Men’s Skincare Routine

Allison Sarachene

March 10, 2017

By Candace Sanders

Over the past several months, the idea of beauty has strayed away from its women-only exclusiveness. Men wearing makeup, as well as taking care of their skin, has become more mainstream and acceptable, while brands like Covergirl, Maybelline and most recently Rimmel London have all made men the faces of their ad campaign. This trend has led to a new focus on products designed specifically for males.

Skin care is an important step in any beauty routine for anyone, and stress from school as well as hormones can cause acne and abruptions with the skin. There seems to always be a new buzz about products specifically designed for girls, but what about when it comes to men?

Kent State senior Tim Jaikissoon isn’t a newbie to skincare, as he’s been making his skin a priority since high school.

“When I was younger, I had really bad acne,” said Jaikissoon. “I hated the way I looked, so I decided to do something about it.”

Although skin problems are mostly hereditary, simple steps can be taken that can have a huge impact on your skin.

Jaikissoon first focused on his diet, and cut out sugar and soda from his diet focusing on clean eating.

“I drink a lot of water and try to get at least 120 fluid ounces of it every day,” he said. “The only sugar foods I eat are the good ones are fruits and vegetables, and I stay away from fried foods.”

Jaikissoon said it wasn’t hard for him to eat healthy, as he was determined to start liking the way he looked and would do anything to gain self confidence.

A next obvious step to skin care is the products you use. For men, body washes, acne creams and lotions are vital to keeping a healthy glow.

In 2016, Men’s Health magazine held their annual Grooming Awards, and among the winners were brands like Cetaphil, Nivea Men and Neutrogena. Products ranged from lotion, exfoliating body wash and face wash.

Jaikissoon mentioned that Clearasil face wash is a favorite of his, and uses it daily to keep his face fresh and clear.

Once into a routine, taking care of your skin can lead to other areas of your life. From school work to even working out, it can create motivation to better yourself in more than just the way you look.

The goal is a vision, and taking a step back and reflecting on the choices you make daily can play into how you feel about yourself. In a way, it’s refreshing to see that men and women are alike in this aspect; we all have self confidence issues in one way or another, and skin isn’t a new matter.

Breaking the barrier that makeup isn’t just for girls, neither is skin care. As for Jaikissoon, he believes taking care of his skin has positively affected him.