Body care advice for men
Washing your body
There are many showering and bath products all designed to do perform different jobs depending on your requirements and body skin type.
If you think you may have problem skin, see our article on skin conditions for advice before selecting a product as the wrong choice could cause further problems.
Below is a guide to the various different types and what you can expect from them. Depending on the brand they may come in the form of a bath and/or shower product, or an all-in-one type (AnthonySport - hair and body wash) which can also be used on the hair although these types of all in ones are not recommended for regular use as they don't contain all the active important ingredients that products designed separately for hair, skin etc. would have.
It is also good practise to alternate your body washing products for example you may use a regular brand for the gym and then use a different brand for special occasions as it performs a different function such as leaving a longer lasting scent on your skin.
Types of bath/shower products:-
. Energising/Invigorating - Good for morning to wake you up by stimulating the
skin and preparing you for the day (Biotherm - Shower gel).
. Muscle soak - Excellent for softening and unwinding tired or tight muscles at
the end of the day or after a workout (Elemis - muscle soak).
. Relaxing - Great before bed to prepare you for sleep by relieving body tension
or after a stressful day (Molten Brown - bath hydrosoak).
. Perfumed - Leaves a lasting fragrance on the skin so ideal for a special
occasion or when you want a scent to match or enhance your cologne (L'Occitane - Shower cream).
. Aromatherapy - Each will have different properties such as relaxing,
invigorating, and stimulating and so choose product to suit your requirements
(Dermalogica - aromatic oil).
. Moisturising/Conditioning - Choose this is you suffer from dry or tight skin
and you want a long lasting moisturising effect (Molten Brown - body bar).
. Sensitive - Use this if you have sensitive skin that normally feels
uncomfortable after using other products, especially the perfumed variety.
This will be gentler on the skin.
. Detoxifying/Cleansing - These will thoroughly clean the skin eliminating dirt,
free-radicals and grease and will maintain skin condition and prevent blemishes
such as spots and blackheads (Baxter of California - cleansing bat).
. Exfoliating - This will remove dead skin cells revealing brighter, healthier
skin and will also help to prevent blocked pores (Menscience - exfoliating gloves).
You may prefer to use a body scrub instead of one of the above which comes in many varieties but basically plays the same role as the cleansing/exfoliating products. They normally contain small beads which gently remove and refine skin cells when rubbed on which also helps if you have layers of dry skin.
If you prefer to use a soap bar then invest in a good brand which won't dry the skin like regular soap and is basically the liquid products as listed above but in a hard waxy form.
After washing it is good to further aid your skin by applying a good body lotion.
Body Lotion
As with the washing products, there are just as many moisturising products that
can be used in any combination. You may choose to select a lotion that addresses
the same issues as the products you wash with such as one for dry skin or you
may use a stimulating washing product but then choose a sculpting body lotion to
tone the skin.
These products may also come in different forms such as lotions, balms and oils
but again it is really down to personal preference.
Here is a guide to the various different body lotions:
. Moisturising/Hydrating/Soothing - Replaces moisture lost from skin during the
day or from washing and hydrates the skin back to normal levels. Intensive
moisturisers should be used if skin is very dry to soothe and protect.
. Sculpt/Tighten/Tone/Firm - These work as the names suggest, by tightening or
toning the top layers of skin for a smoother appearance.
. Invigorating - Usually contains essence of mint or limes for the type of
stimulating experience that will wake up tires skin and leave you feeling alive.
. Stress Relief - Works by sinking deeply into skin and muscles to help unwind
and relax your tensions.
. Aromatherapy - These tinctures may be used in any of the above products but
more specific aromatherapy products have higher concentrations. See individual
products for uses and description.
It is advisable to apply these lotions generously after washing while the skin
is still warm and soft and the pores will be more open to absorbing the
components contained within the product.
For facial washing and moisturising products, see
our article on facial skincare.
For advice and products on dealing with unwanted body hair see
our article on hair removing, or for shaving products, see
our article on shaving.
To promote healthy, radiant skin you have to think about what you put
in your body as well as on it. Have a look at our article
on vitamins and supplements to see which are the best to take for skincare.