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Skin care is essential to maintaining a Debonair persona. Take good care of your face and you can look like a young Mickey Rourke. Treat you skin poorly and you can wind up looking like, uh, Mickey Rourke. So how can you freshen up your mug? Debonair correspondent and Truman’s founder John Esposito Jr. offers these universal skin care tips for the guy on the go.
Cleansing/Toning
There is nothing worse than regular, old-fashioned soap. Instead, opt for a gentle cleanser. Over the course of a day, a man’s face collects oil in an area known as the T-Zone (across the forehead and down the nose). A good cleanser will help to minimize this oily build-up without over drying your skin. While a cleanser can wash away your oily sheen, a toner is the essential preventative tool. Follow up your face cleansing by using a toner Ph balanced for men (between 5.4-5.6).
Shaving
Invest in a decent shaving cream. The shaving gel that is probably in your medicine cabinet will dry out your face just like a bar of soap. Instead, opt for a hydrating shaving cream from a company such as Baxter. For those who use an electric shaver, be sure to use a pre-shave oil. The old Italian barbers would use first-pressed olive oil; today, there are many oils available from skin care manufacturers.
If a traditional razor is more your style, make sure that your blade is sharp. Nothing will irritate your face worse than a dull blade. If razor burn continues, stay cognizant of how many times you shave over the same areas of your face. Multi-blade razors were created as single pass razors. Excessive blade exposure to your face can cause irritation and ingrown hairs.
Always shave with the grain, or more importantly, never shave against the grain. Shaving across your face is perfectly acceptable. Remember, the grains of hair on your neck grow upwards. Follow every shave with an alcohol free aftershave balm to moisturize and protect your skin.
