Introduce Your Man To Organic Skincare

If you’re a Man looking for the right organic skincare (or a woman buying for their son, husband, boyfriend, uncle, nephew, friend or lover) you'll want to know what ingredients you should look out for and what should you be wary of.

So do Men need different products to Women – or can we share our bathroom cabinets and shelves?

Good natural skin care is no longer reserved solely for women.  Men’s skincare sales are on the rise as more and more realize how important it is to look after their skin. Increasingly, Men are starting to question the products they are using and they are looking for more natural men's skincare solutions and rightly so, because reactions to synthetic & chemical ingredients are on the increase.

Well just with all skincare, there are some ingredients I personally like to stay clear of (see my blog on this subject) but the top traitors for Men & Women’s skin (in my opinion) are petrochemicals, parabens, harsh detergents like Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, synthetic colours and synthetic fragrances. All these things can cause irritation and bad reactions and now we have so much choice available to us and a wealth of beautiful, effective natural raw materials - personally I avoid products that use these ingredients and I don’t use them in my own natural skincare formulations either.

There are lots of mens skincare brands that produce ranges especially for Men.  Sometimes the actual products in the ranges are identical to the Women’s range – but they are in different packaging.  Sometimes the fragrances are different and sometimes the products are formulated specifically for Men – for example Shaving products.

With a few exceptions, it’s absolutely fine for Men and Women to use the same skincare products.  The important factor is to choose products that are suitable for your (or the man you are buying for) skin.  If your skin is on the dry side look for products that are rich and hydrating (ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Evening Primrose oil, Avocado oil, Argan oil are good) – products like Thirsty Work moisturiser and Repair & Renew face oil are perfect.

If you have oilier skin look for lighter products that will balance your skin’s natural sebum production and oils high in Omega 3 & 6 (for example thistle, rosehip, kiwi & Chia Seed Oils are all good).

Balancing Act is a lightweight anti-ageing moisturiser that will help fight the signs of ageing and keep wrinkles at bay but it will also help balance the oiliness in your skin thanks to a special alpine plant extract.

Men shouldn’t shy away from cleansing their skin – okay so you might not need to remove make-up but your skin still gets dirty and removing daily grime and dirt is an essential part of Mens’  skincare.  There’s little point in investing in a good moisturiser, serum or oil and applying it to dirty skin.

Many of my male customers prefer a wash off cleanser that they can use in the shower.  A non-foaming face wash like Sweet Cheeks is ideal as it removes daily dirt and grime without stripping the skin and leaving it feeling dry and tight.  It’s great for all skin types, is quick and easy to use and is mild enough to be used every day.

A twice weekly exfoliator will help keep your skin looking bright and healthy and it also helps to unblock pores. If you have dull skin look for products that will brighten your complexion. Scrub Up contains natural fruit acids (Alpha Hydroxy Acids or AHAs) that are good at sloughing off dead dull skin and will encourage the production of healthy new skin cells.

Of course there is one element of skincare that is exclusive for Men and that is facial shaving.  Shaving can really irritate the skin and leave it feeling raw, delicate, sore and irritated.  Select a soothing after shave serum to calm down your skin.  Natural anti-inflammatories include comfrey, chamomile, calendula & Seabuckthorn.

These natural raw materials will help calm down redness, sooth irritations and heal shaving nicks.  Seabuckthorn is a particularly versatile raw material that plays a leading role in Save Our Skin after shave serum – it soothes, heals calms, repairs, and it’s also regenerating.

So all in all, look for products that contain natural and organic raw materials, avoid synthetic and petroleum based products and feel free to share your bathroom cabinet with a Woman – or make your products last a little longer by saving it all for yourself!