Anti-aging cream for men: how to choose?

What should a man look for when choosing an anti-wrinkle cream?

Ordinary women's cosmetics are not suitable for men. Other products are produced for them that take into account the specific structure of men's skin. The main difference is the greater density of the epidermis, which makes it difficult for the active ingredients to penetrate deeper into the tissue. This is due, in particular, to the light texture of creams, more like balms or fluids.

Men's skin ages just like women's, but the idea of ​​facial care still seems unacceptable to many men.

The density of men's skin does not mean that it does not need care. Just like women, it is susceptible to aging; age-related changes begin after 28–30 years. Added to this are other negative factors that aggravate the situation:

• unfavorable environmental conditions;
• exposure to ultraviolet radiation, causing photoaging;
• harmful working conditions;
• poor nutrition;
• almost daily shaving, which injures the epidermis and reduces its immunity;
• a larger number of sebaceous and sweat glands, their increased activity.

Shaving is one of the many factors that negatively affects the condition of men's skin.

Video: healthy eating to prevent wrinkles

Accordingly, despite a more developed network of capillaries and a dense “network” of collagen and elastin fibers, age-related changes appear on male skin more clearly and sharply. Fine expression lines, if not properly cared for, soon become deep folds and creases. Microdamages and scratches left after shaving provoke irritation of the epidermis. Therefore, truly useful men's facial care products should contain not only anti-aging ingredients, but also components that provide deep hydration, soothing, softening and accelerating tissue regeneration.

The structure of men's and women's skin is noticeably different, so using a woman's face cream is not the best idea for a man

Video: why wrinkles appear on the face

Indications for the use of anti-aging men's cosmetics:

• the presence of small facial and deeper wrinkles, swelling;
• unhealthy dull color, uneven skin tone and texture;
• tissue ptosis (sagging skin, drooping corners of the lips, eyebrow tails);
• deep creases on the forehead, near the nose, between the eyebrows.

Preventing a problem is always easier than fighting it, so the sooner a man realizes the need to use face cream, the better

There are many tasks assigned to the funds:

• decreased sensitivity caused by regular mechanical irritation;
• providing antibacterial protection, relief of irritation and inflammatory processes;
• regulation of excessive activity of the sebaceous glands, reduction of pores;
• activation of metabolism, synthesis of collagen and elastin;
• providing antioxidant protection against free radicals;
• normalization and maintenance of hydrolipid balance;
• intensive nutrition and hydration, necessary when the skin is prone to irritation and peeling;
• preventing the appearance of wrinkles and reducing existing ones, combating sagging tissue, restoring skin tone and elasticity.

An effective anti-aging men's face cream should successfully solve a whole range of problems

Ingredients beneficial for aging male skin:

• Hyaluronic acid. Restores and maintains an optimal level of skin moisture, smoothes it, and restores elasticity.
• Vitamin C. Powerful antioxidant. It is also useful for strengthening capillaries, evens out tone and improves skin color, and increases its resistance to negative external influences.
• Vitamins A, E, group B. Necessary for maintaining a healthy appearance and skin turgor, they activate the process of tissue renewal and collagen production. With their deficiency, the aging process goes much faster.
• Glycerol. Intensively softens the skin, forms a thin film on the surface, protecting it from external influences.
• Collagen and elastin. Restore elasticity and turgor of the skin, smooth out existing wrinkles and prevent the appearance of new ones.
• Peptides. Combinations of amino acids. Activate the process of tissue restoration and regeneration, maintain skin elasticity, tighten and thicken it.
• Ceramides. They normalize the hydrolipid balance, prevent rapid loss of moisture, and enhance natural protection against pollution and pathogenic microflora.
• Natural herbal extracts, essential oils. They saturate the skin with essential vitamins and microelements, fight inflammation, are good antiseptics, and inhibit the aging process.

Video: important nuances of facial skin care for men

Manufacturers also take into account male psychology:

• Cosmetics are characterized by a light neutral aroma, packaging is characterized by rigor and laconic design;
• products are produced in large volumes;
• the compositions are absorbed without leaving discomfort in the form of stickiness or a filmy feeling on the skin;
• One universal product is produced, without division into “day” and “night” creams.

Even a luxury product will not give the desired effect if you do not follow the general rules for its use:

• Regularity of use. The first results can be assessed in 21–28 days. It takes so much time to renew epidermal cells. Chronic dehydration cannot be eliminated quickly either.
• Preliminary preparation of the skin. Any creams are applied only to a clean face. You need to wash your face not with ordinary soap, but with foam or gel.

  If you wash your face with regular soap, you run the risk of drying out your skin even more.

• Apply anti-wrinkle cream in the evening, about one and a half to two hours before bedtime. Otherwise, it may simply not have time to be absorbed, causing swelling to appear in the morning. Apply the product by lightly patting the fingertips without rubbing into the skin. You can stretch it even more, worsening the problem.

  The cream is applied following the massage lines, they coincide with the lymph flow lines

• The optimal age to start using anti-wrinkle products is 35–40 years. In this case they will be most effective.
• Men's skin (this is not typical for women's skin) reacts positively to the use of the same product; addiction takes longer to develop. Therefore, having chosen a suitable brand for yourself, you can use its products for 2-3 years.

Video: how to properly cleanse your face before applying cream

How to choose men's face cream

Due to the peculiarities of the skin structure, light, non-greasy textures without oils are suitable for men. This is the basic principle, then you need to understand the nuances:

1. Determine skin type: oily, dry or normal. Look at her condition: is there any peeling and tightness? If yes, then you need a nutrient.
2. If there is irritation and increased sensitivity, then the product should be hypoallergenic and soothing. If there are no particular complaints, then a moisturizing composition is best.
3. Consider the frequency of shaving: the more often it occurs, the softer and lighter the cream should be.
4. Think about age: when you reach the age of 30+, you need formulations with a complex against the first signs of aging.
5. If age 40+, then you should choose a product with anti-aging and smoothing properties.

Kinds

The classification is not much different from women's, but this does not mean that both sexes can use them. Men's formulations are more saturated and take into account parameters that are not used in women's creams.

Read also: How to get rid of yellowed skin

Compound

The composition of the product depends on the needs of the skin and its type. Main requests include hydration and lightness of texture, absence of oils and stickiness after application. The fragrance should resemble men's scents.

Sensitive skin needs products that do not contain alcohol, fragrances or dyes, because... they can make the problem worse. It’s good if the composition contains chamomile and aloe.

Application rules

When applying the product, it is worth considering some nuances:

• Try to apply shaving cream only to those areas that will be involved in the shaving process.
• Apply day cream completely to the entire face, immediately after washing. Take a small amount of product and lightly spread it evenly over your face, moving from the center to the edge.
• For the eyelids and under-eye area you need a separate cream with a special composition. It is applied to the area around the eyes, excluding moving eyelids. You should start using the product at the age of 30+.

Contraindications and possible negative consequences

Contraindications for the use of any cream are the presence of mechanical damage on the skin that has not completely healed and individual intolerance to any of its components. The latter can be caused by both chemicals and natural ingredients. To avoid allergies on the face, creams must be pre-tested by applying a little on the inside of the forearm. If after half an hour the skin condition has not changed (no rash, swelling, redness, irritation), the product can be safely applied to the face.

For any manifestations of allergies, immediately stop using the cream and start taking antihistamines

Why do beauty brands produce cosmetics for men?

By the end of 2020, several major brands, including Chanel, Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs, launched separate men's lines of decorative cosmetics and even published video instructions for them - for young people who are just starting to understand powders, concealers, foundations and everything that which seemed to be an exclusively female prerogative. With ongoing talk about changing traditional gender roles, it seems that in the near future, men's makeup will become quite commonplace. We are trying to figure out whether this is really so.

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Men's relationship with makeup has a long history, directly related to the perception of masculinity over time. For the last few decades, men's make-up has been a curiosity, but it is enough to look a little further than the 19th century to be convinced that the strong half of humanity did not always avoid decorative cosmetics.

The ancient Egyptians, without any prejudice, lined their eyelids with black paint, the Greeks made full use of analogues of modern eye creams, the Romans did not disdain colored manicure, and the British used blue dye to scare away enemies. Not to mention the period from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the 18th century, when whitewash was considered an essential element of daily personal care not only for women, but also for men.

Keanu Reeves in the movie "Little Buddha", 1993

When the canons of masculinity began to become more rigid, the use of decorative cosmetics among men became taboo and was finally anathema by the 20th century. Of course, there were those who questioned generally accepted norms. Just remember David Bowie and his alter ego Ziggy Stardust (for the iconic image, we should say thanks to makeup artist Pierre Laroche), Prince’s reincarnations or the bold experiments of Brian Eno (the musician especially loved the bright Mary Quant cosmetics).

David Bowie before The 1980 Floor Show in London, 1973

In 2004, Jean-Paul Gaultier launched Le Mâle Tout Beau Tout Propre, a line of men's products that included a radiant moisturizer, bronzer, lip gloss, nail polish, eyebrow and eyelash care set, concealer and eyeliner. eye. The brand's marketing department did its best to explain the difference between these products and women's products (“All textures are matte, no shine,” the descriptions said) and make the packaging attractive to men. All in vain: Gaultier's makeup line was discontinued after a few months.

Photo: The Face, 2004

Perhaps it was due to overly aggressive marketing, or maybe Gaultier was simply ahead of his time. But now we have heroes like Jared Leto and Ezra Miller, who easily wear lipstick and eyeliner for red carpet appearances. The idea that men also have the right to wear makeup doesn't seem so outlandish. Moisturizing foundations, gel bronzers, concealers and eyebrow pencils are just a continuation of the basic beauty set of men who are already accustomed to taking care of their appearance. The goal of all these new products is not to turn a man into a participant in a drag queen show, but to help him look more well-groomed. There is no Bowie-esque shock value here, nor is there an attempt to make a political or social statement. Decorative cosmetics for men are mostly based on a nude palette.

Ezra Miller in Moncler at the premiere of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in Paris, 2020; Jared Leto, 2008. Photo: Nigel Crane

“This is just a market reaction to the needs of the audience, nothing more,” says Alex Dalley, who launched his own men’s beauty brand MMUK seven years ago. For him, makeup was necessary to feel more confident. “I had terrible acne,” Dalley says. “I was introduced to makeup thanks to my mother, who put foundation on me for my sixth-grade graduation.” When he was at university, his friends kept asking Alex to lend them concealer: Facebook was just taking off, and everyone wanted to look more attractive in their profile photos. “That’s when I thought about launching a beauty line for men,” he says. “The need for such tools has always been there, long before the era of selfies, but the global market has only now realized this.” In the mid-2000s, men were not yet ready to admit that they used decorative cosmetics; Dalley continually received orders for beauty products without any identification marks.

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Chanel, Boy de Chanel Le Stylo Sourcils, price on request, Chanel beauty boutiques; Marc Jacobs Beauty, Remedy Concealer Pen, $39, sephora.com; Tom Ford, For Men Brow Definer, 3810 rubles, ildebeaute.ru

There are also men who are not shy about using cosmetics; for them it is a way of self-expression. They look beyond neutral foundation and concealer and want more options, more vibrancy and color. Therefore, they turn to unisex brands such as Make Up For Ever and Nars for help. Role models for these young people include blogger and makeup artist James Charles, Cover Girl's first male ambassador, makeup artist Manny Mua, influencer Patrick Starrr, and singer and makeup artist Jeffree Star. These and other influencers are ready to boast not only millions of followers on social networks, but also contracts for round sums with brands like Coty, which were among the first to adopt the diversification trend. Russia also has its own heroes: for example, makeup artists and bloggers Gevorg and Andrey Petrov, who run successful beauty channels on YouTube. It is unknown who their main audience is: boys, girls or those who consider themselves gender fluid. But that's the point. Whether it's about wearing makeup or just watching a video, the important thing is that makeup today is everyone's personal choice.

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Compound

Along with the features, the composition is different for all companies. Some people add special vitamins and minerals, some companies use unique components of their own production, and in some cases only the dosage of the components relative to each other changes. But there is also a basis - practically obligatory components of each such cream. It looks like this:

1. Hyaluronic acid. Its properties have already been described several times above.
2. Glycerin is also already familiar to many.
3. Caffeine eliminates dark circles under the eyes.
4. Vitamins of groups A and E, retinoids activate the processes of regeneration of skin cells.
5. Oils, natural plant extracts for moisturizing and nutrition.
6. Elastin provides elasticity and firmness.
7. Peptides are also involved in protection.
8. Collagen performs a similar function to elastin and also helps smooth out wrinkles.

This is a list of the main components, without each of which the cream loses a significant part of its beneficial properties. In addition to them, additional elements may be present:

• amino acids;
• vitamins, minerals;
• silicone;

Their main role is to complement and enhance the functions of the main substances.

Some components of even the main list may be missing. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes such options are intended for those who are allergic to some components.

Rules for choosing a product

The wide range of creams on the market can lead to potential buyers getting confused, buying something wrong, or even leaving empty-handed. To avoid this, you should follow some simple tips:

1. The first step is to study the line of anti-wrinkle products in the desired price category and select several options that seem most suitable at first glance.
2. Find out your skin type.
3. Using the Internet or the help of a consultant, study the selected balms.
4. Study the composition in more detail, find out about the possible presence of an allergy to any component.
5. You can also read reviews on formulas. But here you should be careful not to end up on fake advertising sites.

These simple rules will help greatly simplify the process of choosing a men's face cream.

For a comfortable shave

The line of men's cosmetics for a comfortable shave consists of foams, gels and creams. By brand, they line up in the following chain: L'Oreal Paris Men foam, Gillette Mach3 shaving gel, NIVEA shaving gel, Arko Cool shaving cream. They are easy and simple to apply to the skin, ensuring a safe shave.