Men’s skin care advice needed. This may be off-topic so I apologize in advance.

southernmusicboi · 2023-01-01T15:37:21+00:00

As a guy who has finally conquered several skin issues, here’s what I’ve learned from the last 5ish years:

Dr Squatch: I’ve had success with the same types of soaps but much cheaper. Usually from places like TJ Maxx, Ross, etc. They sell overstocked name brands for much less and have always had charcoal/man soap. Don’t waste money on Dr Squatch unless there’s a promotion to sample it to see if it’s actually better than what you can get elsewhere. I stick with no scented or a light man scent. The less the scent, the less my skin itches and yes, it definitely does make you feel more confident.

Daily moisturizer helps me feel more confident and less itchy too. Non-scented, especially if your soap is already scented.

Light to no cologne helps. If you combine cologne smell with deodorant, soap, shampoo, lotion, etc…they all come off too strong and you feel more like a middle schooler than a confident man. Just have a good deodorant, good man soap, and maybe one spray of cologne and you’ll feel better without having an Axe scent from a mile away.

Sorry if I’m giving TMI or things you didn’t want, but I’ve found that having a daily routine with this kind of stuff really does help your confidence. I had severe face acne and body itching well into my late 20s, so this kind of stuff really did boost my confidence once I got it under control consistently.

Stunning-Cost-5752 · 2023-01-01T15:32:09+00:00

I see their ads as promoting the "man child" and " doesn't know how to wash himself" trope so I'd never give them a dime plenty of good soap out there

N3IVO · 2023-01-01T15:56:59+00:00

Keep your soap simple. I use a bar made with coconut, lavender and rosemary oil, sulphate free.

ehWoc · 2023-01-01T15:37:30+00:00

It's best to see a dermatologist, or at least a cosmetician, and let them help you find your skin routine and the products that are made for your specific skin type

KunKhmerBoxer · 2023-01-01T17:10:22+00:00

It's a massive scam that put money into advertising their product. If I'm not mistaken, their soap comes from another company that sells the same stuff called the soap guy. They just don't pay for all the ads like the other does.

Tldr. It's a scam. Repackeged soap from the soap guy, and they scrub negative reviews from the web as much as they can afford.

great_cornholio_13 · 2023-01-01T20:16:37+00:00

I got a subscription that was supposed to last 3 months. Nothing lasted the 3 months apart from the shampoo which lasted 6.

The products were good quality and smelt nice, but I couldn't justify continuing to pay that price.

VindictivePrune · 2023-01-01T20:15:38+00:00

General rule of thumb: if they advertise that much their product is overpriced fue to marketing costs and likely downdt have enough quality to stand on its own. See manscaped for example

Typo_Cat · 2023-01-01T19:38:54+00:00

Hey! I'm a woman but I've had skin issues in my childhood and early adulthood that I've conquered, and I live with my husband who has delved into better skin care and face washing techniques. He works in a laboratory with inorganic materials, so he's exposed to dirt and such a lot, and had a lot of breakouts and stuff on his face as a result, so we've worked together to get a nice routine so he doesn't feel so gross because he doesn't like that, understandably so.

For starters, assuming you shave, be sure to get a high quality aftershave and shaving cream, and don't use cheaper razors. This alone helps your skin underneath that hair. My husband's face is always super smooth and smells nice after every shave as a result. He also uses a reusable safety razor instead of disposables. He uses some stuff bought online, from a site known as Fendrihan; he uses Proraso shaving cream and Personna Platinum blades. I believe his aftershave is also from Proraso and it has a eucalyptus smell so it's super nice but not super girly or anything, if that's a concern for you. He'll also use the good old standard Old Spice too depending on how he feels. Getting the right blades and creams that are gentler for your skin really helps, and he also hasn't had issues with patching or ingrowns on his face ever since doing this change. If you don't shave, get a good beard oil to keep it nice and healthy!

If I'm personally having an acne breakout due to hormones or otherwise, I do like to use a gentle scented antibacterial soap with a cloth and rub it into my face, followed with something that has some salicylic acid. It helps to exfoliate the skin so anything else you put on it after can have a better effect. During a shower both him and I will use a soft padded mesh sponge with some skin-healthy soaps to wash our faces too. I like using Dial Hydrating Body Wash, specifically the spring water scent, since I do have sensitive skin and other scents and textures actually irritate my skin. We like using those scrunchy bath sponge things for our bodies too.

I'd also suggest investing in a pumice stone to scrape off those weird little buildup patches on your face or body too, it's also a great exfoliator too so you can follow with your normal washing routine. This way you get rid of some of that gunky stuff; both of us get buildup of skin in the corner of our noses sometimes, and the stone gets rid of that stuff no problem.

Furthermore we use some of those natural soaps with things such as lavender and fruit extracts and whatnot to moisturize our skin and feet especially, and they can be used on your face too. There's also lip balms with these materials from these kinds of stores to help dry lips, or even to help acne breakouts. It's a nice thing to apply after showering and is safe for all kinds of skin sensitivities. Where I live we use Rocky Mountain Soap Co, but this is likely just in Canada. But stores similar to that are definitely worth checking out; the products may be a bit more expensive but they absolutely last and will make your skin smooth and you'll smell like a gentle floral dude who's ready to take on the world.

Best of luck, and if you need to experiment with a few soaps, definitely do so! Every body is different. Neither of us can speak on Dr. Squatch, but my husband has been fine and has great skin now without ever trying a single product, so I figure anyone else can too.

NullIsUndefined · 2023-01-02T02:07:01+00:00

I would ask a dermatologist. When I went to a dermatologist one time for a persistent rash (due to the atopic dermatitis condition). They recommended a few general tips for taking care of your skin.

Do not use soap, use cleaner. Cetaphil is the brand they recommend. Comes in a bar or a bottle. I don't exactly remember the difference between cleanser and soap, but I assume soap strips some additional stuff off of your skin that it actual needs, like oils and moisture.
Do not shower with hot water. Use lukewarm or better, cold water to prevent drying out the skin. In fact, you may be showing too often.
Shower after you work out, as soon as possible to get the sweat off
You don't need to shower every day, if you didn't work out, you can probably skip a day's shower.
Avoid allergens like pets, dust, pollen or anything you suspect you may be allergic to (atopic dermatitis can be triggered by this)
Moisturizers are okay, I ended up using coconut oil. I do not remember why or if the recommended that. But I have heard of moisturizer addition, where your skin will stop producing its own moisturizer if you use it too much, same thing happens with chap sticks I believe. So use as little as you need.

Lukedriftwood · 2023-01-01T16:38:35+00:00

Avoid soap alltogether - the surfactant isn't gentle enough and can easily irritate skin.

Get some proper facial wash for example Cerave. Use moisturiser afterwards and put on sunscreen (SPF30 and up) during the day.

pappo4ever · 2023-01-01T21:18:59+00:00

Men skin is not really that sensitive you can use soap, shampoo, even dish detergent, anything will work. Its all the same soap with different perfumes added.

NameIs-Already-Taken · 2023-01-01T16:29:02+00:00

Buy some soap. Try it. Use it or get something else.

Perfectimperfectguy · 2023-01-01T19:23:42+00:00

Dr Squatch has some good soaps, like Fresh Falls, Aloe, and Bay Rum(I'm a grown ass man and if i wanna smell like coconut then i fuckin will). I usually buy one from all scents and try them and pick a few. Pine Tar, Coconut Castaway, Alpine Sage, Wood barrel bourbon, Fresh Falls and Cold Brew cleanse are my go-to. They may be over-rated but i like them.

cloudhead7 · 2023-01-02T00:02:08+00:00

If there’s a bath and body works near you go for one of their moisturizing body washes. There’s scents for men too. They’re the best and gentle on the skin

mikesteane · 2023-01-02T00:02:08+00:00

I've never heard of this product, but I have absolutely no doubt it will be a waste of your money.

If you wish for the sizzle they are trying to sell you, you have to earn it. Look after your skin by eating healthy food.

ThatGIRLkimT · 2023-01-02T04:18:35+00:00

My bf use dove soap and Nivea lotion

conrad612 · 2023-01-02T05:25:13+00:00

I've used Dr. Squatch soap and had a good experience with it. Their bars moisturize pretty well and I really like the scents. You can probably get a similar experience from other brands for less money but I felt like squatch was generally worth what I paid for it.

Jealous_Raccoon976 · 2023-01-02T12:30:30+00:00

If you are serious about skin care, then you should use products with rigorous scientific evidence for efficacy. Don't fall for marketing. This is what dermatologists recommend: 1) Use sunscreen everytime you go outside, even in winter. UV radiation is ageing. 2) Get a subscription for a prescription retinoid. There are board certified dermatologists who offer this service online. 3) Use a moisturiser; 4) If you need to wash your face, and water alone is not adequate, use a 'hydrating' facewash.

If you can only do one of these things, use a sunscreen! Even if you have a dark skin complexion. If you have bad genetics, i.e, your parents have aged badly, use a sunscreen!

Damienslair · 2023-01-05T06:04:05+00:00

You don’t need special soaps targeted towards men specifically. They simply overcharge for soap that you can get much cheaper.

Title	Men’s skin care advice needed. This may be off-topic so I apologize in advance.
Author	readndrun
Upvotes	89
Comments	38
Date	January 1, 2023 3:14 PM UTC (3 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/100lmf2/mens_skin_care_advice_needed_this_may_be_offtopic/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/mens-skin-care-advice-needed-this-may-be-off-topic.1147683 https://theredarchive.com/post/1147683

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