For the men...skin tips

Not to be outdone, here are some skin tips for the men taken from the Womanwise magazine of the Trinidad Express. It is written by the resident beauty/make up artist Kirk Thomas who can be contacted at beautymakeupart@hotmail.com or 868-743-4211

Shaving

Men, does your skin nick easily, burn and/or get red and bumpy after you shave? Many men, myself included, find that shaving goes more smoothly when using a glycerine or aloe-based shaving cream or gel. Not only do these products soothe your skin, they allow your razor to gently glide across your face.

For best results, massage the cream or gel into your beard. And, of course, always shave with your grain first, then if necessary, you can shave against it. Finish with a soothing after shave balm or a moisturiser.

For those of you who go to your barber shop for a shave, my advice is that you stay away from alcohol based after shaves or spray.

Those products actually irritate, rather than cool the skin.

Last week, I went to a new barber who gave me the rubbing alcohol treatment. I was too embarrassed to scream when the pain set in.

For the record rubbing alcohol is not recommended for after shave use. In my view, it is just a cheap way of making sure one’s face is cooled or sanitised and I believe that you should tell that to your barber on the next visit.

Do you know your skin?

Get a facial. No fellas, that’s not for women only.

A metrosexual man (a man who is well groomed) is very appealing to the women. Just watch how much ogling metrosexual poster boy football star David Beckham gets.

Go to a reputable spa and ask the aesthetician (the girl who is giving you your facial) to analyse the type of skin you have as well as the condition it is in. More than likely, the aesthetician will make recommendations specifically suited for you.

Blackheads anyone?

Again, get a facial. Or you could try a cleansing mask. The more effective products are typically made of clay. Be sure to follow the instructions for best results. You don’t have to use the mask on the entire face, you can target the problem areas.

Do you have oily, acne prone skin?

If you use regular body soap to cleanse your face then stop.

Soap strips the skin of its natural oils, and your sebaceous glands react by producing even more oil. Instead, try a gentle foaming or milk cleanser if this problem is mild.

If you need something stronger you could always try a cleanser or spot treatment with salicyclic acid and beta hydroxyl. You may also want to use an oil-free moisturiser.

Alcohol and your skin

We all like to kick back at our favourite watering holes every now and then. But do you know that alcoholic beverages take the moisture right out of your skin.

That’s why you look or feel dehydrated the morning after.

One way to avoid this is to keep up on your daily skin care regime of cleansing, toning and moisturising.

It will help keep your skin soft and replenished. And use a stimulating eye gels every now and then to keep those bags at bay.

At least once a week use a facial scrub or exfoliating bar or wash to slough away dead skin cells and help your skin look radiant.

Finally, are your lips kissable?

No woman wants to kiss lips that are rough like sandpaper.

Keep those kissers moisturised by using light gentle lip balms that are non greasy. This will help to keep away that dry white look from appearing on the lips.