Behind the shadow of the huge cult of female cosmetics, cosmetic products for men are not visible at all, but this audience no less needs care products. The biggest stress on a man’s skin is shaving. Although some people shave once every few days, most often this procedure is carried out daily, but the required attention is rarely paid to the treatment of injured areas. And this is wrong - after shaving products are necessary for everyone, regardless of age.
What are the after shave products for men?
In fact, in our time there are a lot of them: from balms, creams, foams and emulsions to masks. They all differ in time and method of application, and each is good in its own way: it helps with certain problems and is suitable for specific types of skin - dry, oily, sensitive, normal, combination. But the best after shave is, of course, the one that's right for you.
What are they needed for?
To answer this question, you need to imagine what happens to the skin during shaving. Regardless of which razor is used (although with the help of well-sharpened blades, the amount of damage can be minimized), the upper layer of the epidermis is cut off along with the hairs, “exposing” areas of the skin that are not yet sufficiently coarsened for contact with the environment. From here two main problems follow: irritation and dryness. And just to eliminate them there are a variety of after shave products.
How should aftershave lotion help?
As a rule, lotion is a remedy for irritation. After shaving, the whole face is strewn with small wounds, causing not only unpleasant itchy sensations, but also redness on the skin. To disinfect them, alcohol is added to the lotions, but it has a strong drying effect on the skin, so some men (especially those with dry and sensitive skin types) prefer alcohol-containing products with a lower concentration of antiseptic (less than 30%). Here is an example of Nivea aftershave:
The main purpose of the lotion is antibacterial protection. In addition to alcohol, it includes silver ions, chamomile and provitamins - they have a disinfecting, sedative and nourishing effects. These are the main components of after shave care products. Lotion "Nivea. Silver Protection" is suitable for all skin types, because the alcohol content in it is not more than 30%.
Who needs a cream after shave balm?
And this cosmetic product already serves for other purposes - moisturizing and nutrition. As mentioned earlier, shaving, coupled with an alcohol-containing lotion, very dry the skin of the face. In men, it is thicker and fatter than in women, so the former are less likely to need moisturizers. But besides the feeling of tightening, due to excessive degreasing, you can get sliding flaps of skin and even eczema. To prevent them, you must use a cream-balm. It restores water balance, moisturizes dried skin and nourishes it with the substances necessary for restoration. As an example, consider another Nivea product:
The main active ingredients in this product are vitamin E and aloe vera. The cream is suitable for normal skin, which emphasizes once again: hydration requires not only the dry type. It is worth paying special attention to the lack of moisture in the body in winter: at this time of the year it is better to use a cream, so as not to wind off the skin after shaving.
What should be included?
It depends on the purpose for which you are using the tool. If hydration is needed, then the leading components should be substances such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera. At the same time, products containing salicylic acid and alcohol, which greatly dry the skin, should be avoided.
If you are looking for a remedy for irritation after shaving, then you should pay attention to salicylic acid: it will prevent infections, redness and future scars.
Once again, in most cases, the lotion contains alcohol. For normal skin, this may not be critical, but owners of dry skin should carefully monitor the composition. If you want to find out if there is alcohol in the product you are using, then this is easy to do: after application, the alcohol-containing lotion should lightly burn the skin.
The real treasure in care products is aloe vera. The plant is suitable for achieving all of the above goals. It has a strong moisturizing effect, contains vitamins E and C, helps accelerate cell regeneration, and prevents infection. The presence of such a component in the composition is a definite plus.
What is important for a man when choosing?
When choosing cosmetics for skin care, first of all, men pay attention to several specific factors.
Very often, before you figure out what tool is used for what, what components should be included in its composition, and when to use it, men just buy the first tube they get and evaluate its effect - is it even worse? Got better?
But to say "the first tube that comes across" would be wrong, because design is the first thing that customers see and think about. Men like convenient packaging, nice colors (dark blue and dark green colors), stylish design without pretentiousness. Oddly enough, for many, when choosing an aftershave, the first criterion is appearance.
And the second criterion is smell. But this point is obvious - if the aftershave that you apply to your face every day has an unpleasant odor, it will become impossible to use it.
In defense of the choice of men, we can say that they pay attention to the type of skin for which the product is intended. Although there is nothing wrong with focusing on your own feelings about using. However, if you pay more attention to the active substances, you could find a perfect remedy for you.
Is it possible to use female products?
Indeed, are all these creams, gels, foams and lotions needed if similar products are also available for women? Does it make sense to buy after shave products for men?
Yes, they are. Firstly, it’s corny because of the smell - all women's cosmetics usually have a fragrance that is too sweet for men. Secondly, a moisturizer for female skin may be too oily for male skin, thicker and protected from nature.
Nevertheless, nothing bad will happen if you even use such cosmetics for skin care on an ongoing basis. For example, it’s much easier to find truly gentle after shave products for women than men, with a whole range of aromas and additional components.
Never forget that any skin needs care, especially after such a traumatic procedure as shaving. Properly selected after-shave products will help to maintain a tidy appearance and healthy skin every day.