I bet you did not expect this one!
Can it really be a grooming guide for men?
Are we really going there?
In this post: WE ARE!
*There's no DAMN shame in caring about your skin.
Seriously, too many of my men friends don't moisturize, like at all. Too many of my friends don't have even ONE cream.They scoff at the very idea of ever doing this. Your girlfriend has time to apply 21 creams/day and you can't do an effort for two?
I don't know about you, but I like to look as youthful as possible for as long as possible.
Do you think Clooney does not moisturize? PFF!

Anyway, here's the case for actually bringing some creams into your life.

Skincare is something that we tend to treat very superficially as men. I know because I used to be like that. Wake up, brush teeth, go out. Why clean my face when I can, you know, wash it with water. I saw no reason to spend extra effort doing this. And for the first 25 years of my life, I did not do much. Then I got educated and old.
I kid, but really, my skin looked pretty bad.

It seems that moisturizing and cleaning the skin is good for you on many levels: prevent wrinkles, premature aging, not looking like you've been spending your life on a horse....though some might like that. But it's also the FEEL of your skin, no more tight, dry, ichy sensation that we sometimes get. Ultimately, is about health. The cool part is that it takes such a little effort to see really fast and noticeable results. Just don't be a lazyass.

RULE 0

If you are over 30, don't spend time in the sun. Like ever. Pretend you are a vampire and your life will be better. Sun will damage your skin faster than anything else. There's a reason guys like Karl Lagerfeld wear gloves all the time. If you think being tanned is sexy and really like the beaches, fuck it! WEAR SUNSCREEN, like 50spf+ sunscreen. Re-apply often.
If your skin hurts by the end of the day: YOU FAILED!

Don't believe me? READ this article. Bill is a guy who spent his life driving a truck, half his face exposed to the sun. Notice the difference?

Now let's begin. Here's the most minimalist, easy, fast and practical routine possible:

• wash your face
• moisturize
  x2 ( once in the morning, once at night)
  THE END.

How hard is that really?
Use something else than a soap. Soap is not great for the face anyway. If you really want soap, this amazing special dr. bonner soap is the NUTS. This is a soap that can be used for everything and it's all natural and good for you, the earth and your relatives. I should write a whole post about it but you can just discover it yourself. GOOGLE IT/BUY BUY BUY.

Of course, any other washcream is good. Nivea makes some good cheap one for men. I also like a firm called BullDog.

If you are really HARDCORE, buy a scrubbing cream and use it once a week. It will hurt a bit maybe but I love the after-scrubbing feel. Smooth and MANLY. (cough)

Now that the skin is clean, time to apply a moisturizer. This will hydrate your skin for the day, sometimes even protect it against sunt if it has added SPF and keep it looking "healthy". That's why some people look "luminous" while other seem like "zombies". MOISTURIZE!

I am a huge fan of this firm called AESOP. Expensive but good shit. This cream is like 50e, but it lasts 3 months so....

Once you start to be passionate of these things you start looking for alternatives. There are a ton!
I recently switched to a local brand called NN.

To apply just put a little quantity in your hand, apply on face and rub in circular motions until...oh fuck that! just make sure there's non visible on your face and it does not feel like your face could hold the next skating olympics. You are good to go!

That's kind of it....
Unless...
You are better than most.
aka --> you have a beard!

In this case, it's a good idea to keep it fresh, clean and luxurious. Use the double combo of a shampoo + oil. It smells amazing, feels like heaven and everyone will be in awe ( well, everyone is anyway in awe when you have a beard ).

I get told constantly that I look younger than my 30+ age. It's nice.
Now stop being a pu$$y about skincare and grab those creams off the shelf.
You can do it!