I’ll admit to you, as I’m feeling confessional at this very moment, in one particular way I’m a tad cavalier with my beauty products…I don’t only use products ‘designed for men’. Shock! Horror! I know, huh? It’s a living, breathing, outrage isn’t it? I ‘have a go’ at loads of different things and then use the ones that I like. Call me contrary but that’s economics 101 for you…
But, with my civilian duty hat on, I feel it’s only right and proper for me to point out to you that, at least where skin is concerned, there are apparently a few subtle differences to be aware of. Whether it’ll make you stick to your gender specific products or not is, as ever, completely up to you…
Testosterone clearly causes heaps more facial hair but it also causes an increase in the thickness of the skin. The texture is tougher and sebum (oil) production is higher as is the density of collagen! Lord, you’d think all men should have the best skin till a ripe old age! However, much fewer men than women are savvy to the whole sunscreen thing and invariably don’t use a daily product (such as moisturiser) that contains any sunscreen. That deadly UV adds years to anyone and will soon negate any head start men have. Be warned ladies and gents…get your man SPF’d!
As the years trundle by men’s skin will become thinner but women’s skin suffers further still. The collagen decreases to a larger extent than in men and the loss of estrogen (after menopause), which had been previously supporting the resilience of women’s skin, means their skin may appear more aged than a man of the same age with similar sun exposure.
Men’s skin has smaller sebaceous glands apparently (but is nonetheless oiler…so contrary!) and as these gateways (pores) are the way active ingredients penetrate the surface of the skin to do their thing, this will be reflected in the formulation of the product (one hopes…). A word about pores though…the size of them is largely hereditary (another thing to blame your parents for) or related to the oil gland within or the hair follicle, so the only way to minimise them is to minimise how noticeable they are. They become evident because they are blocked (and I’m afraid age is a factor too…they sag eventually like everything else) so having a regular exfoliating regime is important. Incidentally, blackheads aren’t dirt as some people suspect but the result of an oxidisation process within an excessively clogged pore and should be extracted by a professional ideally (also prevented by careful and regular exfoliation…it’s all about exfoliation!)
Now, get this…men’s skin is also more delicate! I know! Men all over the place are hrumphing, adjusting their tackle and slamming down their pints…! But in truth the more outdoorsey a bloke is the more damaged and thrashed his skin is. Shaving flays away the protective upper layer of the skin each time and then the sun (if you live outside of the UK, obviously!), wind, water, salt, chemicals in the air etc all relentlessly attack our proud hero’s face…poor darling…
So do we assume that men’s products take into account the extra oil, the smaller sebaceous glands, the thicker and sensitised skin? Hmmm…I suppose we do, especially in higher end product ranges. I think I’d better go ask a few representatives and see what they have to say for themselves…?!
Watch this space…