How To Look Younger | Skincare Mistakes Men Make

How much would you spend to look young?

Would you pay 30,000 Euros?

French President Emmanuel Macron has. In three months.

That's the bill for his MAKEUP ARTIST.

And he's not the only one…

The last French president, François Hollande, spent 10,000 Euros a month on his haircut. They called this scandal ‘Coiffeurgate'. And before you think it's just a French thing, remember Bill Clinton had his own ‘Hairgate' over his $200 haircut aboard Air Force One.

So when it comes to grooming, it seems the world's leaders may be just a little over-concerned.

But for most men, it's the opposite. Most men don't spend enough time, effort and money on their skin. It's something they don't think about until it's too late. Then in their 50s and 60s they look in the mirror and realize they look a lot older than they should. 

It's a shame, because ageism is real, and there are very simple things you can do to make sure that when you're 50 you don't look like you're 100. And if you don't do them, good luck getting a date, or starting a company, or getting a new job (especially one like President of France.)

Today I'm going to walk you through 7 of the most basic skincare mistakes that men make, and how to stop making them.

Mistake #1: Using Dirty Fingers To Pop Pimples

We've all done it, right? Even if you wash your hands, you still have germs on your fingers, and when you pop that pimple they all dive into the hole in your face and leave it more inflamed and infected than before.

Instead, try these simple pimple-popping tricks.

Wash your face with a clean washcloth. If the pimple is ready to pop then this is all the pressure it should need.

Apply a cold compress or a cold wet teabag for 3-5 minutes multiple times a day to reduce the inflammation.

Use cotton swabs instead of your fingers to apply pressure. Press downwards, don't squeeze — squeezing pushes infection further in.

Find a spot treatment solution that has 1-2 % salicylic acid. You might need to look in (whispers) the women's aisle. But when you find this, if you leave it on overnight it opens up the pores to drain the pimple and reduce the irritation.

Mistake #2: Not Going To An Esthetician

Let's get the spelling straight here. Estheticians and aestheticians are both licensed skin specialists who analyze and cleanse skin. Aestheticians work in medical settings, but estheticians work at spas, where you can walk in with no appointment and get a skin exfoliation, massage, and aromatherapy, or a facial for a relatively low price.

But it's not just about the treatment they can give. It's about their experience. If you've got dry skin, rough skin, redness after shaving, whatever your issue, they've probably seen hundreds like it just this year. Believe it or not, 5-10 % of their clients are men, and that number is growing.

Going to an esthetician is a great option for guys who aren't comfortable in medical settings, as they work out of spas.

The only trouble is that if you need multiple treatments with an esthetician, the cost can pile up. You're looking at $75-200 per treatment. So go there for a consultation, let them point you in the right direction, and then if the price isn't right, look into cheaper alternatives.

Microdermabrasion is a great option too. Basically, microdermabrasion does three things: it rubs off the dead skin cells, increases blood flow, and stimulates your body to produce more collagen and elastin (which you can probably guess makes your skin more elastic). So you end up with younger, smoother, brighter-looking skin.

Mistake #3: Not Wearing Sunscreen

I'm sure you knew this one was coming. But did you know that most sunscreens don't stop the sun aging your skin? They protect you from UVB rays (the ones that cause sunburn) but not from UVA rays (the ones that make your skin saggy and old. )

Your best protector against both UVB and UVA rays is zinc.

Look for sunscreen with at least 20% zinc oxide, or at least 15%  zinc and 7.5% titanium dioxide. 

Mistake #4: Not Having A Washing Or Cleansing Routine

Notice the word I use is ‘routine'. A routine is something that is planned out and repeated again and again. This is important, especially at night, because you want to clean your face of all the grime that's collected on it during the day. Let's say you work on a construction site, you've got particles of cement dust on your skin and you're leaving it on there all night — your skin is going to suffer. 

Having a routine lets you test how different products work with your skin type. No two bodies are the same, so what works for your brother or your favorite YouTuber might not work for you. You can't judge a product just by testing it once. It might be a really humid day and you think it's the product making you sticky. But if you have a routine, you can just slot the product into it, use it consistently for a week, and actually see and measure the results.

You can even use this method to zero in on certain ingredients that work or don't work for you — maybe they cause redness in your skin, therefore you know to avoid them.

The best way to combat this is to choose a line of men's skincare products made from natural ingredients. This makes sure that no harmful chemicals or additives ever touch your skin – which is a great way to help keep up your motivation to get into the routine in the first place.

Mistake #5: Not Realizing Your Skin Reacts To What You Eat

Men don't understand how important diet is to your skin. I didn't either until I had kids. When you have a baby who's just learning to eat solid food, you have to introduce them carefully to foods one at a time and see how they react. For instance, strawberries can cause a terrible rash.

When you're older it might be less obvious, but your food is still affecting your skin. So if you've got really bad skin, keep an eye on what you're eating. Notice if your skin gets worse after you eat certain foods. It might be time to change your diet.

Mistake #6: Not Washing Your Pillowcase

Wash your pillow case, wash your sheets, more often than once a month or once a year. I know, guys don't really think about washing their sheets. I used to be one of these guys. 

I can tell you that you need to be at least washing your pillow case weekly. That's much more important than the sheets. Your pillow becomes covered in dirt, dust and dead skin cells, and this attracts mites that will come in and yes, live in your pillow. And you're rubbing your face on it all night. So if your skin's irritated, your pillow could be to blame.

Mistake #7: Not Seeing A Dermatologist

 Very few men go to dermatologists — let's be honest, we barely go to the doctors. We're terrible at taking care of ourselves. But there's a very serious reason why you should buck that trend and see a dermatologist. They can spot the early stages of cancer.

So if nothing else, see a dermatologist at least once a year to get checked over for potential skin growths.  Take the opportunity to ask about any unusual warts or marks on your skin. It's going to save you a lot of pain and heartache if it turns out to be something serious that you could have prevented.

How many of these 7 mistakes have you been making — and how many are you not going to make anymore?