[race21]

Hello everyone. I'm new here and have some questions regarding a good skin care routine for myself. I'm a 26 year old male and don't really know where to start. I've searched the archive posts on here for awhile before becoming a member and learned a little bit. There is just so much info out there, whether its on this site or starring and the skin aisle at the store for 20 minutes figuring out what to buy from the hundreds of products choices. Then there is the chemical products vs all natural ingredients debate also. Needless to say I'm a little loss, and need some direction.

I'll give you some background on my skin if it may help. Back in high school I did have some problems with acne for a couple of years until I would put on Acutane. I used several chemical face washes and creams up until the Acutane which did finally take clear it up. But all of the products did take a toll on my skin by drying it up.

My current working conditions are horrible for my skin. I work in an extremely dirtry factory with cast iron dust floating in the air constantly during my 12 hour shift. I try to wash my face a couple times throughout the day during my breaks which may be overdrying. I always put on moisturizer afterwards to help prevent overdrying.

My main goal is to smooth out the texture of my skin and help reduce the blackheads on my nose. I have little red bumps on my cheeks that are sometimes hard to see in certain light, but I can feel them. I'm not sure if its possible due to my skin's history and the bad work environment. If anyone and help me with some info on what to do or products to use that would be great. I don't know enough about skin care to pick out products that may help. I'm afraid of starting a routine and sticking to it for 6 months and not seeing any results because I was using the wrong products. That is why I'm here.

The products that I'm using now are Olay regenerist daily cleanser. I'm not sure if this is a cleanser or exfoiliator. I'm using some left over Pro-activ moisturizer with 15spf left over from my girlfriend. I was using Olay regenerist nigthtime cream for a couple weeks. It felt kind of greasy when I used it and was afraid that it might clog my pores. Maybe its allright to use?

Thats about it. Sorry for the long post and I hope some of you ladies can help me out.

-Thanks

 

[csl31291420]

i'm glad you're taking some actions to keep your skin nice. The following link will give you some pointers on maintaining good skin care routine. Also, washing your face that many time a day isn't good. You'll drink it out and it can cause irrations too.

 

[csl31291420]

i'm glad you're taking some actions to keep your skin nice. The following link will give you some pointers on maintaining good skin care routine. Also, washing your face that many time a day isn't good. You'll drink it out and it can cause irrations too. The Truth About Skin Care

 

[catherineweiwei]

my boyfriend uses Calrins

 

[experimentals]

I'm a 29 yr old Male. To sum it up I'm a man's man. I've never really paid attention to my skin other than, when I developed pimples, or redness. In highschool I battle some acne with pro-active but it only lasted about 2 yrs.

I truly believe in doing "research" and learning from professionals and from experiences of the experienced. It's how I run my entire life. I guess I'm somewhat of a perfectionist.

I've always been pretty confident so I never thought I had to care about my face, and I kind of thought "only girls do that and gay guys". Sorry for being honest, but it was my stupid mentality. Well recently my girlfriend has been harping on me to start taking care of my skin. She said I'm developing wrinkles under my eyes, my eye sockets are sinking a little, and I have dark circles. I've never even thought about my face except to wash it during my morning showers and then applying regular body lotion all over my body and face.

After hearing all this from my girlfirend I can't over the fact that I've aged so much in the last 3 years. 26 yrs old to 29yrls old looks like i aged 10yrs. SO I've been lurking on this site and other sites for the last 2 weeks about 10-15 hours a week. I'm ready to make my move and I want to create a regime but I still don't even know what i should be doing. Cleansing, toning, ant aging, eye cream, etc etc. I don't know what order, I don't know what should be done daily, I don't understand lotion and sunscreen use. etc.

I usually have oily skin and I become shiny throught the day. I've used oil wipes to "de-grease" and thought I'd just have to deal with this. I've also recently battle with red dry skin, I Was told by my brother to use cortisol, and I started to and it actually worked. I put it on about every other day at night.

I need some guidance on what I should be doing daily, weekly, monthly. All the reading and research and I don't even know what I should do daily and in what order.l I really want to have smooth healthy skin and no more dark circles.

Usually forums like this have stickies with FAQs and steps for newbies on that particular subject. I figured I'd post in this sthread since it's what came up when i searched "where to start"

I want to buy so many products but I know it would be useless. I would also prfer to start with some basic stuff that I can pick-up at the local stores (if possible). I live in Los Angeles, California.

TIA

 

[periwinkle]

Welcome Experimentals.

Stick around here. You'll soon figure out what's best to use.

 

[experimentals]

Well I guess what i need is a basic what I should be doing to take care. I know I can eventually figure out the right products for me, but I need a basic fundamental view on facial skin care.

Kind like if I was a young boy who needed his first lesson on how to clean your face and why. I used to use the body soap in the water until I started living with my girlfriend 4 years ago.

I just a basic fondation. Wash my face? once a day twice, once a week. Wash with soap, cleanser?

Lotion: every morning and night? or just once a day is sunscreen seperate from that or on top of that, or vice versa? THose basic things.

 

[SarahV]

Welcome, experimentals! Skincare regimins can sure get complicated, as you've surely noticed on here

But they didn't get that way overnight. I would start out with a simple cleansing/moisturizing routine, and slowly build on that as you become acquainted with the many products available and their uses.


Start by cleansing twice a day - AM and PM - and don't use body washes or handsoaps on your face. They usually have a really high pH, which is not at all suitable for the face. Try a cleanser designed specifically for faces, like Cetaphil or one of the Neutrogena formulas.

Using a toner is also a good idea, which gets rid of any residue, balances your skin's pH, tightens your pores, and in general preps your skin for the next step. Use the toner after you cleanse by applying it to a cotton ball and gently wiping it all over your face (don't rub). Good old witch hazel is tried-and-true toner. However, be sure to get alcohol-free witch hazel (I just learned this myself...that even a small % of alcohol can wreak havoc). Thayer's is the usual brand for alcohol-free witch hazel. You may not find this in the drugstore, but you'll be able to find it at Whole Foods or other health food store. Thayer's makes a couple of "flavors," but from what I can tell they don't affect the performance so pick whichever you prefer. Oh, and because toning can be too drying for some people, you may want to tone just once a day to start with (PM would be best, IMO).

Then moisturize. To keep things simple on yourself, get a daytime moisturizer that has SPF included. And to be perfectly honest, moisturizers seem to be the sticking point for many people. There seems to be a lot of trial and error involved, which can get expensive. So, if she'll allow, you may want to start with experimenting with your girlfriend's moisturizers to get an idea of what you like. Since you have oily skin, you'll want to stay away from creams...stick to lotions. I've always had good luck with the Boots brand, which is sold at Target. In our Target stores (I'm in Denver), during the day there is usually a Boots skincare rep in that aisle who will help you pick out something suitable. And if you're not ready to spend $20-$25 on a few ounces of lotion (which Boots will probably run you), go ahead and start with something like Aveeno with SPF or Cetaphil Day lotion with SPF.

And if you decide to really get crazy and want a separate nighttime moisturizer, I really like CeraVe PM. It has just a few anti-aging ingredients in it, it's very light-weight compared to most night creams, and it glides on very nicely. I have dry skin, but I've always thought this would probably work well on oily skin, too. It's about $12-$14 at the drugstore.

You'd be surprised at how a balanced cleansing and moisturizing routine can really inprove your skin. So before you start buying the countless anti-aging products, I'd definitely start with the basics and see where that takes you. Good luck!

 

[Gunslinger]

Quote: Originally Posted by minervagraham

Really all you need to do is cleanse and exfoliate daily without fail. With your work schedules you'll find it difficult to devote a lot of time but on your days off try and use face masks to keep your skin happy.


I thought that you should only exfoliate twice a week. Any more and you could have problems, is that true?

 

[kiradale]

Hello to all...exfoliate at least 2x a week...If your skin is dry and works in a dirty environment then you have to protect your skin...I suggest, you wear a face mask and put on sunscreen... RACE21, Olay is a great product because you have dry skin...Olay is rich in moisturizer... you can use it while working but make sure after applying Olay, you put on sunscreen (it acts like a shield)... hope this simple tip helps

 

[ThunderDome77]

Hey what's up bro? Sometimes the best thing to do is help your skin from the inside out. Like adding a Hair, Skin, Nails vitamin, Or taking a Collagen builder like hyaluronic acid, or Biosil... Collagen builders can make your skin look very nice and youthful... But starting out with a moisturizer is essential, you'll just have to figure out what your skin type is (oily, dry, in between etc)... Good luck

 

[experimentals]

Thank you all for your responses. I know it's been almost 2 weeks since I logged back on here. SarahV your post is exactly what I needed, just a basic primer on skin care and the order I might want to do things.

I plan to be more active in here and hopefully can one day contribute back.

 

[kiradale]

I thought that you should only exfoliate twice a week. Any more and you could have problems, is that true?

Ideally, you can just exfoliate at least 2-3x a week ...daily will rob your skin its natural oil...it'll make it dry..clean your face w/ water and facial cleanser...remember, too much is not good..

 

[Tyriffik]

I know I'm much younger than you Experimentals and Race 21, but being a mans man really has very little correlation as to how you take care of your skin, if you take care of your body, there's no reason why your face shouldn't get the same treatment. I'm 16 and I'm a guy, but I constantly hear about how a woman like a mans face (and the skin on it) I'm really becoming aware of that and that's why I'm starting now to put my best face for the ladies

 

[Tyriffik]

The people on this site are amazing btw I joined this month, and they gave me so much advice, I'm actually surprised at how much guidance I'd have gotten already, it seems to be a very supportive site!