Men's Skin Can Be Confused!

Combination Skin Makes A Man's Skin Type Confused

The all-encompassing combination skin type makes identifying your skin type even more difficult. Almost every man and woman at some time or another, if not all the time, have combination skin. Areas like the nose, chin, center of the forehead, and the center of the cheek all have more oil glands than other parts of the face. It is not surprising that those areas tend to be oilier and break out more frequently than other areas. Problems occur when you buy extra products for combination skin because many ingredients that are appropriate for the T-zone (the area along the center of the forehead and down the nose where most of the oil glands on the face are located) won't help the cheek, eye, or jaw areas. You may need separate products to deal with the different skin types on your face because you should treat different skin types, even on the same face, differently.

Aside from the ever-present nature of "combination" skin, another limitation of skin type is that it cannot address men’s skincare needs that may not be apparent on the skin's surface. For example, sun damage is not evident when you are younger, but sun protection is essential for all skin types, men and women. Oily and dry skin that are present at the same time, along with some redness, may be an early sign of rosacea, a condition that cannot be treated with cosmetics and is not easily diagnosed. What you see on the surface of the skin does not always indicate the type of men’s skincare products you should buy.

One other important point, the skincare products you use can influence your skin type. Judging skin type simply by looking at your face and feeling your skin won't address the underlying cause. For example, if you use an emollient cleanser, and follow it with a drying, alcohol-laden after-shave or toner, and then an emollient moisturizer with a serum underneath, that could very well be causing you to have noticeably combination skin. Using a moisturizer that is too emollient for your skin could be causing breakouts. Using skincare products that contain irritating ingredients could cause dryness, irritation, and redness. You may think you have a particular skin type, but you may be looking at your skin's reaction to the products you are using.

Next: Regardless of men’s skin type, does everyone have sensitive skin?