How Men Can Get Clear Skin
Over the past few years, men are beginning to realize that healthy, clear skin isn't a vain thing that women do, it is for everyone who wishes to have self confidence, self care and to maintain a polished clear skin.
Nevertheless, despite this realization, a lot of men still make a lot of mistakes which is preventing them from getting clear healthy skin. What they fail to realize is the fact that achieving clear, healthy skin isn’t just about buying loads of expensive products or following complicated routines. Rather, it is about understanding what your skin needs and being consistent with your skincare routine and habits as well.
In this guide, we'll explore the most common causes of unclear skin in men, practical solutions that actually work to clear it and how to build a simple yet effective men's skincare routine that delivers long-term results.
Understanding Men's Skin
Before we go into the various causes of unclear skin in men and how to tackle them, it is important to understand how men’s skin is structured, this is the part where the curated skincare routine we will be talking about will make sense, because this routine is built to perfectly fit the skin needs of men.
So, the major structural difference between men’s skin an women’ skin is simply that men generally have thicker skin than women. Therefore, their skin produces more oil due to higher testosterone levels. Also, men's facial skin often has ingrown hair and bumps because of frequent shaving. All these facts put together makes men’s skin susceptible to issues like excess oil production, clogged pores, razor bumps, acne and so on.
Nevertheless, with the right skincare routine for men, all of these concerns can be effectively managed.
Common Causes of Unclear Skin in Men
1. Excess Oil Production
One of the biggest causes of unclear skin in men is the excess production of oil. As a result of this, a lot of men deal with shiny skin and oil mixed with dead skin cells and dirt, leading to clogged pores and breakouts.
2. Wrong Skincare Products
Let’s be honest, a lot of men do not take conscious effort to look into what they put on their skin. A lot of men wash their faces using ordinary bath soap meant for just the body which unfortunately can strip the facial skin of its natural moisture, causing irritation or prompting the skin to produce even more oil to compensate for the dryness caused by the irritation.
3. Improper shaving techniques
A lot of men shave the wrong way, firstly they frequently shave, which can lead to irritation, redness, and painful ingrown hairs and on top of that they make use of dull blades which often makes the problem worse. And in addition to this they have little to no after shave routine.
4. Poor Hygiene
It is not uncommon to find men, most especially teenage boys touching their face frequently even while playing football, using dirty pillowcases and unwashed gym towels. Having all of these habits can all contribute to bacteria buildup which could sometimes lead to Acne.
5. Sun Damage
Many men skip sunscreen because they believe it's unnecessary or only needed on sunny days. But what they fail to realize is that UV exposure contributes to hyperpigmentation, premature ageing, uneven skin tone, dark spots and loss of skin elasticity all of which they are exposing themselves to everyday they skip sunscreen
6. Poor Lifestyle Habits
Beauty is not just about the exterior, sometimes it reflects your overall health. Hence the reason why several lifestyle factors such as lack of sleep, high stress levels, smoking, excess alcohol consumption, poor hydration as well as diets high in sugary or processed foods can contribute to skin problems or enhance the visibility of skin problems.
How Men Can Get Clear Skin
The most effective way for men to get clear skin is to stay consistent to a skincare routine that is targeted at fixing their unique skincare needs. And to do this, they do not need a full shelf of products or a complicated skincare routine, all they need is the right product and the right steps and they are good to go. Below is a carefully curated simple skincare routine for men:
Step 1: Cleanse Morning and Night
For this, you need a gentle yet effective facial cleanser that is guaranteed to remove dirt and also help balance oil production. When choosing a cleanser, look for one formulated specifically for the face and also for your skin type. Widely known skincare brands that have a wide range of cleansers that you can choose CeraVe, Neutrogena, Facefacts and La-Roche Posay.
And if you a man who prefers a locally formulated alternative, the the Oriki brand has 3 major cleansers for you to choose from, they have the ORÍKÌ Black Soap and the ORÍKÌ Liquid Black Soap which are both good for both face and body and also suitable for all skin types, as well as the ORIKI Tea Tree Oil Control Face Wash which is suitable for sensitive, oily and acne-prone skin.
With consistent use of the right cleansers twice daily (Day and night) you are consistently laying the right foundation for the other skincare products you will apply, which will subsequently lead to clearer skin over time.
Step 2: Moisturize Every Day
Many men with oily skin skip moisturizer because they think it will make their skin greasier. But what they fail to realize is the fact that a moisturizer will keep their skin hydrated and a well hydrated skin often produces less excess oil while a dehydrated one produces more oil.
Therefore, it is advisable to choose a lightweight moisturizer when shopping for both face and body moisturizers.However, not just any random moisturizer will get the job done, rather moisturizers with one or more of ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, niacinamide or Shea butter will get the job done because these ingredients possess the ability to can provide hydration without necessarily feeling heavy or greasy.
Some internationally recognized product recommendations for effective light weight moisturizers include: Medix 5.5 vitamin C Cream with Turmeric Firming & Brightening Cream for Face & Body, Facefacts Ceramide Moisturising Cream, CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream, Cerave Moisturizing Lotion, FaceFacts Hyaluronic Body Lotion.
And for locally formulated product recommendations, the Oriki brand has a wide array of effective lightweight moisturizers for both face and body, the Include: ORIKI Skin Rejuvenating Face Cream w/Vitamin B3 for face, ORIKI Skin Nourishing Body Lotion for body alone and the ORIKI Whipped Shea Butter Soufflé suitable for both face and body; however this is subject to your facial skin tolerating shea butter, if not you can limit it to the body alone and opt for the face cream for your face.
Step 3: Seal in Moisture
As much as it is good to moisturize, you can take things one step further by sealing in mixture with a non greasy but effective oil.The important distinction is that an oil doesn't replace your moisturizer. Rather, it can be used as an additional layer depending on what your skin needs.
Some examples of non-greasy lightweight oil include the Vaseline Coconut Restore Body oil, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Ski Therapy Oil and FaceFacts Facial Glow oil. However, if you are pro locally formulated products which were created with the African Skin and weather in mind, then the ORIKI Refreshingly Mint Body Oil is worth trying. It is lightweight, non greasy and will leave you with a youthful glow.
Step 4: Wear Sunscreen Daily
When you are done with all the above mentioned steps, ensure you apply a SPF 30 and above on your face and all parts of your body that will not be covered by your clothes for that day, even if it is a cloudy morning. Doing this will help prevent dark spots, premature wrinkles, uneven skin tone and generally, the appearance of sun damage. Some good sunscreen recommendations that blend well with African skin and do not leave white cast behind includes: Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel SPF 50, PA +++, Anua Zero Cast Moisturizing Finish Sunscreen and Nineless MELA - PRO Tranexamic Acid Sunscreen. You can’t go wrong with either one of these sunscreens.
Step 5: Stay Committed to Weekly Extras
When we say weekly extras, we mean skincare activities such as scrubbing your face and body 2-3 times a week and if you have very irritable skin, you can reduce it to once a week or 3 times in a month. Apart from exfoliation with cribs, using a face mask is also an important weekly extra that you can add to your skincare routine to be done 2 a week or 4 times in a month.
You may be wondering why they matter, well they do because scrubbing will help get rid of the pore clogging dead skin cells, dirt and oil that could prevent products from penetrating your skin while the mask, especially a mud mask will help draw out impurities from the skin.
For an effective scrubbing we will recommend you use a product such as the Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub or the ORIKI Deep Cleansing Face Scrub for a safe and effective exfoliating experience while we suggest you use the Dr Teals’ Shea Sugar Scrub with Citrus, Vitamin C & Essential oils or the ORIKI Mint Sugar Body Scrub for the rest of your body.
And as for the face mask, a good place to start is with the FaceFacts Rice Extract Ultra Glow Rice Clay Mask and for a locally formulated alternative that was formulated to perform equal functions,we recommend the ORIKI Clarifying Face Mask with Spirulina & Moringa. The consistent use of these products for your weekly extra skincare routine is guaranteed to help speed up your journey to a clear and healthy skin.
Lifestyle Adjustment for Clear Skin Men
Making these simple lifestyle adjustments can significantly help improve the appearance of your skin when paired with the right products:
1.Stay Hydrated because water supports healthy skin by helping maintain its moisture balance.
2. Eat healthy food and fruits like vegetables, protein and so on which are known to support overall skin health.
3. Get enough sleep because the skin goes through a repair process while we sleep.
4. Try to manage stress because stress can trigger hormonal changes in the body.
5. If you have acne-prone skin, ensure that when pimples appear you do not pick on them as doing so will only cause more inflammation, infection and scarring in the long run.
Final Thoughts
If you're ready to elevate your skincare routine, then you should explore ORÍKÌ's range of premium skincare and grooming products designed to support healthy, radiant skin for both men and women. You can browse the full collection on the ORÍKÌ website or visit any of Oriki’s physical stores in Lagos for personalized recommendations from skincare experts.