We work with some extremely talented bloggers who love to share their knowledge and passion about men’s grooming. One of our favourites Shaun from www.hishabits.co.uk has written a piece for us about different products for your skin type. Make sure you have a look at his blog with some great grooming tips:
How would you feel if I told you that there are a number of different skin types? You’ve probably heard of a couple of them, but if you haven’t, the most common are dry, oily, combination, and normal. For some, this is a pretty confusing idea, but knowing what category your skin falls into ensures you’re in the best place to look after it.
I’m sharing my advice for every skin type, including how to spot it and what kind of products you should use.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DRY SKIN
If your skin feels tight or looks a bit flaky, chances are you have dry skin. Dry skin occurs when your skin produces less sebum than normal. Sebum is an oil that glands create to soften and protect your skin. Whilst dry skin is usually down to genetics, other factors such as weather, aging, and hot water can cause your skin to feel dry.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE DRY SKIN
There’s a pretty easy way to tell if your skin is dry; simply wash your face and leave it without products for around an hour. If you find that your skin has a rough texture, or feels tight, it’s most likely that you have dry skin. If you wanted to be extra sure, press a piece of tissue paper against your face and check if any oil transfers. If little to none oil is visible, you have dry skin!
WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU BE USING?
Now don’t worry, skincare products can help. Make sure you’re using a moisturiser that hydrates your skin, and don’t use a cleanser that strips too much oil. You might also consider using an exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells, and allow your moisturiser to really do the work.
I’d recommend trying the Gentlemen’s Tonic Advanced Derma Care Power-Packed Nourishing Moisturiser –. It helps to hydrate and protect your skin, and will help your skin retain moisture better. It also helps to shield your skin against environmental aggressors such as pollution and weather that may cause flakiness.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OILY SKIN
Having oily skin is quite the opposite to having dry. If you have this skin type, your sebaceous glands produce more oil than is needed for your skin. It can be a bit frustrating if your skin produces too much oil, as it can lead to blocked pores and blemishes, so it’s important to know how to look after it.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE OILY SKIN
You can usually tell if you have oily skin just by looking at it. If you find that your skin is on the shiny side, or feels a bit greasy to the touch; chances are you have oily skin. You can even try patting tissue paper across your forehead, and if you notice oil transferring, you’ve got oily skin.
WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU BE USING?
It’s not all bad though, having more oil actually keeps your skin looking younger! It helps retain its elasticity and stops it from drying out. The best way to look after oily skin is to use an effective cleanser that deeply cleans your pores. This will stop any oil from clogging up and can help slow down your skin’s oil-producing cycle.
I’d recommend trying the Gentlemen’s Tonic Daily Foaming Cleanser – £19.00. It’s gentle enough to use every day and helps remove excess oils and impurities. The formula can be used both morning and night and will balance your skin keeping its PH level neutral.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMBINATION SKIN
It’s possible to have a mixture of both oily and dry skin, and this is categorised as a combination. People who have combination skin usually find that their t-zone is oily, while the rest of their face is dry. It can be quite problematic because products that will work for one section of your face, might not necessarily work for the rest.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE COMBINATION SKIN
To check if you have combination skin, you just need to combine the two methods for both oily and dry skin. Cleanse your face and leave it without any products for around an hour. Grab two pieces of tissue paper and press one on your forehead, and the other on your cheek. If you have combination skin, you’ll notice that the tissue on your forehead will have a larger amount of oil transfer compared to the one you pressed on your cheek.
WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU BE USING?
Now as I’ve mentioned, looking after combination skin can be a bit of a challenge. What I’d recommend is either having a different morning and night skincare routine, or using different products that target different concerns. Your cleanser could target oily skin, whilst your moisturiser combats dry.
The Gentlemen’s Tonic Daily Moisturiser – £28.00 is the perfect skincare product for those with combination skin. It’s packed full of natural essential oils that both help to protect and hydrate the skin, whilst absorbing quickly so it doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NORMAL SKIN
Normal skin is neither dry, nor oily. You’ll find that your skin doesn’t ever feel tight, doesn’t look shiny, and your skin won’t be flaky. As the year goes by, your skin will probably never change, but you might find that certain things such as weather and environment can cause your skin to react.
HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE NORMAL SKIN
If you’ve tried all the methods above and you’ve not noticed anything unusual, your skin type will be normal. However, it’s still important to have a skincare routine to keep your skin balanced.
WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU BE USING?
Switch it up depending on the time of year, and if anything, make sure you use a cleanser. You could even try adding an eye cream or a serum to your skincare routine to help your complexion look brighter.
I’d suggest trying the Gentlemen’s Tonic Advanced Derma-Care Revitalise Eye Cream – £89.00. It’s packed full of anti-oxidants the help reduce the appearance of dark circles and smooth fine lines around the eye. After all, no one says no to looking more awake!
FINAL THOUGHTS…
Hopefully, by now you’re in a position to understand your skin type and have a couple of products you can use to get started. Having a skincare routine that is bespoke to your skin type is really important – it’ll help keep your skin in tip-top condition, and looking its best. Next time; let’s tackle skin concerns!
If you have any further questions, you can ask me or Gentlemen’s Tonic on Twitter, or even pop into their salon in Mayfair for an incredible facial and some personal skincare advice.