Skin Care

[quote=ginNtonic]Morning: face scrub, shave, lotion / moisturizer Day: moisturizer as needed Night: face scrub / exfoliate, moisturizer

Cheap products you can find at Duane Reade or CVS: http://www.askmen.com/grooming/appearance/best-drugstore-products.html[…]

Wow that's thorough.

[quote=ginNtonic]Morning: face scrub, shave, lotion / moisturizer Day: moisturizer as needed Night: face scrub / exfoliate, moisturizer

Cheap products you can find at Duane Reade or CVS: http://www.askmen.com/grooming/appearance/best-drugstore-products.html[…]

You should not be scrubbing your face this much. Even if you have very, very oily skin, once a day is more than sufficient.

Morning: Gentle cleanser (like Cetaphil), shave, lotion/moisturizer (with SPF, even on cloudy days) Day: Chapstick (they make some matte ones so it doesn't look funny on dudes) Night: Twice a week face scrub (and a gentle one, at that), maybe daily if you have very oily/acne prone skin, gentle cleanser, and a heavier moisturizer for night.

Drugstore recommendations: Gentle cleanser: Cetaphil Lotion/moisturizer: Neutrogena tinted moisturizer w/ SPF (a glow always helps when you're an analyst and never see the sun) Night moisturizer: Oil of Olay moisturizing for night. Do NOT do anti-aging...all that does is dehydrates the skin cells for a "tighter" look. For a long-term glow you should definitely just stick with a hydrating lotion.

Obviously since I don't shave my face I can't recommend anything from experience there. I will say for a shower gel, Jack's Body Lube (available at Sephora and probably elsewhere) passes the smell-test with flying colors (clean but manly) and the men in my life have approved it.

Other things to consider: Water is the key to a healthy looking mug. Lush Cosmetics makes some great face masks if you're secure enough in your masculinity to use them (BB Seaweed is especially great)...those can be used once a week to add some glow.

And, per Patrick Bateman, don't use products with alcohol in them...they will dry out your skin.

FSC:

I believe in taking care of myself, in a balanced diet, in a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now.

After I remove the icepack, I use a deep pore-cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey-almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb mint facial masque which I leave on for ten minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine.

I always use an after-shave lotion with little or no alcohol because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by a final moisturizing "protective" lotion...

I was waiting for it..

arant:

Too many fag posts on WSO lately ...

Was this in any way necessary?

There's really no need for these types of comments here...

descarteshorse:

I am asking for boys by the way

Yikes dude,... on a serious note berts bees after sun lotion is pretty good stuff

Thayers Witch Hazel after shaving (entire face, not only shaved portion), followed by aftershave

Malin+Goetz products are amazing

in before the american psycho references.

^my first thought

Kiels midnight recovery bro. No homo and all that.

Thayers Witch Hazel is pretty good, also consider going to a beauty store and getting an gel mask (exactly like in American Pyscho) which can reduce puffiness. Also another great tip is when you wake up, before you do anything else, splash cold water on your face. It allows the skin to immediately tighten vs. jumping into a hot shower which will open pores and cause your potential bags to look more dark and heavy.

Proactiv and Effoclar (http://www.dermstore.com/product_Effaclar+Deep+Cleansing+Foaming+Cream_…) are my favorites for clear skin and maybe talk to your dermatologist about Clindamyacin liquid or topical solution, an anti-bacterial which works as both a facial lotion after you wash your face and reduces redness.

Hope this helps.

In the morning if my face is a little puffy, I put on an ice pack. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare for the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by final moisturizing protective lotion.

Actually, the main cause of dark circles isn't lack of sleep. It's actually from nasal congestion...so if you have sinus issues, allergies or a cold, you're more likely to have them. When your nose is blocked, the veins which drain from your eyes into your nose becomes dilated & darker due to the build up of fluids. And since the skin under your eyes is very thin, you're more likely to see those dark veins. If anything, lack of sleep makes your skin paler, which makes those dark circles more visible. Also, rubbing your eyes can be another reason cause you can easily tear those tiny vessels & cause bruising. If you ate a salty dinner or cried before sleeping, you're more likely to have puffy eyes due to osmosis. And sleeping horizontally or on your sides can encourage fluid build up overnight so add an extra pillow under your head so that the fluids drain properly.

So, to get rid of dark circles or puffiness, you'd want to constrict your blood vessels. And ice pack in the morning can help, but direct contact with ice may be too harsh so some people have recommended using a cleansing cloth, wash it with lukewarm water & freeze it overnight or freeze a couple big spoons overnight. You can also massage the eye area by pressing your skin under and around your eyes for a seconds or pinching your eyebrows. For allergies, you can get OTC medication. For sinus issues, you can breathe in steam - just boil water & put a towel over head & breath in the steam. Eye creams aren't always the best I think. I'm pretty skeptical about those products anyway since you're not getting rid of the causes of dark circles.

Hope this helped you somehow haha

This stuff is all you need. My dad puts it on every Friday morning and Sunday night, and people tell me he looks like my older brother: http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Secret-Indian-Healing-Clay/dp/B0014P8L9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338858711&sr=8-1

Also for shaving, you're going to need to start either straight razor shaving (MUCH HARDER) or Double-Edge shaving. DE shaving is so much cheaper than regular shaving. It gives you a better shave, but it's an art you have to learn. Let me make a list of products I bought for my summer analyst gig in NYC:

1) http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Handled-180-Platinum-Blades/dp/B002FC7B2G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1338858841&sr=8-6

2) http://www.amazon.com/Superior-Premium-Platinum-Double-Safety/dp/B001QY…

3) http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shaving-Cream-Eucalyptus-Menthol/dp/B001L…

4)http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Liquid-Cream-After-Shave-3-4/dp/B0007XBHIE

5) http://www.amazon.com/Silvertip-Bristle-Parker-Safety-Razor/dp/B002UB3B…

At first, DE shaving is more expensive, but in the long term it's about 50 dollars a year. The badger brush and Merkur razor should last about 5 years if you take proper care of it. You'll also need to buy a dual-stand for the brush and the razor and hang them upside down. I am only 20 years old, but I have a coarse Pakistani beard. My dad doesn't get 5 o'clock shadow, he gets 5 o'clock beard lol But ever since shaving with a DE blade, he doesn't have to worry about shaving until the next morning. I'm getting to be the same way. At first, you're gonna cut yourself a lot, but don't give up, because your face feels priceless after a DE shave. Good luck, and please PM me for help.

la prairie, la mer, aesop and murad for skincare, hands down. hit barneys for first three and sephora for later. DDF, ole henriksen and dermalogica are also solid (all can be found at sephora). dollar for dollar, drug store brand olay regenerist is high performance for value.

malin and goetz, although a phenomenal brand, is better known for haircare and body wash tbh. kiehls is pseudo apothecary, stay clear please. you are better off with aesop if you want to go the apothecary, "all natural" route.

to brighten your complexion,use products with glycolic acid, check the ingredient list for aha and bhas for your exfoliant, cleanser, and toner. then follow up with a vitamin c serum 3x a week. use your regular normal/combination/oily/sensitive skincare products on the other days depending on your skin type. the glycolic and vit c will give you a mini chemical peel and keep your complexion glowing/looking young. this is what most dermatologists will recommend.

dark under eye circles are a sign of dehydration so clean up your diet and drink more water. and if you massage your eye area (please don't for the sake of massage/increased circulation, that is a skincare crime), use your ring finger to apply eye cream, it is the weakest finger. your propensity for dark circles is also genetic so you can only control it to a certain extent.if you are desperate, go get some under eye concealer (cle de peau and benefit industrial boing concealer are your best bets and no it wont look like you are wearing makeup if you get the makeup artist to match your skin tone). you don't need a $300 eye cream to reduce bags, any old cream that keeps the area moist will do just fine.

please don't smear coffee on your face, that can cause staining / oxidization. use garnier caffeine anti-dark circles rollerball on your under eye area if you want to use caffeine to pep up your skin. found at all drug stores.

regarding effaclar from post 1, it is a line from the brand la roche posay formulated for acne prone skin. if anti-aging is your concern, seek out the la roche posay's anthelios line. la roche is a solid drug store brand.

witch hazel is a toner and most effective for acne prone skin but doesn't do much for anti-aging.

to detox, i suggest you incorporate an odorless garlic supplement everyday, kyolic brand is great. fish oil will increase the suppleness of your skin and the thickness of your hair and apple cider vinegar (ingested or applied topically) will also detox you. costco also puts out a generic supplement called "skin hair nails", i assume this is a blend of vitamin B, fish oils, folic acid and garlic. i have heard great things about this if you want to multi-task.

in the morning, feel free to go about your regular shower routine and use the warm water to open up your pores. this is what gets gunk out when you exfoliate. after you get out of the shower, splash your face with cold water to close your pores and keep them tight. this will improve the brightness of your complexion.

good luck! disclosure: i follow research put out by the beauty editors of all the major magazines and read independent skincare reviews like its my job. i have also used a lot of skincare products in my time.

I always had razor bumps/burn on my neck after shaving until this guy on tv said to rinse your face with cold water after shaving. I was very skeptical but haven't had any razor burn since

SKLEER All in One Skin Corrective is a doctor and dermatologist recommended product that assists with a number of Skin Conditions.

agreed