Not all facial cleansers are created equal. The needs of a woman's skin are different than that of a man's, so they require different facial cleansers. This article will look into the things that a man needs in his facial cleanser, and will suggest some ways to find them.
Is your man too “manly” to admit he needs some skin care advice? Or does he just use your products when he thinks you’re not looking? But wait, it turns out your man might have different skin needs that require different products. And while he knows well enough to avoid using your tinted moisturizers, he may need to get his own facial cleanser.
We all know men’s skin is different from women’s skin. Men grow more facial hair, for one thing. If you have ever felt a man’s face, you might notice it feels tougher. The areas where he shaves, such as the cheeks, are highly sensitive and irritated from all that scraping. Men’s skin actually has more collagen and elastin beneath the surface. They have more pores and the male hormone causes them to produce more oils.
Does this mean men’s facial cleansers would have a different formulation to deal with the excess oil? If you compare men’s products to women’s products, you might notice a few differences in ingredients…or you might not.
The biggest difference is that the number of women’s skin care products clearly out numbers those for the men. A search for the popular brand, Neutrogena, reveals at least 5 pages of skin care products for women, but only an abbreviated short-list of products for men. Women have many options for facial cleansers, lotions, toners, and special night treatments or eye products. Men have about one choice for each.
A comparison of the list of ingredients for Neutrogena acne facial cleanser for men versus a similar product for women showed the cleanser for women contained a higher percentage of salicylic acid (2% compared to 1.5%). The list of ingredients in the women’s facial cleansers were nearly always longer than that for men’s products, and the ingredients in facial cleansers for women included more fragrances and what appear to be plant-derived ingredients (aloe, flower extracts). The men’s facial cleanser list of ingredients really “got down to business” quickly; after water, the next ingredient was a surfactant or cleanser, followed by a few more cleansing agents. Oddly, the next most abundant ingredient (second to water) in some women’s facial cleansers were emulsifiers or silicone fluid.
Other brands of facial cleansers for men had longer lists of ingredients; most mentioned being “safe for sensitive skin” in reference to men having to shave often. A lot of men’s facial cleansers advertised the “tingling” feeling, which is a bit odd since it really has no meaning; the “tingling” sensation comes from the alcohol or mint/menthol in the cleanser evaporating from skin.
Men complain about acne, too. The market for men’s facial cleansers does contain anti-acne treatments and scrubs. Again, there were definitely fewer options for men than for women. A wider internet search finally revealed some more facial cleanser options for men. An interesting detail was men’s products that contained glycolic acids and alpha hydroxy acids were advertised as being excellent “shaving preparations”; note that those same ingredients in women’s facial cleansers would call them “anti aging” or “exfoliating.” Men’s products also contained essential oils, such as mint, tea tree, and lavender. They may be included since men’s skin tend to be oily.
Overall, the choices for men’s facial products are much more limited than for women. In the drugstore especially, men are usually limited to a handful of facial cleansers. An overall search and comparison of men and women’s facial cleanser show the same types of ingredients. However, men’s cleansers tend to contain less fragrances, perhaps because men’s skin is irritated by shaving. In contrast, men’s products have more “cooling” ingredients as well as astringents to combat men’s natural oiliness. Lastly, and most amusing, men’s facial products and scrubs are described in “manly terms” in terms of shaving, rather than exfoliation or “skin renewal” as women’s products tend to be described. Since there are men’s options out in the market, it may be worth your man’s time to try out some options for him.
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