Top 10 Tips For Shaving

#1 – Wash the skin in lukewarm water – this will soften the skin and open the pores making it easier to shave and avoid tugging on the hair follicle that can cause irritation. A cleanser with ingredients that help to soothe and calm will help minimise irritation.

#2 – Use a sharp razor. A dull razor will only drag at and irritate the skin and can be the cause of razor burn and ingrown hairs.

#3 – Don’t rub at your face to dry it – it will dry just as well patted gently with a whole lot less irritation to your skin.

#4 – When you have finished shaving rinse the area thoroughly in lukewarm water. Residue of shaving soaps can cause the skin to be irritated and itchy.

#5 – Avoid the use of alcohol based and harsh astringent type aftershave lotions. These can often dry out the skin causing dry skin and itching in the area shaven. They are not really necessary  – if you want to close pores, cold water is just as effective and less drying.

#6 – If your hair is coarse or thick avoid disposable razors. They are seldom up to the job and may pull and drag at the hairs and the skin.

#7 – Multiple blades give a very clean shave and the less irritation there is to hair follicles the less chance of ingrown hairs, razor bumps and razor burn occurring.

#8 – Shaving twice against the grain or across the grain can give tougher hair growth a very close shave but may irritate the skin for some people.

#9 – Razor burn can be reduced by keeping the face moist during shaving and not creating too much drag on the skin. The less drag the less irritation there will be.

#10 – Shaving is hard on the skin and is both drying and damaging It is important to use a moisturiser after shaving that has no irritating ingredients such as perfumes and colours. Skinsaviour Cream is ideal as it has ingredients that are calming and soothing and has a mild antibacterial action to help with shaving nicks and cuts.

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Do men need moisturiser?

Why use skin care products?

Male skin care has seen huge growth in the last decade with men not only having product bought for them by women but increasingly choosing to buy their own skin care products.  Men’s skincare products are more commonplace today and increased advertising has made the average man more likely to consider whether skin care products might be for him.

Some of this increase is due to an increased pressure in the workplace to look good – the man who perceives his appearance is linked to his career success is keen to present as well groomed. He wants to have his skin looking in the best condition it can. A worldwide survey by health care firm Allergan found a total of 31 percent of American men considered grooming to be important because they wanted to look good for professional reasons.

Men are also finding out what women have known for a long time – that well cared for skin not only looks better it feels better as well!

What to look for in men’s skin care?

• Keep your skin care regime simple and you will be more likely to keep it up and reap the greatest benefits.

• Find a cleanser you can use under the shower to save time. Using a cleanser before shaving helps soften the stubble for easier shaving.

• Stop using bar soap to clean your face – choose a cleanser like the skinsaviour cleanser for men that has no soaps or detergents that dry out the skin.

• Choose a moisturiser that will give long lasting hydration but not give a greasy look to the skin. skinsaviour cream for men absorbs beautifully and leaves no greasy residue. A shiny face does not look good.

• Use a moisturiser that calms and soothes the skin after shaving will help reduce irritation that is often experienced after shaving. Shaving can be tough on the skin.

• Find skin care products that have no harmful chemicals, colourings, perfumes that can irritate or dry the skin. skinsaviour has done the work for you here in providing a high quality effective moisturiser that has none of what you don’t want in your skin care.

• Sun protection is a must if you are going to be outdoors, nothing ages the skin faster than sun exposure.

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What is an ingrown hair?

An ingrown hair is either a hair that fails to grow out of the hair follicle and stays embedded under the surface of the skin or a hair that when it starts to grow changes direction and begins to grow back in on itself. Although they can happen naturally, usually it is waxing or shaving that causes them. Usually you first notice one because they itch or feel uncomfortable and if left untreated can be painful and become infected. Ingrown hairs can look a little like a small pimple in the later stages. If the inflammation extends beyond the immediate area of the ingrown hair or after you have treated the ingrown hair it still persists you should consider getting it checked by a do

What do I do?

Ingrown hairs can be simply treated by following the instructions below and you will need to arm yourself with a clean washcloth and some warm water, a mild antiseptic, pointy nosed tweezers and a small needle you have sterilised in boiling water.

• Gently apply a washcloth to the ingrown hair until it grows cool down and repeat again – this often helps bring the hair closer to the surface and softens the top of the skin covering the hair.

• Use a small needle to pierce any pimple that has formed over the ingrown hair and gently try to remove the ingrown hair by teasing it out.

• If a head has formed gently squeeze with a tissue until it has all gone and you can see the ingrown hair.

• Don’t try to pull the hair out – it may form again – you are trying to release the hair to grow normally.

• Apply an antiseptic to the area with a cotton wool ball to minimise the chance of infection.

How do I minimise ingrown hairs?

• Wear looser clothing if you suffer from ingrown hairs, tight clothing is a big cause of causing ingrown hairs to form, especially on the legs.

• Exfoliating regularly will help ingrown hairs. Exfoliating gloves are easy and quick to use and can be thrown in the washing machine to keep them clean of bacteria.

• Don’t use harsh exfoliators that can strip the skin of oils and dry it out making ingrown hairs more likely to form.

• Don’t use loofahs as they can’t be washed very easily and can harbour bacteria.

• Use cleansers and moisturisers that are non comodegenic, that is they won’t block the pores and make ingrown hairs more common.

• Cleansing the skin morning and night will keep the hair follicles and pores clear and remove grime and dead skin cells allowing the hair to grow more freely.

• Do not use products with alcohol that dry the skin.

• Use a long lasting hydrating moisturiser that will keep the hair soft all day and help prevent it in growing.

• Many men suffer ingrown hairs from shaving. Try leaving the hair fractionally longer by not using a multi blade razor as the hair is less likely to become ingrown if it is not shaved too closely.

• Don’t pull the skin too tight as this also makes the shave closer than you need.

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How well do you know your skin?

Skin can be as individual as we are but we can be roughly classified into groups when it comes to skin care. Your skin could be typed as normal, oily, dry or a bit of both and called combination or sensitive.  When it comes to caring for your skin there are different regimes and things to consider for each skin type – so what skin type are you?

What skin type do I have?

Normal Skin

• Face is smooth with no dry patches
• Pores are small and clean
• Spots are few and far between
• Skin feels supple and comfortable
• Skin is not greasy and shiny looking

Oily Skin

• Large pore size
• Pores can be clogged with dirt and oil
• Face is greasy looking, even after cleansing
• Skin can be prone to acne and blackheads
• Skin is thick and sallow looking

Dry Skin

• Skin has fine lines
• Pore size is very small
• Dry patches that can flake off
• Darker skins can have greyish patches
• Skin feels tight and uncomfortable

Combination

• Pores on the nose area are enlarged
• Fine lines around the eyes
• Shiny areas on the nose and forehead
• Dry and or flaking on the cheeks, eye and neck area
• Blemishes on the nose and chin area

Sensitive skin

• Skin can be irritated easily
• Skin is dry and thin
• Skin can feel uncomfortable and sore
• Shaving can  cause discomfort
• Skin products can irritate the skin

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Dry skin and Ayuvedic Medicine

According to the principles of Ayuvedic  medicine, a traditional form of Indian healing, dry skin is caused by vata dosha. Increased vata dosha reduces kapha in the body which is what keeps the skin soft and oiled, supple and smooth. Vata dosha has the opposite effect and an excess makes the skin rough and dry.

Conditions which raise vata dosha

• Late nights and not enough sleep

• Eating irregularly

• Excess physical exertion

• Excess mental exertion

• Eating too much spicy, dry, hot and bitter foods

• Exposure to cold and dry climates

Ayuvedic advice for Dry Skin

• Do not overheat the body by the fire

• Do not have prolonged exposure to cold weather

• Avoid, fried, stale and dried out foods

• Include salt and sour foods in the diet

• Include a little oil or ghee in each meal

• Eat fruits that are sweet and juicy such as mangoes and oranges

• Moisturise the body with massage oils

• Drink warm water as cold water increases vata in the body

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Dry skin on hands

Hands are often a neglected part of the daily skin care routine but are always on display and one the first parts of the body to show signs of aging. Simple steps to take care of them will give you better looking hands and nails and the first step is prevention of further damage. Hands are often exposed to the sun, particularly when we are driving, but often a  forgotten part of the body when applying sun block. A broad spectrum sun block should be applied whenever we are outdoors – keep some in the car to remind yourself to apply it. Age spots we see on people’s hands are not really as a result of getting older but of accumulative sun damage.

Hand care

Hands tend to have problems with dryness rather than oiliness as there are fewer glands that produce sebum. Therefore we need to replace the moisture we lose from the constant immersion in water that they undergo daily. Cleaning agents and detergents can be harsh and drying to the skin so the use of rubber gloves when doing dishes or cleaning is advisable. The same applies to gardening – gloves will serve to protect the hands and less scrubbing will be need to clean them. If gloves don’t appeal, the use of a good barrier cream will help stop chemicals and dirt entering the skin.

What to avoid

• Very hot and very cold water
• Harsh soaps and detergents that remove natural oils
• Sun damage from sun exposure
• Cleaning chemicals
• Nail products containing acetone or formaldehyde

What to do to look after your hands

• Always use a broad spectrum sun block
• Use gloves when gardening and using cleaning chemicals
• Avoid immersion in overly hot water and harsh detergents
• Use a hand moisturiser frequently to prevent the skin from drying out
• Moisturise after washing the hands
• Treat  them to a warm oil massage for deep moisturising

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Dry skin on the body

While patches of dry skin can appear anywhere on the body it is most commonly found on the lower legs, arms, hands and abdomen. Sometimes dry skin is felt more than it is seen – uncomfortable feeling and itchy but severe dry skin can be both noticeable and embarrassing. Often we are more self conscious about this in the summer months when we have more of our bodies exposed. No more hiding under layers of winter clothes. Dry skin is also more noticeable on people with dark skins and can look a pale, ash grey colour.

Body Basics

Skin that is healthy is covered in a thin layer of natural lipids forming a lipid defence barrier. Lipids are a fatty like substance that helps to protect the skin from foreign invaders but also prevent excess moisture loss, keeping the moisture in and therefore the skin soft and supple. We need to look after this layer to keep our skin looking and feeling good.

External

• Avoid long, hot showers.
• Dry gently.
• Moisturise regularly and  immediately after bathing.
• Combat drying from central heating and air conditioning with a humidifier.
• Avoid clothing or detergents that irritate the skin.
• Gently exfoliate with wash cloth or make your own by mixing soft brown sugar, a little olive oil and add water slowly to get the desired consistency.
• Avoid soaps, detergents and sulphates.

Internal

• Drink enough water to keep the body well hydrated.
• Eat a balanced diet, a broad spectrum of all the colours in fruit and vegetables.
• Keep the body ‘oiled’ with all the good fats such as cold pressed virgin olive oil, avocado, walnuts, flaxseed, evening primrose oil and cold water fish such as tuna and salmon.
• Include wholegrain and foods that not overly processed.
• Over consumption of alcohol can have a drying effect on the skin.

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Dry skin and diet

If dry, flaky skin is a problem for you, then apart from external factors such as wind, exposure, heating and air conditioning, excessive bathing and using harsh soaps, you also need to consider internal factors such as diet. ‘We are what we eat’ also holds true for the skin. Internal causes include reduced functioning of the glands that provide oil to the skin caused by a poor diet.

How does diet affect my skin?

A diet that is low in healthy foods and high in overly refined and processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and ‘bad’ fats will result in unhealthy skin. The better we eat – the better our skin will look. Foods that are high in water content and an adequate water intake will all help to hydrate and therefore plump the skin cells.

Fresh unprocessed foods have vitamins and minerals that help promote optimal functioning of the oil glands, keeping the skin supple and smooth. Supporting the lipid barrier keeps the skin supple and smooth and therefore less moisture is lost and the skin is less dry.

What to avoid:

• Highly refined processed foods
• Excess caffeine and alcohol as they have a diuretic action
• Low daily water intake
• A diet high in fat and sugar, avoid fried foods
• Artificial sweeteners

What to include:

• Eat raw foods for the high water content
• Water based fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe and oranges
• Water based vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes and peppers
• Foods that contain sulphur like eggs, garlic and asparagus
• Flaxseeds, ground or as an oil, extra virgin cold pressed oil
• Avocados – that help the oil glands to lubricate the skin
• Adequate hydration, particularly in hot climates or when exercising
• Foods from all the spectrum of colours for antioxidants to help fight free radicals that damage the skin

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What can I do to help dry skin?

• Use lukewarm water, gentle drying and products without ingredients to irritate dry skin.

• Invest in a humidifier, this will help with both central heating and air conditioning.

• Apply a moisturiser to the skin immediately after cleansing to retain maximum moisture in the skin.

• Drink plenty of water – several small glasses throughout the day is easier if you are not a big water drinker – little and often makes it easier.

• Use skin care products that are high in ingredients that attract and hold the moisture, keeping the integrity of the lipid layer.

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What do I avoid if I have dry skin?

• Keep your baths and showers short. Baths and showers can actually be drying for the skin – it temporarily adds moisture but we lose some of the lipid layer and this causes the skin to become even drier.

• Use lukewarm rather than hot water for the same reason.

• Pat dry gently rather than rub with a towel.

• Avoid using skin care products with alcohol, perfumes, colourings and other ingredients that may be irritating. Dry skin is often sensitive.

• Avoid cleansers with soap or detergents in them.

• Prolonged exposure to heating and air conditioning and winds.

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