Hey everyone!

So, i buy, or have bought lots of skincare products, now and in the past. The title says skincare tips for men, but really its for girls too.

So, products, what do you buy? Well it depends on what you want, and how much you wanna spend. There are a few types of products, a few basics are: Scrubs, Toners, Exfoliators, Mousturisers and cleansers. These can be broken down even more into day or night creams.

Basic info

You should probably use 3 different types of treatment. Most call it the 3 steps, or similar. These usually consist of a scrub and a moisturiser, and a toner or cleanser. The order you apply them is usually Scrub>Tone/cleanser>moisturiser. Scrub should always be first, and moisturiser last.
Personally i dont like cleansers, and prefer to use exfoliator masques more, i feel they do more for my skin. If you are using a scrub and an exfoliator, you should know NOT to use these every day, they are to be used around every 3 days. You dont have to follow 3 steps and can do more if you wish. Along with these 3 steps there are other skincare products such as for your eyes.

Also be aware everyones skin is different! Some brands sell for 3 skin types: Normal, Dry or oily.

Normal – No oily spots, no ‘oily shin’, clean, smooth and a good complexion
Dry – prone to aging and irritating; flakey
Oily – shiny, greasy, think, larger pores

A Look At Some Products

Well if you want premium products, you can read my posts about Dermalogica. I got alot of there products and have been using them for a few months now, and i think they are great. The problem is they are premium, so you can expect to pay £20-£30 for a bottle, the size and price depends on what you are getting.

Ole Henriksen is another expensive brand. I have used the eye cream, and it worked OK, but i did not think it was worth the extra money. I have not used any of their other products yet, but i probably would in the future as they have a reputation of being good.

There is also Clinique, which offer many different products and have their own 3 step system, so it is easy for you to buy, just get bottles 1, 2 and 3. I have used a cleanser before, and it was OK, but i dont think it justified the pricetag. I still wouldnt rule them out, because they do some other fantastic products and are known as one of the leaders in skincare.

ZIRH is a brand which is a little cheaper, but i would say still a bit premium. I have used one of their exfoliator masques before, and found it good. It was a dark grey clay, if you use something like like dont have tops/shirts on!

Lab Series is another brand which i have not tried yet but would like to. It is again a semi-premium brand, and getting just a few bottles from them can add up to over £50.

Nivea For Menis probably one of the more noted brands. They do some expensive and inexpensive products, i have used some of their Q10 eyecream before and did not think it produced any good results. There other creams for day-to-day use seem to work well.

L’oreal Men Expertis another brand which do some nice things. They do everything from moisturisers to scrubs to aftershave balms. At the moment they are promoting an eye roller for men to help your sleapy eyes, similar to the Garnier eye roll-on, which i bought last week.

The Scrub – On A Budget.

If you are on a budget, i would definitely recommend St Ives Apricot Scrub. It is a scrub and exfoliator, and i think it is brilliant. Something else which is good is the price, you can pick up a nice sized bottle for around £3 and should last at least a month! The scrub should be used around every 3 days. I used to use this particular scrub for a long time and thought it was the best value for money. I think the scrub is one of the most important steps, because it really cleans out all the dirt and dead skin, before you apply anything else should you do so.

Moisturisers

These are also important, and keep the skin soft and hydrated. You could use a number of these to figure out what works best for you. You can get creams which should be applied once a day, or you can get day and night creams. You can pick up some moisturisers from Nivea for around £10, Clinique for £20 and Dermalogica for £20. These are for 50ml bottles, and should last a month. Budget brands are FCUK for £5, King Of Shaves for £5 and Trevor Sorbie for £6. Some moisturisers also contain an SPF.

Where to buy

Some brands are only available in some places. The best place to buy any of these products are Boots and Superdrug, who between them sell the majority, if not all these products, and both have online stores. Dermalogica is only sold in authorised dealers, and i noticed this is now being sold at Boots online.

Boots Online - Various Products
Superdrug Online - Various Products
Dermalogica – Can be bought online via Pure Beauty (aswell as other places)
Ole Henriksen – Can be bought online via Beauty Expert  (aswell as other places)

I got myself a load of Dermalogica products, from exfoliants to scrubs, moisturisers, toners and creams, and i think they are all great. If you use them everyday they do work; My face has always been soft and smooth, so its hard to notice a difference, but i do with the rest of my body using the body lotion cream.

Total Eye Care

I use this every day on my eyes. It is hard to tell if it does work or not. I wanted something to lighten the black around my eyes, not that there is much, but it could do with some lighting. It works a little, but could do more.

Skin Prep Scrub

As the name suggests, its a scrub, so i use this a few times a week. I apply it and leave it on for a minute or so, before rinsing it off. It doesnt reccommend this, but i always do that with a scrub, its superstition, i wanna ‘know’ its doing something.

Gentle Cream Exfoliant

This again is only used a few times a week, and is used after the scrub before moisturising. Apply the cream, leave for 10-15 minutes then rinse off. After using my face does feel fresh

Multi Active Toner

I use this daily, if i use the exfoliant it comes after that, and then moisturise after. I use it every night and sometimes through the day (if i remember).

Active Moist

This is a day and night moisturiser, which i use twice a day. I must admit i do sometimes forget to apply it sometimes, but always use it at least once a day (usually at night).

Body Hydrating Cream

I use this every night after the shower/bath. Its a cream which is for the whole body, as the name suggests. I dont like the smell much, a bit of lemon/apple/fruity, but dont worry, its not over-powering.

I like the Dermalogica products, i have used alot in the past, i never liked Clinique, although i only had 1 or 2 of their products. Dermalogica is expensive, but if you can afford it i would recommend it.

Most bottles (of anything) run at around £20-£30, they do some more expensive lines, but these arent really daily skin products.