The Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine For Men
As we get older, our bodies age - this is an unavoidable fact of life. And along with our bodies aging, our skin also starts to show signs of wear and tear as the years go on. Common signs of aging include wrinkles, “saggy” skin, crow’s feet, sun damage, fine lines, and an overall loss of volume. Both men and women experience skin aging, but there are certain ingredients to be aware of to help prevent further aging of the skin and restore skin’s health and youthfulness.
We’ve pulled together a simple anti-aging skincare guide that men can follow that will keep the skin on your face and body soft, help target fine lines, a loss of volume, and other signs of aging - continue reading to see what we recommend!
What causes skin aging? How getting older effects our skin
First, let’s talk about what causes the skin to age. How fast your skin ages depends on many factors - including lifestyle, diet, genetics, and other personal habits. A lifetime of good habits or bad habits can all have an effect on how the skin on your face looks and feels as you get older. Here are some common factors that influences skin aging:
Sun Damage: Photo-aging from the sun is a major influence on how your skin will look when you get older. According to Web MD, “over time, the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light damages certain fibers in the skin called elastin. The breakdown of elastin fibers causes the skin to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to snap back after stretching.”
It’s never too late to wear sunscreen every day and cover up your face to prevent further sun damage from aging your skin.
Genetics: Unfortunately, genetics are something we have little control over, but they do contribute to how your skin (and body) will age. You can learn more about your genetic predispositions to aging by speaking with your family members - when did they begin to see wrinkles and other signs of skin aging?
Pollution: Living in a polluted city can contribute to skin aging. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you protect yourself and your skin from factors like debris, smoke, and polluted air. You can check the pollution and air quality levels in your city using this site. Living somewhere with clean air is not only better for your skin, but better for your overall health, as well.
Stress: A stressful lifestyle can show signs of aging on the face. According to Insider, “Stress can cause wrinkles to form because high amounts of cortisol, the stress hormone, can break down the skin's collagen and elastin. Research has found that chronic stress can increase inflammation, causing skin aging and accelerating the formation of wrinkles.” One more reason to practice healthy habits and keep your stress levels under control!
What are some ingredients that are recommended for aging skin?
There are some tried and true ingredients that help not only prevent sun damage and further signs of aging, but may even help to lessen the effects of aging. Here are some of our recommended ingredients to look for in anti-aging skincare products:
Vitamin C: It’s one of the most popular skincare ingredients for a reason. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that counteracts and protects against free radical damage on the skin. It can also help lighten dark spots when used over a longer period of time.
Retinoids: An essential in any anti-aging skincare routine, retinol and other retinoids have evidence to back their claims of anti-aging: “topical retinoids (including retinol) cause your skin to speed up its normal cell-turnover process, meaning that it will shed skin cells more quickly. That helps tackle issues like fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and acne. Researchers also think retinol can help increase collagen production, which reduces signs of aging.” (John G. Zampella, M.D., assistant professor in the Ronald O. Perelman department of dermatology at NYU Langone Health.)
Sunscreen: We’ve already touched on this, but we cannot stress how important it is to wear SPF every day to prevent further sun damage and skin aging! Try to use at least SPF 30 or higher, and make sure to reapply throughout the day, especially if you’re going to be outside in the sun.
Example anti-aging skincare routine for men
Here’s an easy anti-aging skincare routine to follow for men that won’t take up much of your time and will target signs of aging.
Step 1: Cleanse
Both morning and night, it’s important to clean your skin to remove debris, pollution and grime and give yourself a clean canvas to apply the rest of your skincare routine. We love our Better Bean Clean Face Coffee Cleanser for this purpose - it also helps exfoliate the skin and reveal a glowy complexion.
Step 2: Treat
The next step in your routine should be some kind of treatment. In the morning, your best bet is to use a Vitamin C serum like this Lighten Up Brighten Up Serum that’s enriched with Organic Green Coffee and Rose Hip and uses these key ingredients known to alleviate the look of fine lines, uneven pigmentation and dryness.
In the evenings, a prescription retinol which you can get from your dermatologist is a great treatment step for anti-aging. Talk to your doctor to see what form of retinol will work for your skin.
Step 3: Moisturize
Follow with a rich anti-aging cream or moisturizer that will help smooth fine lines and wrinkles, keeping your skin plump and restoring youthfulness. This cream is one of our favorites for this reason!
Step 4: SPF (mornings)
The last step of your morning skincare routine should be SPF! We can’t stress it enough. A drugstore SPF is fine, but make sure it has at least SPF 30.
Weekly Treatments:
Finally, as a way to treat yourself and your skin, you can incorporate some weekly treatments in your skincare routine, like face masks or under eye masks. Make sure they have hydrating ingredients to keep your skin moisturized and soft.
As you can see, there are many factors that influence skin aging. But with healthy lifestyle choices and the right skincare routine, it is possible to keep your skin looking healthy and restore some of that youthfulness in the skin. If you’ve started to experience signs of skin aging, what are some of your favorite ingredients and products to use to help treat and prevent?
