Welcome Friends! We don’t know everyone’s background and how experienced they are with taking care of their skin. Some of you have done research and understand how to use men’s face wash. But for our new reader’s, there is alot you need to catch up on to optimize your face wash routine. In this guide, we are going to give away some of our best tips on how to wash your face. This way, both types of guy’s can benefit from this guide. Experienced or beginners.
A final note. This face wash guide will be the first building block for a healthy skin care routine. From here, you can keep adding more blocks to improve your skin. We will explain more skin care building blocks in other chapters of the series.
Alright. Let’s get to it!
The Basics
Why Should You Wash Your Face?
The starting point for any man’s skin care routine is always with face wash. Always. Whether you are waking up in the morning or getting ready for bed, you want to wash your face. The reason you do want to is because of oil, dirt, and dead skin. No matter what we do, oil and dirt will get on our faces. Dirt can pile up from being in contact with something that is not clean. While oil can build up naturally by your body’s normal function. Dead skin can stack up once old cells die and new cells are born. All of these things can cause acne breakouts and other problems if you allow them to build up. Therefore, cleansing your face will prevent acne and other issues like clogged pores or ingrown hairs.
How Often Should You Wash Your Face?
In general, dermatologists recommend that you wash your face two times a day in the AM or PM. This is according to the golden twice a day rule. However, there is more to consider when deciding how much you wash your face. Here are three considerations for how often men should wash their faces.
1. Skin Type
All guys are different. The type of facial skin you were born with will determine how much to wash your face. Starting with dry or sensitive skin. If you have one of these skin types, then you should wash your face less. On the other hand, if you have combination skin or oily skin, then you can cleanse more often. Washing more often will remove the excess oil on your face. Too much oil could clog up your pores or cause other skin issues.
2. Activity Level
Exercise and being physically fit will provide you with healthier skin. However, the additional activity means you should wash your face more often. The reason is when you sweat from exercise, your face will trap more dirt and bacteria into your pores. To keep your face clean after a workout, it is recommended by dermatologists that you cleanse your face.
3. Environment
Where you live determines how much you want to wash your face. For example, if you live in a tropical or humid climate, you tend to sweat more. The sweat can cause more dirt to collect and oil on your face. Therefore, experts recommend washing your face more often if you live in a warmer environment. In contrast, living somewhere cooler where there is less humidity in the air. In colder climates, you should wash your face less to prevent irritation and drying your skin out.
Below is a table summarizing how often you should wash your face.
| 1x Per Day | 2x Per Day | Morning | Night | As Necessary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Or Sensitive Skin | Y | Y | |||
| Oily Or Acne-Prone Skin | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Combination Skin | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Physically Active | Y | Y | Y | Y |
How To Use Men’s Gel Facial Cleanser
To properly wash skin for men, dermatologists recommend following these four steps for a man’s cleansing routine.
Step 1. Dampen Face With Water
The first step during your morning or evening wash is to dampen your skin with lukewarm warm water. The lukewarm warm water will open up your pores. Open pores will allow the cleanser to effectively clear away excess oil, dirt, and other impurities from your skin. Note, do not use hot water to avoid burning skin.
Step 2. Use The 20 Second Rule
After dampening your face, take a dime-sized amount of cleanser and apply to different areas of your face. Apply facial cleanser to your neck, chin, cheeks, nose, and forehead. Rub cleanser into each area in a circular motion for approximately 20 seconds until a lather is created.
BowTied Pro Tip: Use a facial cleansing brush or device to cleanse your face and prevent acne. This will exfoliate your skin while washing.
Try this facial cleansing brush: Vanity Planet Raedia Facial Cleansing Brush
Step 3. Rinse With Cool Water
After creating a lather, rinse off your face wash or facial cleanser with cool water. Using cold water will close your pores. Closing your pores will help retain moisture and keep your face hydrated and fresh.
Step 4. Use A Face Towel
If you are not in the shower already, use a soft towel to dry off your face. This towel should be separate from your body towel. Keeping a separate face towel will prevent any dead skin or germs being passed to your face from your body towel.
BowTied Pro Tip: The same above process is appropriate for using face wash on black men’s skin as well.
Cleansing Face Properly By Skin Type
Face washes or cleansers balance cleaning and hydration benefits. Some can clear away dirt, oil, and dead skin better. Others hydrate and moisturize your skin better. The best facial cleanser for you depends on your skin type.
For reference here are the different types of skin.
You have dry skin if: Skin usually feels itchy and tight. Rarely shows any excess oil. Occasionally, your skin may be flaky.
You have oily skin if: Skin has the appearance of a sheen or shininess regardless of how often you cleanse. Pores appear to be wider and often visible. Tend to have more blackheads.
You have sensitive skin: Skin becomes red and irritated very easily. Shaving also causes your skin to be irritated.
Cleansing For Men With Dry Skin
Guys with drier skin should focus face washes with hydrating ingredients. One of the best hydrating ingredients is glycerin. This ingredient will allow your face to retain more moisture. Also, if you have dry skin, you want to make sure the face wash has less stripping ingredients. For example, minimizing sodium lauryl sulfate will help retain your skin’s natural oils.
Cleansing For Men With Oily Skin
If your skin is on the oily side, then you not only want to wash more often, but try to use products with alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). AHA is a chemical exfoliant that clears away dead skin cells. The reason you want to focus on cleansers with AHA is because dead skin and oil breeds acne breakouts. Once oil and dead skin become trapped in your pores, whiteheads begin to form.
Cleansing For Men With Sensitive Skin
For men with sensitive or delicate skin, the focus should be on products that soothe your skin. Ingredients that are good for sensitive skin are aloe vera and allantoin. Both will help calm any redness or skin irritation. Given your delicate skin, it also makes sense to find a gentle cleanser that hydrates and nourishes your skin. This will also prevent skin breakage. Lastly, try to avoid using very hot water if your skin is sensitive.
Cleansing For Men With Acne-Prone Skin
Having acne prone skin is not fun. Acne is caused by extra sebum production and clogged pores. Sebum is the natural oil on your outer skin layer produced by your sebaceous glands. Therefore, you want to try to control oil production by using the best face washes for preventing acne. The most useful face washes will include ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide kills acne causing bacteria while salicylic acid prevents the bacteria.
Cleansing Face With A Beard
How Do You Wash Your Face With A Beard?
Some men enjoy keeping a beard and ladies like them. If you are one of these guys then, you can wash the part of your face not covered with hair as you normally would. However, the key for men with beards is not getting the soapy and grimey water on your beard. If you allow your beard to get exposed to the soap and dirt you just cleaned off, then bacteria can grow underneath. To avoid this, rinse your face at an angle with your face directed toward the ground. This will prevent dirty water flowing down into your beard.
How Often Should You Wash Your Face To Grow A Beard?
Compared to your skin, you want to wash your beard less. For men with a beard, you should be washing your bearded face 2 to 3 times a week depending on activity. An exception to this rule is if your beard gets dirty. In that case, go ahead and wash your beard immediately.
What To Apply After Cleansing Your Face?
As mentioned at the start of this guide, washing your face is the first step in a man’s skin routine. You want to continue building on top of using face wash. The next step after washing your face is exfoliating your face with a physical or chemical exfoliant. After exfoliating you can apply toners, serums, and moisturizers to give you the best possible facial skin.
Related: Ultimate Guide To Men’s Facials
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