5 Compelling Reasons Why Men Should Moisturize Regularly

So, the question came up the other day from one the readers here on Tools of Men asking if men really need moisturize.

In about a .05 second reaction time, I replied ‘YES!!!’.

You are never too young to start moisturizing.

Whether you are 20 or 65 (or anywhere in between), you should be working a face moisturizer into your daily skin care routine.

Now, I get it…

…some men don’t see the value in it.

And that’s ok!

But after reading these 5 reasons on why you need to get on top of your skin care game, you might just stop and think twice (which we hope you do):

1. Using A Face Cream Keeps You Looking Young

So, check this out:

If you are at least 30 years old, you probably are starting to develop some fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth or eye areas…

…don’t worry that’s completely ok.

However, when you start to work a face cream and eye cream into your daily routine, you will immediately start to see the benefits of using it.

Not only will a quality face cream help to retain the moisture within your skin, but it will help to fill-out the valleys in your skin ultimately reducing the appearance of wrinkles…

…and here’s the kicker:

This will happen when you use a standard $20 dollar face cream, not some $500 miracle ointment!

2. Can You Pass The Scratch Test?

Do me a quick favor:

Take your finger and scratch it along your face.

Does it leave a white chalky line?

…I’m waiting…

…still waiting…

…yawn…

Ok, I believe that you did the scratch test now…

…so, what were the results?

Is there a line of dead skin remnants resting on the side of your cheek?

If you answered yes (which I am guessing 95% of those reading did), then you probably need a face cream.

Just like we covered in #1 above, a face cream or moisturizer adds and retains moisture.

This will not only be a good wrinkle fixer, but it will also keep your face or cheeks from looking overly ashy…

…and guess what else:

If it’s the winter months – this stuff will be a godsend.

Once the dry winter winds pick up, like a quality lip balm, you will be happy you were using this stuff daily.

3. Get A Natural Glow

Ok:

This is probably a huge turn off for some men based on the title alone.

What guy needs a “natural glow”…is it because you think “you are worth it”.

No.

We aren’t doing some miracle makeover shit here – instead we are talking about making you look a shit ton healthier.

Applying a bit of this face cream goop will, in my best and completely un-scientific estimate, turn up the vibrancy on your skin by about 10%.

It’s not going to cure everything you got going on (remember I said this wasn’t no magical cream) – but it will make your skin look a whole lot healthier and way more inviting…

…oh and check this out:

You have probably heard that one of the first things that people notice about you is your face.

Well, if that’s the case and you want to look good for an upcoming date or perhaps even a potential job interview, then making your mug look great should be a top priority.

So get to it, apply some face cream, and turn up the vibrancy on your skin by about 10%.

4. It’s A Substitute Product On A Budget

Ok:

This isn’t something I advocate heavily as it can teach some bad habits…

…but if you are on a shoestring budget and don’t want to invest heavily into grooming products (and that is completely fine), then a face cream can make a solid substitute for a beard oil.

Given that the primary goal of a face cream is to add and retain moisture – it can work rather well as an interchangeable product like beard oil (which contains carrier oils that do this same thing).

But here’s the kicker about that bad habit I was talking about:

As your beard gets longer (past about the .2” phase), you can’t use a face cream forever, you will have to swap it out for a proper beard conditioning agent.

If you are looking to cut a few bucks off the bill, change over to a beard balm – it’s got the same stuff as a beard oil but works WAY better since it has both a protectant (beeswax) and shea butter (additional moisturizer) for both your skin and beard.

5. You Aren’t Stronger Than The Sun

While we all like to think we are invincible by carrying in 20 bags of groceries at one time or beat Dark Souls in one sitting, the fact remains that the sun is 1.3 million times bigger than Earth and will obliterate you.

So don’t be a hero.

You aren’t impressing anyone by going ‘au naturale’ by skipping the sunblock.

The reason those wrinkles may have crept up on you a few years too early could be due to sun damage.

In order to thwart any future wrinkles from appearing on your skin prematurely, you want to look at a face cream that has SPF built into it.

Now get this:

There was a study recently done that said face creams weren’t nearly as effective as sunscreen (source)…

…and that’s ok!

Face cream IS NOT A 1:1 substitute for sunscreen.

That’s why they are made as two completely different products.

But what we are stressing is that face cream is a good alternative in lieu of putting on sunscreen, especially if you are going to a 9-to-5 job and your sun exposure is to a minimum.

So, if you can’t get in the habit of at least applying a sunscreen before you head out the door in the morning, then at least get a face cream that can pull double duty as a sun protectant in the mean time.

*Bonus* Finding A Quality Face Cream

Look:

Finding a halfway decent face cream in the world of Chinese knockoffs and new brands popping up daily can be difficult to say the least.

But even after finding a company worth checking out, you still need to determine if it can work with your skin type (oil, dry, normal, combination).

Also, if you are really in the buying mode, also pick up a quality sunscreen while you are at it.

But the most important takeaway from this article is to apply face cream.

It’s the cornerstone of the skin care routine and should never be skipped.

Adam Williams

As the lead editor of Tools of Men, Adam loves men's grooming products. Particularly of interest is managing facial hair and perfecting the art of the modern man's skincare routine. His work has been featured or quoted in several publications, including New York Magazine, Vice, Sharpologist, MIC, Elite Daily, and more. When Adam isn't working, he enjoys spending time with his two little kids who keep him both on his toes and young at heart.

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