Winter’s arrival, for many guys, it means sending sweaters and coats out to the cleaners for a quick spruce-up. But what about your face? Let’s face it, most guys don’t want to be bothered.
Even with sunglasses, scarves, ski caps, earmuffs and a Yukon Cornelius beard — your precious mug is still going to need some care to get through winter. We asked the pros for a few winter skin survival tips, and it’s not going to be hard or messy or complicated.
1. Use sunscreen.
“The sun’s UV rays are still hitting our skin, no matter what the season,” said Dr. Ariel Ostad, a New York dermatologist and spokesman for The Skin Cancer Foundation. Fifteen or 20 minutes of sun a day, over a lifetime, adds up to months of exposure — and sun damage, he said, noting that skin cancer is at an all-time high. Yet, there are men who don’t like to wear sunscreen, Ostad said, adding that the “best” sunscreen is “something someone will actually use.”
The doctor recommends a “broad spectrum” sunscreen (which, as the Mayo Clinic notes on its website — www.mayoclinic.org
2. Moisturize.
“Men don’t like putting anything on their face,” said Ostad. “They shave, wash their face and walk out.” But there’s less moisture in the winter, he noted, and as you age, there’s less collagen in the skin, which can result in wrinkling and saggy skin, according to Health.com (www.health.com
3. Protect lips and eyes.
Use lip balm containing a sunscreen, and don sunglasses to protect the eye area when outdoors in wintertime, Ostad recommends.
4. Put down the soap.
“Don’t use soap so much. Just rinse with water if you can,” said Ostad, noting that soap contains ingredients that can remove essential oils and leave the skin irritated. If you think you need a cleanser, he suggests a mild, gentle product.
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