Maintaining an even skin tone is difficult for many men and can be a constant source of frustration as well as loss of confidence when it comes to their own body image. Indeed, there is very little that can do more to damage your confidence in how your skin looks than blotches, red patches or darker areas of sun spots. So, today I wanted to run through the three steps, and the products used with them, that help me keep an even skin tone all year round that will also help protect your skin against harmful environmental effects as well as keep it healthy and young.
Step 1: Remove Dead Skin & Reduce Uneven Texture
Daily pollution, dust and stress can all damage your skin cells giving your skin an even tone and texture if not regularly removed. To help with this I use a gentle, daily peel from Perricone MD which naturally removes the layer of dead skin allowing the new layer of skin to breathe and give a brighter, more youthful appearance.
How to Maximise the Benefits
First, ensure your skin is freshly washed with a face wash or soap of your choosing (make sure it doesn’t contain any Parabens or Sulfates as these can do further damage to the skin beneath the dead layer) and gently dry with towel. Apply 4-5 drops of the peel to the facial area and massage in gently until fully absorbed (no rinsing required).
This is a really great way of helping your skin look more even and brighter without using any harmful or damaging chemicals. It will also ensure any dirt particles, oils or pollutants don’t do any deep skin damage.
Step 2: Conceal Dark Spots
Sun spots are smaller patches of dark skin caused by UV damage and, though faint, can create an uneven skin tone and ultimately knock your confidence. Trying to cover these up with a heavy concealer can often suffocate the skin and result in spots, redness and/or damage so often finding a middle ground is the best strategy. Clinique’s Dark Spot Corrector is a fantastic, lightweight product that helps lighten dark spots whilst matching the natural tone of your skin.
How to Maximise the Benefits
Apply after cleansing your skin but before moisturising. Apply one pump to the tip of your finger and gently smooth over the facial area. Ensure full coverage and that the skin has taken on a matte look, rather than shiny or tacky. A little goes a long way so no need to any more than the bare minimum to have the desired effect.
Step 3: Brighten, Nourish & Protect Skin
The final step is to add a moisturiser with good SPF protection that will help maintain a bright, matted look through the day. The best way I have found for achieving this is by using a CC cream, though finding one specially formulated for men has been something of a task to find. Fortunately, I found an absolute gem which has been specifically created with men’s skin needs in mind by ForMen ($33/£27 for 33ml). This light but effective CC cream helps create an even skin tone with a matte finish that lasts for over 12 hours. Once applied you can forget about it for the rest of the day as it is resilient enough to stand up to the elements and your day-to-day environment.
How to Maximise the Benefits
Simply apply a small amount to your palm and place 5 dots of the product on your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. Then use the tips of your fingers to lightly spread over your face until absorbed. It is important not to be too vigorous when rubbing it in as this will reduce the even-ing effect it has.
Other Tips for Maintaining an Even Skin Tone
It’s important to note that these products are only designed to help even out smaller imperfections and spots on the skin, rather than act to conceal large problem areas. To help reduce the likelihood of outbreaks, damaged/oily/irritated skin and other problems make sure to incorporate the following into your daily routine.
- Drink plenty of water – Your skin needs water to keep its plumped, nourished look as well as encourage repair and recovery.
- Maintain a healthy, balanced diet – Lots of fruit and vegetables will help reduce the amount of excess oil produced by the skin, thus helping minimising spot outbreaks
- Regular exfoliation – Maintaining a good exfoliating habit will ensure your skin is deeply cleaned and helps reduce blackheads as well as deeper imperfections. Aim to exfoliate once or twice a week at the most to get the best results.
That just about wraps up this guide, thank you for checking it out. If you have any questions or recommendations you would like to add, don’t hesitate to comment below and I’ll be happy to answer/discuss them. In the meantime, you can also sign-up to be notified of new posts and follow The Male Stylist activity.Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or Instagram for style inspiration, gentleman’s musings and general fun.
