There's no such thing as a simple task, and nothing embodies this idea more than the process of washing your face and coming up with a daily men's face care routine.
Sure, it sounds easy enough (wet your face, add soap, and rinse) but believe it or not there is a right and a wrong way to do it; and today, we're going to learn the right way to do it.
But before you bust out that bar soap (by the way NEVER use bar soap on your face!) and warm water, there are just three things that you'll need for a men's face care routine: an exfoliator, a facial cleanser, and face lotion. Not sure what most of these things are?
Here's a brief explanation.
An exfoliator is something that helps remove dirt and dead skin using abrasive materials. A better way to think of it is that it's like sand paper for your face, minus the paper. Exfoliation is occasionally vital for a proper daily men's face care routine. You can make some at home using coffee grounds and sugar, but if you want the good stuff you'll want to grab a bottle of Artius Man Exfoliating Scrub.
Made with crushed almonds, aloe vera, and a bunch of other natural ingredients; there's no better way to gently, but, effectively scrape the crud off your face than with our exfoliator.
Now a facial cleanser is a much easier thing to figure out. Simply put, a facial cleanser is essentially soap designed for your face. It may be tempting to go for that bar of Irish Spring to get the job done, but trust me when I say you don't want to do that.
The skin on your face is far more sensitive than the rest of your body, which means the common bar soap is more likely to dry out your face than actually clean it.
The best kinds of facial cleansers will contain ingredients such as vitamin E, lavender, etc...
And finally, face lotion is... well it's lotion. No deep explanation needed here. However, word to the wise: avoid most scented lotions as they contain alcohol; which dries out skin. If you want to take out the guess work, go ahead and buy yourself a bottle of the soothing daily-defense moisturizing lotion and save yourself time. Plus we put only the good stuff in this!
Now that know what we need, let's talk about washing your face. Check out the step-by-step guide for how to wash your face for men - the proper way.
Step 1: Wet Your Face With Warm Water
Before you do anything, be sure to get your face damp with some warm water; with a huge emphasis on the warm part.
If your water is too hot or cold, you'll end up damaging your skin. You can wet your face by splashing yourself with some water or you can simply use a wet cloth, the choice is yours.
Wetting your face will make it easier for the cleanser to do its job. You're going to typically do this in your sink but for the tutorial, William is using a bowl of warm water.
Step 2: Apply The Facial Cleanser
Using a dime-sized amount of cleanser, gently massage the cleanser into your facing using circular motions. Do this for approximately 30 seconds, making sure to get every inch of your face. Again, don't use hand soap for this or you'll dry your face out.
Step 3 Exfoliate (1-2 Times Per Week)
Like the facial cleanser, pour a little of your exfoliator into your hands and gently begin massaging it into your skin using circular motions. Be sure to pay attention to the parts of your face that are particularly dry and oily.
Note: While you should wash and cleanse your face every day (morning and night), you do not need to exfoliate every day. Once or twice a week should do the trick. So skip this step most of the week.
Step 4: Rinse & Dry
Once again using warm water, rinse your face until all traces of your cleanser and exfoliator are washed off of your faces. Using a dry towel, gently pat your face dry. Do not rub your face as this will irritate your skin and undo some of the work you just did. Most men when they are first learning a proper men's face care routine tend to scrub their face too hard. Gently patting will ensure that you safely dry your skin without damaging it.
Step 5: Moisturize
Now that your face is free of dirt and oils, it's time to replace some of that lost moisture. Using a dime-sized amount of lotion, gently massage the product into your face. Be careful not to use too much or you'll run the risk of just making your face even greasier.
Note: Moisturizing is CRITICAL. This is something that many men forget or simply do not do after washing their face. This will help keep your skin fresh and young as you age. Do it! The moisturizer also helps give your skin a healthy glow, especially in extreme weather elements!
Once you've applied your lotion, congratulations! You're done!
Washing your face may not be as easy as splashing water on your face and calling it a day but neither is it rocket science. As long as you have the right stuff paired with the right knowledge, taking care of yourself can be a breeze.
So let's recap these steps one last time.
- Step 1: Wet & Rinse Face With Warm Water
- Step 2: Cleanse Your Face With A Great Cleanser For Men
- Step 3: Exfoliate 1-2 Times Per Week
- Step 4: Rinse & Dry
- Step 5: Apply Moisturizer
Now you know how to a manly routine that will wash, cleanse and protect your face and have you looking sharp!