A Gentleman’s Guide to Winter Skin Care!

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire. While we are it, winters are also time for going that extra mile when it comes to skin care.

Winters are time for special skin-care.

So gents, whip out your note-taking app on your phone, for this is going to be your one and the only comprehensive guide to sail through this season with awesome, healthy vibrant skin.

Effective Winter Skin-Care is not just one thing. (img source : elitesportsplays.com)

1. Top of the list, without which everything else crumbles, is awareness about your skin type. Indian skin profiles go from Oily, shiny to dry and tight, with a majority of men dealing with a combination skin type. I have an oily T-zone, which means my nose and forehead are usually quite oily and shiny when i wake up and my cheeks are usually dry. If you have a similar skin type, proper cleansing and exfoliating are somethings you just cannot compromise upon, as they help to open up the pores and help removing dirt and dead skin from the surface. Use a facial scrub once or twice a week rather then daily to avoid aggravating dry winter skin.
2. Use a Facewash which will hydrate and nourish your skin. Products with Argan oil are a must try as they keep the facial skin well hydrated and healthier for longer.
3. Moisturize, Yes please!, Your skins best friend during winters HAS to be the Moisturizer, whether it be your face, your hands, your body or your feet. Winters in India are notorious at wreaking havoc on men’s skin as we never or at best hardly consider it important. The one age-old routine of massaging in mustard oil and basking in the winter sun has also slowly gone out of fashion because of all the pitfalls putting copious amounts of oil has. That being said there are a number of moisturizers today, tailor-made for Indian men which are a must have. When moisturizing your face, take note of your skin type and remember that the secret to a long, healthy, well-nourished skin is a routine moisturizing schedule.

These 3 simple steps are the foundation for a great skin care routine. If you are still backing the moustache and beard, we’ve got you covered on essential whiskers care as well. You will definitely need to add a bit more to your care regime. Keep things simple by following these two steps –  1) Use a beard shampoo when you shower, this will clean the beard hair thoroughly and keep it healthy. 2) Use a beard oil after washing. Beard oils help to reduce beard dandruff (it’s a thing) and also moisturize the beard hairs and skin below.

For those of you sporting an evening shadow stubble or a clean shaven look, there are some handy tips for you guys too.

1. Post the cleansing ritual, splash your face with some warm water, multi-task in the hot shower by shaving simultaneously or if thats not an option dab your face with a warm soaked towel before shaving. This will help in opening up the pores, making your whiskers softer and easier to remove.
2. Use a modest amount of a pre-shaving cream, gel or mousse to keep the skin moist and warm thus preventing excessive irritation.
3. Massage in a shave gel and invest in a good razor.

Rounding up a great skin care regime for the winters are the following tips:

1. Do not overlook the importance of a sunscreen, even in winter. This will prevent damage to the skin and prevent premature ageing.
2. Do take care of them eyes. Yes, winters are the time when dark circles become more prominent, so investing in a eye roll-on will not be amiss during winters as they will reduce swelling around the eyes and protect the skin around them.
3. Dry, cracked lips does no body any good gents, our recommendation, if you are looking to get lucky under the mistletoe this year, is to use a lip balm with SPF to keep them soft and protected from the winter sun.
4. Moisturize your hands and fingers. All the driving and riding around leads to callused hands and dry cracked hands do not a good impression make.
   

   Taking care of Dry Cracked Hands in Winter is a Must. (img source: bellasante.com)
   

5. Keep the top of your head properly nourished as well, as winters is when the dry flaky scalp rears its ugly head. If you do not want an itchy dry scalp, invest in a good hair oil or lotion to help you sail through the winters.

Fundamental to all of this, is to remember that your skin at the end of the day is an organ and its constituent cells are made up of water, so keeping hydrated is something which is important even from within. We suggest not counting hot comforting winter special drinks like hot cocoa and coffee as hydration and drinking sufficient amounts of water for a total skin care regime.

Drink Water to keep skin well hydrated. (img source: water2water.com)

Winter presents its own set of unique challenges when it comes to proper skin care, follow this handy guide, fine tune your daily routine a bit and you’ll soon emerge victorious against dry skin.

Go and Conquer Winter guys.

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