In general, men don’t take particularly good care of their skin. They usually shave their stubble in the morning, apply some aftershave, and that’s it.
Some take it a step further and apply a moisturizer or toner after shaving, but very few people realize that proper skin care is much more important than that.
You know, the integrity of the skin is vital to prevent the penetration of harmful substances and microorganisms through the skin’s natural barrier. Few men realize that the integrity of the skin is disturbed by shaving. Shaving removes the skin’s natural barrier function and allows potentially harmful ingredients and microorganisms to pass through the skin, while nicks and cuts open the way to the bloodstream.
Even when using an electric shaver, microscopic nicks and cuts occur on the skin (they don’t have to bleed), which disrupts the integrity of the skin. The process of shaving not only removes the skin’s protective acid mantle, but shaving also removes several of the outermost layers of the skin including some layers of living skin cells, leaving the skin vulnerable.
This vulnerability is not limited to attacks by microorganisms. Once the skin’s natural barrier has been disrupted, molecules that would otherwise be excluded are now able to penetrate the skin and reach the deeper layers of the skin and potentially the bloodstream.
Natural skin care for men that contains only safe, effective and 100% natural ingredients such as essential oils and herbal extracts will reduce this risk. Essential oils are known to have very strong antiseptic effects that help prevent microorganisms from penetrating through broken skin and thus prevent infection and inflammation of the skin. Together with herbal extracts, these types of ingredients soothe, nourish and protect the skin and prevent dust, microorganisms, etc. from penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin.
Additionally, using only safe and natural ingredients ensures that potentially toxic ingredients commonly found in men’s skincare products are not a threat – simply because they are in the products.
It is also important to remember that no matter what type of razor you use, there will always be a number of bacteria and other microorganisms present on the blade, even a brand new blade. It is therefore very easy to introduce these organisms into the bloodstream. In most cases, the body’s immune system will deal with this quickly and effectively, but by adding the dangerous chemicals found in most commercially available skincare and shaving products to the equation, the skin can be adversely affected.
We are seeing an increase in skin sensitivities reported by men, which on closer examination often turn out to be allergic reactions to ingredients in the skin care products they use. We have seen that once they start using 100% natural skin care products and follow a systematic approach to skincare, this sensitivity tends to decrease and their skin generally becomes healthier.
Specially formulated natural skin care products for men are not commonly available, however, it is worth identifying such products to avoid unnecessary skin problems and potentially dangerous skin infections.
