Men’s Skin: 5 Ways It’s Different To Women’s

Take a quick look around the cosmetics department and you may notice that the number of products geared towards men’s skin and their specific concerns is growing in leaps and bounds.  The skin care industry has taken note that men are increasingly interested in taking care of how they look as they age. Apart from bolder packaging and the absence of a pretty fragrance, are the products any different than what women use?  How is a man’s skin different than a woman’s?  Let’s see…

1. Men’s Skin is Hairier
Perhaps that’s stating the obvious but having to shave every day or two really takes its toll on the skin in the form of dryness and ingrown hairs.  A good moisturizer with an AHA will soothe the skin as well as exfoliate to remove dead skin cells that may block the hair tip.

2. Men’s Skin is Oilier
In general, men have larger pores that continue to produce more oil after puberty than women’s skin.  The upside is that it is less dry and doesn’t show the effects of neglect.  The downside is that men are more prone to acne breakouts that last longer.  Aim for a cleanser that removes excess oil in a soap-free formulation that won’t strip the skin of moisture. 

3. Men Have Thicker Skin
Compared to a woman’s, a man’s skin is about 25% thicker.  As men age, their skin thins gradually over time while women’s stays relatively constant until menopause when the fluctuation of hormone levels brings on significant changes. 

4. Men’s Skin is More Sensitive
It may seem like a bit of a paradox, having thicker and yet more sensitive skin, but this goes hand-in-hand with having to shave so often.  Razor burn, nicks and cuts all wear away the protective acid mantle, allowing bacteria and irritants to penetrate the skin. 

5. Men’s Skin Has a Higher Collagen Density
Linked to testosterone levels, men have a higher collagen density.  Not exactly fair, but this partly explains why men seem to age slower than women.  Although we both lose collagens levels at approximately the same rate of 1% per year, this escalates for women at menopause.

Regardless of the differences in skin, both men and women need to start with the same basic skin routine of cleansing, protecting with a sunscreen daily, and preventing damage with an antioxidant. There’s certainly no harm in men using the same products that women do but multi-tasking treatments may appeal more to a man’s no-fuss mentality.  Our top pick would be Apothekari’s Cloud 9 Foaming Cleansing Crème; it cleans without drying, is fragrance-free to minimize irritation and has the added bonus of antioxidants, something more commonly found in serums that men may not include in their daily routine.  As moisturizers go, both Neostrata’s Soothing Moisturizer for Men and La Roche Posay’s Hydraphase UV do a great job in combining hydration with built-in UVA and UVB protection in a one-step product.

Think the man in your life is too stuck in his ways?  One of our staffers has finally managed to get her husband of nearly 20 years to use a proper facial cleanser (not the bar of soap in the shower) and a moisturizer with sunscreen by means of gentle reminding (nagging)  and strategic product placement (under his nose).   See, ladies, there’s hope.