How to start a skincare routine

When I was a kid, my school did not teach middle school hygiene as Futurama would recommend. As an adult I had to go out and learn a good skin care regime from scratch. This post is to consolidate what I learnt.

If you learn one thing, it's this

For men, like me, you just need to do three things to start with:

1. Clean away dirt, sweat, oil and dead skin. This stops the grime from clogging your pores and/or feeding bacteria on your skin. Water and scrubbing is a perfectly fine cleanser.
2. Hydrate the skin with a moisturiser. Do this twice a day. The moisturiser replenishes the fats and proteins that bind your skin cells together, keeping them clear and healthy.
3. Protect your skin from the sun. UV rays damage your skin, so you need to stop them from ever making contact with your epidermis using sunscreen and clothes.

What that means for your routine is

• Morning. Cleanse, moisturise and apply sunscreen
• Evening. Cleanse and moisturise.

That’s basically it.

If you want to get sophisticated, then you can pick a cleanser, moisturiser or sunblock with special features. For example, some use a cleanser with salicylic acid during my morning shower because it suits their skin type. Some people use eye cream to reduce puffiness. Some people get all fancy pants with serums, but these are not necessary. To start out with, just stick to the basics.

Cleansers

• Water! Just wash your face in the shower or at the bathroom sink. Use a nice gentle face washing cloth when you do so.
• If you want to go further (optional) use a hydrating cleanser like CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser or Cetaphil Skin Cleanser.
• Cleanse first because it helps moisturiser or sunscreen actually reach your skin instead of bouncing off of the grime.

Moisturisers

• Apply a moisturiser twice a day.
• Any product from a major brand that costs less than $30 is fine. You can pay more than $30 if you want but it’s probably not going to do anything a cheaper version would do.
• Some moisturisers get fancy by containing ceramides which are a chemical that helps keep your skin water-proof.
• Examples: CeraVe Moisturising Lotion / Foam.

Sunscreens

• Apply sun protection in the morning before you go out, maybe re-apply mid-day if it's sunny out.
• So long as it’s SPF50+ you’re fine.
• Sunscreens are either physical - they physically block UV rays from contacting your skin - or chemical - they absorb UV rays before they can reach your skin. Physical is usually better but can feel slimy.
• Speaking of physical protection, it's even better to physically block-out the sun’s diabolical rays with clothes and sunglasses. Your  hat is an important part of effective skin care.
• You can get combined moisturiser/sunscreens which simplify things.
• You can get different sunscreens for your face vs the rest of your body, if you want to be super fancy.  
• Examples: Neutragena Sheer Zinc SPF50; Nivea Sun Lotion SPF50; and, Altruist SPF50.

Try out different products to find what works for you

Whatever cleanser, moisturiser and protector you use, try out different brands and find something that you like to put on your face. If the product feels chalky or gooey, you won’t like doing it which means you won’t do it consistently and consistency is key. So long as the product has the relevant active ingredient, use whichever one you like best.

What if I want to go beyond the basics?

OK, so you’re applying your three step skin care regime each day every day. What if you want to be a little bit fancier? There are a few things you might want to consider.

Eye cream

Some people use eye cream to fight: bags under the eyes; dark pigmentation under the eyes, and, wrinkles under (you guessed it) the eyes. A lot of eye creams use retinoids, which you should consult a specialist before using.

Examples: Lumin Dark Circle Defense; and Youth to the People Superfood Peptide Eye Cream

Salicyclic acid

This does a better job than soap and water at killing the bacteria which contribute to blackheads and acne. I use a cleanser in the shower with salicyclic acid and it helps get a better cleanse on.

When Dr Usama Syed posted his mic-drop video "Dermatology's a scam, here are the only products that actually work" he highlighted that anything with salicyclic acid is probably fine for fighting blackheads and discolouration.

Retinoids

You will hear about these sometimes, as well as their weaker cousins the retinols. Retinoids encourage collagen growth on your skin, which prevents the skin from sagging. Retinoids also reduce discolouration in some cases, which is always a win. You must see a specialist before using retinoids because the side effects can be difficult to manage, and dangerous if you are pregnant.  

Using retinoids requires a lot of consistency in application. You need to apply it everyday for four weeks before you even start to see an improvement. Side effects include dry and painful skin to begin with. Start with a pea sized drop, mix it with moisturiser and spread across your whole face.

You must see a specialist before using retinoids because the side effects can be difficult, and dangerous if you are pregnant.  

Any other tips?

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet.
• Get a solid 8 hours of sleep every night.
• Change and wash your towels and pillowcases regularly.
• If you take really hot showers, your skin will tend to dry out. Cool your water jets and apply moisturiser after your shower.
• Shower in the evening. You'll remove the gunk from your hair before it's smeared on your pillowcase and rubbed in your face for 8 hours.

Thanks to all the handy resources

There are a lot of influencers out there trying to sell you something, but I found the following sources to be useful in amongst trying to sell me something.

• Esquire Men's Skincare Routine.
• Men’s Health Best of Grooming and other articles.
• Tim Dessaint's skin care basics video.
• Dr. Usama Syed's channel, though he doesn't do skincare anymore.
• Ali Abdaal helpfully shared his science-based skin-care routine:
  In the morning, cleanse (CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser), shower, dry-off then apply a sunscreen/moisturiser (Altruist SPF50). In the evening after brushing one's teeth, cleanse (CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser), dry-off, apply retinoid, then moisturise with a regular (non-SPF) moisturiser.