Over the past few months, several people have asked me about my skincare routine. A “routine” implies something elaborate, something that likely requires significant expense and attention, so I was initially taken aback by the question. Because I don’t think about it too much. But I am often told I look at least a decade younger than I am. So I must be doing something right. Many men want to look younger, of course, and some might even want people to ask them about their skincare routine. But most men go about it the wrong way. Because the best way to care for your skin is actually quite simple.
Let’s begin with a truth: the face needs moisturizer. Back in my youth, I used face lotion bought from CVS, made by a large corporate brand. You know, the kind of products whose ingredients list is long with words you can’t pronounce, and which smell like how corporate people think a man wants to smell. But these kinds of chemical-based face care products should be avoided for at least three reasons. First, because they’re toxic. Second, because they smell gross. And third, because if you have any length of a facial hair, even stubble, the lotion gets your beard and mustache all white and funky.
So what to use instead? What kind of skincare routine should a man of taste have?
People are often surprised to hear the simple answer: after the shower, I use jojoba oil mixed with a couple of essential oils. That’s it. And you can do the same. Simply get a little glass bottle with a spray nozzle, fill it up with jojoba oil, and then add about ten drops of your favorite essential oils to create your own scent.
My signature blend is frankincense and cedarwood. In the winter I’ll add balsam fir or redwood. I like a woodsy, masculine scent, so these essential oils are ideal. They’re also good for your skin, each with their own healing properties. But you can mix and match as you like. We sell several essential oils made by Plant Therapy to try.
(It may seem initially expensive to buy a jar of jojoba oil and a couple of bottles of essential oil, but they last a long time, especially the essential oils. So in the long run, it actually costs much lower this DIY way.)
Now, if you’re not the DIY type, then no worries. We at My American Goods® have you covered. There are two face-moisturizing oils we sell and that I fully stand behind, because I use them myself, just to change it up.
The first is Brothers Artesan Grooming Oil, in Rosewood and Cedarwood—though I’ve been eyeing their Juniper Rosemary & Sage. This is an all-around oil, which you can use for your face as well as your beard and mustache. It has a subtle masculine scent, feels light, and comes in a dropper bottle, perfect for moisturizing the skin beneath my beard.
Another brand we love is Under Luna, and their All Things Oil is a must have. It has a more complex blend of oils and scents, combining a veritable magician’s blend to create an amazing everything oil you can use to moisturize your face, hands, arms, and even your hair. With its bottom-layer scents of frankincense and balsam, it’s masculine enough for me, and with its top-layer scents of citrus and carrot, its gender-neutral enough for your wife or girlfriend to use too. Get it—you won’t regret it.
As I live in Boston, where it’s currently the land of eternal snows, I’ll suggest something extra every guy may want to consider during the winter: using a tallow balm before going outside. Tallow is much thicker than oil, and provides a better protection against harsher weather. Tallow balms work especially well around the eyes, preventing wrinkles. It’s also great on your hands, alleviating and preventing dry skin on your knuckles. My American Goods offers many tallow balms, but I suggest either Summer Solace Masculin Féminin Tallow Balm, or Harvest and Herd Citrus & Honey Tallow Balm. The latter mixes some olive oil in with the tallow, so it’s great for those not yet into the tallow situation, which can come off as too fatty for some. But tallow works wonders for the skin, so I encourage everyone to give it a try.
Finally, when it’s sunny outside, I always use some UV protection. After all, it’s the sun that damages our skin the most—that’s why all my California surfer friends have Clint Eastwood eyes. Tallow-Zinc blends are ideal to protect from the sun, so long as they are made from non-nano zinc (otherwise the skin absorbs the zinc, which you don’t want to happen). My current go-to is Vanman’s Tallow & Zinc Sunblock. Just a little will do it. Take a tiny dab and rub it between your fingers before spreading it on your nose, forehead, and around your eyes, and you’re good to go.
So that’s the long and the short of it. Use a jojoba and essential oil blend right out of the shower. On cold days apply some tallow balm before going outside, and on sunny days use some zinc-tallow blend. And then soon people may be asking you about your skincare routine too.
