Karma's guide to proper and healthy skin care.

Let's put this in perspective. First impressions are critical in a man's daily interactions. What do people base thier impressions on first? Your attitude? Your demeanor? No. It's your face. Your face and more specifically your skin is what people base thier impression on, either near or far.

Not only is skin care one of the easiest things a man can manage and take control of, it's also crucial in keeping your self esteem in top form. This guide will benefit guys with various skin types: oily, dry or a combination of the two and the impact of the seasons or climate you live in.

Here are some basic tips and my step by step guide to healthy, radiant skin care.

#1 Keep your skin clean.

Sounds simple right? Wrong. Most men simply wash thier face with the same soap they wash thier ass, pits and sac. Usually it's a bar soap chock full of dyes and deodorants which only serve to clog pores thus festering new infections. Cleansing products should be as additive free as possible. In this case natural is best. Men have significantly larger pores than women (approximately 15 to 20 percent larger) thusly, we get dirtier. It's vital that we wash our faces daily (actually twice daily is best).

The first part would be a gentle exfoliator. Exfoliating is important because it removes dead cells and opens your pores and provides a smoother surface which is important especially as a pre-shave conditioner. The scrub needs to be invigorating and without alcohol. Also do not use any exfoliator or scrub with ground nuts or seed extracts as these are much too abrasive for daily use. I recommend: Nivea Extra Gentle fash wash
This is what I use. You can get it at any Wal Mart or Walgreens and is very affordable (around $6) and damned good. It's dye, fragrance and alcohol free and has a very soft exfoliator.

#2 Moisturizing / Toning:

Different times of the year and different skin types call for different attack formations. Moisturizing and toning play a neutral but important part of your daily regimen. Use a good moisturizer with zero alcohol and no fragrances. Both will cause irritation and ingrown hair and pimples.

What I've learned is that the best toner is witch hazel. Put it in the refrigerator, I know it sounds silly, and splash it on your face or head (as is my case) immediately following your cleaning ritual. Astringents are ok to use but I've found them to be extremely uncomfortable and they burn like hellfire .


#3 Skin protection:

Protecting your freshly clean skin is as important as the previous steps and will affect the longevity of your skin.

A. Limit your exposure to broad daylight. Ultraviolet rays can wreak havoc and cause permanent damage if you don't protect it. I suggest using an SPF of 15 as a minimum. Excessive sun can lead to wrinkles and exaggerate blemishes and imperfections and ultimately lead to hyperpigmentation (brown spots) which can lead to skin cancer.
B. Drink loads of water. At least a gallon per day. As our bodies are over 75% water it's very healthy to keep your skin hydrated. I put a teaspoon of RealLemon per quart in mine.
C. Take fish oil daily. This is a discovery I've recently made and I'm glad I did. Before I began taking fish oil I had horrible rashes and ingrown hairs. I want to say (though it is not scientifically proven) that the fish oil has helped my skin in it's elasticity. I'm currently taking 20 grams per day though what you may need is vastly different. Start with 5 grams per day for 2 weeks then increase if needed.
D.Nutrition. As helpful as it is for overall health and vigor proper nutrition will keep your skin smooth and radiant.
E. Vices. It would be hypocritical of me to say not to smoke or drink or indulge in bognosh. But I will say to keep your vices in moderation. I've gone from smoking a cigar per day, on average, to one every couple of weeks.

My step by step guide to shaving and cleaning:

First, relax. Get the shower water warm to moderately hot (as hot as you can tolerate). This will help to open your pores for a smoother more comfortable shave. Rinse your face for at least one minute to loosen your skin.
Next, Use a good moisturing gel shaving cream. I don't use foams because they clog the razor. Lather your face/head/sac or whatever in gentle circles.
This step is extremely important: USE A GOOD RAZOR WITH A NEW BLADE! I like the Shick Quattro Titanium. Nice feel on the handle and good balance. While shaving go with the grain never against it, you're not slicing a Thanksgiving turkey :rock: . Once you're all smooth and silky is when I wash/exfoliate my skin. Then gently wash it. Once dried I take the witch hazel and splash it all over my head/face and nether parts. It will be cold and shocking but you get used to it. Refreshing is the word which comes to mind.
Finally, I rub in my moisturizer.

All done. See, that wasn't so hard was it? Follow these steps and you'll find your skin being gazed upon by women everywhere.

Remember the only person who truly cares about you is YOU!

What does "opening your pores" really mean? If your pores are already large, why is that something you'd want to do?

It's important to open your pores to cleanse the skin below the epidermis and it also serves to loosen the root of the hair follicle so you get far less irritation when shaving.

Master Bates said:

What does "opening your pores" really mean? If your pores are already large, why is that something you'd want to do?

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Also the witch hazel toner closes them back up again after the cleansing.

I've been looking into toners and cleansers because of how they supposedly help with enlarged pores, and I've been close to getting the Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner and Cleanser. Would the Witch Hazel be better than that?

Yep. It has an added benefit of being no more than $3 for 32 ounces. Neutrogena stuff you're going to pay anywhere from $10-$15 for 2.5 ounces of thier snake oil.

WaterTiger said:

Also the witch hazel toner closes them back up again after the cleansing.

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You and Penkitten are the only women I'll go out on a limb for. True though, witch hazel will seal your face/skin better and faster than anything I've ever used.

What is good to use if you have a really oily forehead/nose? Those areas tend to be kind of porous too.

I've already laid it out brother. Follow the steps above and you'll see it start clearing up.

Though you have no control over how oily your skin you do have ultimate control over proper maintenance and nutrition which will minimize breakouts or infections.

my cheeks tend to get pimply and now i have icepick scars. any special suggestions, and will the witch hazel potion cure the scars, or at least big pores?

also, big pores = dirtier, but big pores allow for more cleansing? small pores dont get as dirty, but is harder to to clean since theyre so tight and small? from this, it seems like ALL PORES SUCK!!!!

There's no fast and easy remedy for you brother. Nothing will clear your condition overnight.

Follow the tips and you'll see results soon enough.

Thanks for the guide, Karma.

I went out to my local Meijer's today (which is similiar to Wal-mart) and bought some Fish Oil (Meijer Brand) in 1000mg tablets. I hope that's not too large for a one dose pill.

I found some Nivea stuff, but it was only the moisturizing lotion, it didn't appear to cleanse or exfoliate your face. So I went over to the facial cleansers/exfoliater section and I was barraged by a massive selection of products and brands. I wasn't sure what was good or what did what, but I settled for some St. Ives Apricot Face Wash.

In case you've never used it, I'll list the active ingredients and I hope someone can tell me whether it's good or at least OKay for now. It wasn't too expensive, so I decided to use it for a start, even if it isn't the best product....I just hope it doesn't do more harm then good, or has at least some benefits.
Anyways, here's how it breaks down
St. Ives (swiss formula)
Apricot Face Wash. For Acne.
Active ingredients Salicylic Acid 2%
Other Ingredients; Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin,....A bunch of ingredients I'd rather not even try to spell...

It does smell slightly fruity and somewhere in the long list of ingredients it has Fruit Extract from Apricots.

Hope this is okay.
OH, and one last question. What is an Astringent? Is that the save as AfterShave? I bought some from Meijer's a while ago too, and it does burn like hell because of all the alchohol content. So you say it's much better to use Witch Hazel as aftershave, correct?

First, the 1 gram capsules of fish oil are what I take. Good job!

Second, St. Ives is not something I would use on a daily basis as it's much too abrasive for your skin. At most use it every 3 days and make sure you've had your face under hot (as hot as you can stand for a solid minute) water to open up your pores. In smooth circles slowly exfoliate your skin then rinse well. You must follow this immediately with cool toner, I use witch hazel, then the Nivea moisturizer.

For future reference, if there are too many ingredients you can't pronounce or are still on the periodic table go spend the few extra bucks and get a good brand with natural ingredients.

KarmaSutra said:

First, the 1 gram capsules of fish oil are what I take. Good job!

Second, St. Ives is not something I would use on a daily basis as it's much too abrasive for your skin. At most use it every 3 days and make sure you've had your face under hot (as hot as you can stand for a solid minute) water to open up your pores. In smooth circles slowly exfoliate your skin then rinse well. You must follow this immediately with cool toner, I use witch hazel, then the Nivea moisturizer.

For future reference, if there are too many ingredients you can't pronounce or are still on the periodic table go spend the few extra bucks and get a good brand with natural ingredients.

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Awesome!!

SO you reccomend I take...what 5 grams at least 3 times a day (or 4, like you do?) so that's about 15-20 pills a day?! WOW! That does seem like a lot. But the good news is, I only paid $8 for 2 bottles of 90 pills a piece (on sale)...So I guess I'm going to start with 5 a day, like you reccomend.

I guess I'll use the St. Ives today, but what else do you reccomend for exfoliater besides Nivea...in case I can't find it. Also, is Facial Cleanser the same as Facial Soap and/or Facial Exfoliator.
Here's a checklist of what I think I should have, according to your guide.

1. Facial Exfoliator
2. Facial Cleanser? (which I use to actually wash my face at least 1x a day...not any other bar or liquid soap)
3. Witch Hazel (after I shave and exfoliate)
4. Fish oil
5. Nivea Moisturizing lotion.


P.s. I still want to know if Astringent=Aftershave lotion? I bought some from the store...it burns like Hell and must have lots of alcohol, but it does smell pretty good (actually it's a bit overwhelming...kinda like Vick's Vapo-rub, strengthwise...dunno if it smells exactly like that)

Excellent Advice!

I strongly agree with the daily moisturizer that includes a spf 15. Make sure you look for one that provides broad spectrum protection (both UVA/UVB). Look for the specific long wave UVA blockers 3% Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) and/or mid/short wave blockers UVA Mexoryl SX or Oxybenzone on the label. Look ones that say photostable (ie Cetaphil spf 15, La Roche Posay spf15, Neutrogena helixoplex, Aveeno continious protection, etc)

The insidious UVA (that penetrates most glass window) is responsible for ~80% of photoaging.

Fish Oil is an Excellent recommendation! 1-2 grams of active EPA/DHA combined is usually a good amount for most individuals. That is 5 x (1 gram fish oil capsules assuming 30% EPA/DHA) = 1.5 grams EPA/DHA. So five capsule per day is 1.5 grams EPA/DHA combined.

RD

Good thread Karma.

Aveeno body wash is also very good for the skin face included.

Though after using it you will feel like you just put lotion on your entire body lol.

Master Bates said:

What is good to use if you have a really oily forehead/nose? Those areas tend to be kind of porous too.

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Drink alot more water, drink it until you actually feel you skin getting hydrated. It will cut down on you oily skin.

Although some of the products mentioned will work just fine, some of the more expensive brands have other qualities you might like. Such as Kiehl's Blue astringent herbal lotion, use in place of witch hazel, has a great clean smell, but as I'm reading now has alcohol not so good. I also use Dr. Hauschka clensing cream, and toner and lotion works great and has nice smell, I used to use neutrogena and this make your skin feel much better.

Jukeboxhero said:

Awesome!!

SO you reccomend I take...what 5 grams at least 3 times a day (or 4, like you do?) so that's about 15-20 pills a day?! WOW! That does seem like a lot. But the good news is, I only paid $8 for 2 bottles of 90 pills a piece (on sale)...So I guess I'm going to start with 5 a day, like you reccomend.

I guess I'll use the St. Ives today, but what else do you reccomend for exfoliater besides Nivea...in case I can't find it. Also, is Facial Cleanser the same as Facial Soap and/or Facial Exfoliator.
Here's a checklist of what I think I should have, according to your guide.

1. Facial Exfoliator
2. Facial Cleanser? (which I use to actually wash my face at least 1x a day...not any other bar or liquid soap)
3. Witch Hazel (after I shave and exfoliate)
4. Fish oil
5. Nivea Moisturizing lotion.


P.s. I still want to know if Astringent=Aftershave lotion? I bought some from the store...it burns like Hell and must have lots of alcohol, but it does smell pretty good (actually it's a bit overwhelming...kinda like Vick's Vapo-rub, strengthwise...dunno if it smells exactly like that)

Click to expand...

Let's clear this up a bit. First $8 for 180 1000mg caps is a bit much. I pay $8 for 400 1000mg softgels at Sams Club. Try Sams or Costco or any other wholesale club for better deals or even look on the internet for bulk suppliers.

Facial cleansers/facial soaps may have some type of exfoliator in them so best to be conservative than to go overboard. Read the label.

Atringents usually contain salicylic acid to combat acne but too much will cause irreparable damage. Save yourself time and money by going with good witch hazel. STAY AWAY from aftershave lotions/potions. They're loaded with alcohol and sometimes menthol,which is why is smells like Vick vap-o rub.

Alcohol is cheap and provides a "whoosh" feeling which is why companies use it with such aplumb. Don't buy it. Alcohol dries out your skin and completely removes necessary moisture.

Road Demon said:

Excellent Advice!

I strongly agree with the daily moisturizer that includes a spf 15. Make sure you look for one that provides broad spectrum protection (both UVA/UVB). Look for the specific long wave UVA blockers 3% Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) and/or mid/short wave blockers UVA Mexoryl SX or Oxybenzone on the label. Look ones that say photostable (ie Cetaphil spf 15, La Roche Posay spf15, Neutrogena helixoplex, Aveeno continious protection, etc)

The insidious UVA (that penetrates most glass window) is responsible for ~80% of photoaging.

Fish Oil is an Excellent recommendation! 1-2 grams of active EPA/DHA combined is usually a good amount for most individuals. That is 5 x (1 gram fish oil capsules assuming 30% EPA/DHA) = 1.5 grams EPA/DHA. So five capsule per day is 1.5 grams EPA/DHA combined.

RD

Click to expand...

Beautifully written brother! Thank you for the clarification. With the elements we're forced to deal with more and more, pollutants being the worst culprit, it's vital that we do everything possible to keep those from soaking into our skin which is the primary reason a good spf is a critical weapon in our arsenal.