood vessels, and it produces more sweat. Put all these factors together and a guy’s face can attract a fair amount of dirt.

So, the most important component of any good facial exfoliation routine is the cleanser/foamer. Most of these products contain some combination of granulated pumice, sea salts, fruit seeds, salicylic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid, and beta hydroxy acid, all of which serve to loosen and slough off dead skin cells. Some even aid in the formation of collagen.

Chest/Back

Exfoliating your back or chest is not nearly as complicated as your face, but it does require you to be in the shower.

The first step is to shampoo your hair and flush out all dirt and grime. Next, grab a loofa sponge (one with a wooden handle) or exfoliating gloves, apply some of your exfoliating cleanser/foam on it, and gently scrub all over your back in circular motions. There are slight differences between body and facial exfoliating cleansers, so be sure to use one that’s made for the body (they’re more abrasive).

Next, exfoliate your trunk (chest, shoulders, stomach) the same way you would your back, but scrub more gently; the skin on your stomach can be thinner and more sensitive.

Healthy skin is easy

You know your body best, so only you can decide whether to exfoliate daily, every other day (three times per week is a good routine), or maybe just give yourself a nice scrubbing once a week. Exfoliating too often can damage the skin; exfoliating too little may let your skin’s oils run wild. Whichever schedule you settle on, recognize that while exfoliating takes some extra effort, by doing it you’ll ultimately have to worry less about wrinkles, flaky skin and acne – and that’s a tradeoff every man should take.

If you are still reluctant to do exfoliation even after reading till this sentence, at least do it before your hot date. Seriously, even Tony Stark knew this tip!