Winter means skin brutality, especially for your face. And it’s winter now, so we’re going to talk about how to take care of that moneymaker of yours. And no, there’s absolutely nothing unmanly about making sure you have cracking skin. But that doesn’t mean you should adopt your girlfriend’s daily 10-step anti-aging, herbal-infused, citrus-scented, green-masked facial cleaning ritual. It’s really much simpler than that.

After all, imagine that you are about to approach a pretty girl at a bar / lounge / club. You’re well dressed, confident and ready to charm. But one small problem, you just stepped inside and the tolls of the cold, windy day have cracked your lips, made your cheeks red and irritable, and your nose blotchy and dry. Not a good look, no matter how smooth you are. So don’t handicap that charming personality of yours by not taking care of your style and your skin. From the dimple in your tie to the pimple on your face, remember that your entire appearance is sending a message.

I’ve blogged about my firm favourite when it comes to grooming ‘ManCave’ before, it’s great. Versatile.  Worthwhile. Proven. And, a little goes a long way.

So in this post, we’ll cover the 3 essential steps to help you ensure that your face not only survives winter but your complexion stays as fresh as your chosen attire, and all by using ManCave’s range of grooming products!

Step 1: Identifying Your Skin Type

Have a read below and see what you are, I have quite sensitive skin so I’m reluctant usually in using any products.

The first step to properly caring for your skin is knowing your skin type. Caring for your face without knowing your skin type is the equivalent of shopping for pants without knowing your waist size. Everyone falls into five general skin types:

• Normal – Consider yourself one of the lucky few. This is the least problematic skin type. Skin is neither oily or flaky and is supple and smooth to the touch.
• Dry – Tight skin, often showing flakes of dead skin. Typically associated with small pores.
• Oily – Shiny skin, characterized by a layer of oil that can be associated with larger pores.
• Combination – The most common skin type where the skin is oily in the “T-zone” shown above and normal to dry in other areas.
• Sensitive – Reacts easily to products and irritations (both external and ingested), often turning red, itchy or developing a rash.

Back to the product…the best thing about ManCave products is that they use natural active ingredients, such as the effective amino L-Arginine – followed up with 12 essential oils, then each product is completed with a signature key ingredient, ranging from Caffeine, Panthenol, Shea Butter, Borage Oil to the captivating scent of Cedarwood. As the scent is natural, there are no chemicals to irritate or dry your skin out.

Step 2: Cleansing

“I’m fine using soap.”

Soap?! No, you’re not fine. The problem with using ordinary soap to wash your face is that it dries your skin more than liquid cleansers. Dry skin not only looks bad, it can clog your pores and cause acne. A cleanser should remove accumulated dirt, excess oil and not contain harsh chemicals or detergents that strip away essential moisture. That moisture is what you need to protect you against the elements.

It’s all about balance. Choose cleansers that will balance out that your natural skin oils or lack thereof, and leave you refreshed. For example, if you’re someone with very oily skin you’ll want to use a lightweight cleanser that doesn’t leave your face feeling like a mucky saucepan. If you’re someone with very sensitive skin, you’ll want to avoid cleansers with harsh chemicals that’ll cause irritation and breakout.

And once you choose a cleanser, the ManCave ‘Face Wash’ or ‘FaceScrub’ for example, is there a proper way to wash your face? Yes, here’s how:

Splash warm water on your face. Warm water opens up your pores and helps you to clean deeper. Using chosen product, lather your face using a gentle circular motion. Scrubbing harder does not equal being cleaner – it will only cause irritation.

Remove the cleanser by rinsing with warm water. Never use hot water on the face as it dries out your skin.

When finished, gently pat your face dry with a clean towel. Avoid rubbing your face as it promotes wrinkles.

After the use of the ManCave FaceWash or FaceScrub, which is simply applied in the shower, your skin will feel fresh and airy (believe me I use it daily). That’s because ManCave’s Willow Bark FaceWash combines natural extracts to refresh, waken and purify skin leaving a fresh, healthy appearance – without drying your skin. Or, ManCave’s natural FaceScrub hydrates and uses Olive Stone to exfoliate your skin helping reduce the occurrence of blocked pores, blackheads and ingrown hairs.

Step 3: Moisturizing

Yes, men can moisturize. No, it doesn’t make you any less of a man. You should moisturize – especially during the winter – because your skin is prone to dryness…especially when those cold, bitter winds can make it feel like someone took a piece of sand paper and scrubbed your face with it. So aim to moisturize once or twice a day, especially right after you wash your face.

As with cleansers, make sure you consider your face type when choosing a moisturizing / face lotion. You don’t need to with ManCave. ManCave’s innovative natural oil-free face moisturizer is enriched with bioactives and UV filters to create a soothing easily absorbed formula, thats’ light and suitable for most skin types!

The Final Scrub Word

ManCave definitely delivers on its promise of providing quality, masculine bathroom products for men at a price that few can argue with. We strongly recommend checking out the full range on their website to find all the ingredients and product details so you can buy with peace-of-mind. You can also check their reviews on Boots and see hundreds of other UK customer lauding their quality and fragrance. Thanks to ManCave we have changed from cavemen to gentlemen in one trip to the bathroom.