Skincare for men with sensitive skin

What does sensitive skin look and feel like?

Sensitive skin reacts to products or environmental changes that would not normally cause irritation. Signs include dryness, peeling, bumps and discoloration, which can look red or darker than your usual skin tone. Burning, itching and stinging can happen even without visible changes. Sensitivity can also accompany eczema, rosacea, acne or contact dermatitis, an irritated or allergic skin reaction. The symptoms alone do not tell you which condition you have.1

Your skin barrier is the outer layer that keeps water in and harmful substances out. Harsh soaps, scrubbing, too much exfoliation and skipping moisturizer can damage it. Dryness, rough patches and stinging when you apply products are reasons to ease up, not scrub harder.2

What should your daily routine be?

1. 1Wash gently each day. Use lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance free, soap free cleanser. Massage it on and rinse thoroughly; prolonged rubbing adds no cleansing benefit.
2. 2Apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp. After a shower or bath, gently pat away excess water and moisturize within three minutes. Apply gently rather than rubbing hard.
3. 3Use sunscreen every day. Choose a product you like, can afford and will actually use. Sun exposure can trigger sensitivity, so limiting exposure belongs alongside sunscreen.
4. 4At night, moisturize again if your skin feels dry. A plain moisturizer without active medicines can also be reapplied during the day as needed. If you use a prescription cream, follow your prescriber's instructions about application order.

How do you choose a cleanser?

Words such as gentle, soap free and moisturizing are useful shopping cues, which is more useful work than a product name suggesting a military operation. For eczema prone skin, a mild liquid cleanser is preferable to a conventional bar soap: bar cleansers typically remove more of the skin's moisture and oils. Choose fragrance free products rather than scented ones.6

Which moisturizer should you use?

Emollients are moisturizing ingredients that soften skin and help relieve dryness, itching and scaling. Humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, attract water. Occlusives, such as petroleum jelly, help hold existing moisture in. For sensitive skin, look for a formula with relatively few ingredients and avoid known personal triggers. If you also get acne, look for noncomedogenic products, meaning formulated not to clog pores; heavy occlusive products can aggravate breakouts.5

If you have eczema, a cream or ointment generally holds moisture better than a lotion. Ceramides are fats naturally present in skin, and a ceramide moisturizer can help replace some of what eczema prone skin lacks. Ointments often feel greasy and can rub off on clothes and sheets, giving your moisturizer an unnecessarily ambitious distribution plan. Using an ointment only on dry patches is an option if you dislike applying it everywhere.6

How should you shave if you get razor bumps?

Razor bumps happen when short, coarse or curly hairs curve into the skin. They are especially common in men with darker skin tones. The following shaving sequence is specifically for that problem, rather than a reason for everyone with sensitive skin to shave more often.4

1. 1Identify the direction your beard hairs grow, then wash with a gentle cleanser and rinse with warm water.
2. 2Soften the hairs with a warm compress for five minutes, or shave at the end of your shower.
3. 3Apply moisturizing shaving cream, including with an electric razor. Leave it for one or two minutes and keep it wet.
4. 4Use a sharp single blade or electric razor. Shave slowly with the hair growth, using short strokes and light pressure. Do not stretch your skin or pass over an area more than twice.
5. 5Rinse thoroughly, then apply a cool compress for five minutes. Stop using any aftershave that burns or stings.
6. 6Dry your razor and store it somewhere dry. Replace a single blade after five to seven shaves; follow the manufacturer's replacement schedule for electric razor parts.

For this razor bump pattern, shaving daily or every two to three days can prevent hairs becoming long enough to curve inward. Growing a beard instead allows trapped hairs to emerge: fewer bumps should appear within a month, with clearing after three months. Persistent bumps need dermatology care because scarring can develop.4

Are hair removal creams or waxing gentler?

Hair removal creams can irritate skin too. Before first use, or use on a new body area, test a small amount there for the label's stated time. Rinse immediately and thoroughly if burning or stinging starts, and do not use that product again. If there is no reaction within 24 hours, you can use it on the tested area. Waxing can cause irritation and burns. Do not wax while using tretinoin or an antibiotic, or while taking isotretinoin or within six months of stopping it. For constant shaving related problems, a dermatologist can discuss laser hair removal and whether permanent beard removal suits you.3

What about showers and body care?

Use lukewarm rather than hot water and an unscented body wash. For sensitive or eczema prone skin, concentrate cleansing on the face, armpits and groin instead of soaping every inch. If you shower several times a day, use cleanser only once to reduce drying. With eczema, keep showers to about 10 minutes or less and moisturize promptly afterward. The same temperature and duration rules apply to baths. Avoid heavily fragranced bubble baths; if you use bubbles or a bath bomb, rinse afterward.67

Should you add exfoliants or anti aging products?

Do not add scrubs to skin that is already irritated. Retinol, facial acids and acne treatments can be especially irritating when you have facial eczema; discuss those goals with a dermatologist before adding them. Natural ingredients are not automatically gentler, and essential oils can irritate sensitive skin. Introduce only one new moisturizer at a time so a reaction is easier to trace.56

How long should you wait, and when should you get help?

Removing a trigger usually lets sensitive skin settle. Record when symptoms appear and what touched your skin, including skincare, detergent and clothing. If home care is not helping after about a week, or symptoms are very bothersome, see a healthcare provider. Skin barrier repair can take three to four months to show benefits, but that is not a reason to leave ongoing irritation unchecked.12

Seek emergency medical care for a rash with fever, blistering, yellow or green discharge, red streaks, pain or warmth, or a rash that covers your body or spreads suddenly. Cuts or wounds that do not heal also need medical attention.5