23 Things That Happen When You Take Care of Your Skin

Both long term and short term, there are plenty of good reasons for men to have a high quality skincare and grooming routine. The benefits range from the personal, to the professional, to the romantic, and far beyond.

Millions of men around the world have realized the value of taking good care of their skin. But there are still, unfortunately, legions of stragglers. And in too many cases, they’re living in denial:

• They’re guys who don’t think that keeping their skin hydrated matters. 

• They don’t see any reason to care that their soap bar is dehydrating their skin with each use. And they’d rather ignore the fact that the aging process is steadily deepening their wrinkles.

• To prove the doubters wrong, here are 23 things that happen when you start taking care of your skin. Some are obvious. Some are subtle. But they’re all part of the experience of being a man who makes skincare a priority.

1 - You look for opportunities to smile at yourself in the mirror. 

Because you’ve spent time and effort making your face look so good. You might as well catch your reflection and feel some well earned personal pride in that smooth, hydrated face of yours.

2 - Your partner notices the improvement, tells you, and it feels great.

Even if they’re not typically the type to notice the little things, expect your partner to notice the new improvement in your skin. Maybe they pushed you to start a skincare routine and now they’re proud of your shared success. Either way, it’s a win.

3 - Seeing yourself during video calls becomes less miserable.

When you look at yourself during video calls, you’re filled with optimism and confidence thanks to your clean, bright, hydrated skin. Too bad for those other folks whose shoddy cameras, poor lighting, and non-existent skincare routines are doing them zero favors.  

Tip: Want to reduce shine from oily skin? Try our Balancing Toner - it’s alcohol-free, refreshing, and non-irritating.

4 - You get a huge confidence boost.

The world can be a vain place. It’s rough for the average guy who doesn’t look quite like the chiseled models they’re made to feel they should be. While upgrading your skincare and grooming game won’t turn you into an Adonis, it will build your confidence that you look your very best every single day. And just like your mother told you, you can always be proud if you do your best!

5 - You become less anxious about your appearance.

Anxiety is all around you and it sucks. Anything you can do to reduce that nervous stress in your life is positive. Check your appearance off the list of things to worry about. You know you look great, courtesy of your skincare routine.

6 - People respect that you take care of yourself.

It requires self respect to take skincare seriously. It’s not an exercise in vanity - it’s an investment in yourself! That message is loud and clear to others - “I’m proud of who I am, I’m worth the investment of skincare. Take notice, universe!”

7 - Redness is reduced.

For fair skinned men, one common skin complaint is excessive redness. This is often caused by irritation and inflammation - two issues that you can check off your list once you make proper skincare habits part of your daily life.

Tip: If your skin redness is related to acne, use our Acne Controlling Face Moisturizing Treatment to calm and soothe your skin. It leverages 2% salicylic acid, willow bark extract, vitamin E, and tea tree oil to reduce redness and inflammation. 

8 - Blemishes appear less often.

Adult acne is a part of life for many men. Even if you don’t struggle with regular breakouts, every guy deals with a white head, black head, or similar blemish from time to time. But with a good skincare routine - and our acne controlling products - you can ensure a clean, clear complexion at all times.

9 - Shaving becomes smoother and less irritating.

No one deserves razor burn or ingrown hairs. Fortunately, a skincare routine that includes regular exfoliation - for example, with our Renewing Face Scrub - will help you get a closer, smoother shave every time.

10 - No more oily shine at the end of the day. 

Guys with oily skin are all too familiar with that greasy, shiny complexion. But you don’t have to worry about it anymore once you make skincare a priority. Try these two go-to’s for controlling oil:

1. Cleanse with our Clarifying Gel Face Wash.
2. Refresh and diminish pores with our Balancing Toner.

11 - You display your skincare products with pride. 

Even if you were initially apprehensive about having a skincare routine, you won’t be once you start seeing the results. Then comes the phase where you become - and rightly so - so proud of your results that you display all of your skincare products out on the bathroom counter. 

Tip: The way you store your skincare products can affect their efficacy and how long they last. Learn more in our post on the proper way to store your skincare products.

12 - You notice other people’s skin and wonder why they don’t take better care of it.

Once you become aware of how much better your skin looks, you’ll want to reach out and help other guys like you. Get ready to notice their skin issues - just don’t stop everyone you pass on the street with skincare suggestions. 

13 - Your wrinkles slowly dissipate, with some going away completely.

Your anti-aging skincare routine can't work miracles, but it does fight the aging process in ways that will surprise you. But remember, your skin doesn't need to be smooth as a baby's bottom to look good - a few character-enhancing wrinkles give you an appeal you've earned! 

14 - You notice all kinds of small, subtle changes in your skin that used to go by unperceived. 

The little fine lines that are smoothing out. The way your pores look bigger on your nose than on your cheeks. How there’s a bit more discoloration under one eye than the other. You become an expert in you. Knowledge is power - these details will allow you to develop a personalized skincare regimen that directly addresses your unique needs.

15 - Skincare becomes a topic of conversation you have opinions about.

And why shouldn’t you? After becoming an expert in your own skin, it’s only right that you develop knowledge-based opinions on how to best treat your skin - opinions that are worth sharing!

16 - You wander the skincare aisle to check out new products. 

As you enjoy the benefits of your skincare routine and strive to look your best, it’s natural to become curious about what more you could be doing. That will lead you to skincare aisles and websites where you’ll continue to compare options and build your knowledge. 

17 - You touch your face more than you used to (but you should really stop that).

Touching your face too often with dirty hands can lead to bacteria growth and blemishes. But now that your skin is so soft and smooth, you’ll have to resist the urge even more!

18 - You wonder what other aspects of your health and appearance you haven’t been giving enough attention to.

All those years that you could have been taking better care of your skin… they make you wonder. Don’t let this one go overboard - but do take advantage of the motivation to take better care of your whole self.

19 - You spend more time at the bathroom sink, but it’s totally worth it.

Yes, skincare now takes up about 5 minutes of your day that you used to devote to other things. But isn’t that tiny investment of time worth it for how great you look?

20 - You read articles like this because you want to learn more about skincare.

Hungry for knowledge, you consume all kinds of helpful information (and some just entertaining) related to skincare. It may even become your new favorite topic. Here are three posts that have captivated our readers: 

• How to Figure Out Your Skin Type and Treat It Correctly
• Bottoms Up? These Are the Worst Types of Alcohol for Your Skin
• Layer Up: The Right Order to Apply Skincare Products and Why It Matters

21 - You notice which celebrities have the best skin.

And you investigate their skincare routines to find out how to emulate them. After all, they’re just normal people too and there’s no reason you can’t look as good (or better) than them.

22 - You become more aware of how the weather affects your skin.

Now that skincare is a major part of your day, you notice how subtle changes in the climate affect you.  

• Dry, cool air leaves your skin tight and dehydrated, so those days you up the game with a little more Daily Essential Face Moisturizer than usual. 

• On warm sunny days when you plan on spending lots of time outside, you protect your skin with our Element Defense Moisturizer with SPF 45.

23 - You step up your grooming game across the board, not just for skincare.

If your skin is going to look top notch, the rest of you might as well too. So…

• You give a little more attention to the way your barber cuts your hair. 
• You invest in natural haircare products - like our Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. 
• And you keep up with a partner-approved level of manscaping. 

You really are the complete package!