Then, there is your face. Don’t let old man winter make you look like an old man before your time. When the weather turns cold, the air can become a sand blaster and it’s even harder to save face. And before you know it, you can look like Keith Richards the morning after.
Here are some tips from GQ Barber Lounge to help you change up your skin care regimen so that you always look your best.
Hook up the humidifier. As soon as your furnace kicks on, the war on your skin begins. Your furnace, space heaters and the car heater all blast your face with warm dry air that sucks the moisture right out of your skin. Keeping humidifiers on at home make you feel warmer and are an easy way to keep fight back.
Winter Shaving. The weather gets colder and your beard gets a little tougher. Our Denver barbers recommend using a pre shave oil to soften the hairs and protect the skin. Avoid shave using shave creams out of a can. They dry out your skin. Instead, use Beard Lube from Jack Black or Shave Cream from The Art of Shaving. Lather up and keep the lather on for a minute or so to soften your beard and let your skin soak up the good stuff. Shave with the grain and don’t go for the super close shave.
Moisturize more. Look for moisturizers that are oil based rather than water based. In the winter, oils such as almond or avocado help keep your skin protected. You might also switch to “night creams.” They contain oils, are heavier and are what we need in the winter. In the summer we sometimes skip this step thinking that our aftershave balm is enough. Just like putting on an extra layer of clothing, use a high quality moisturizer like Lab Series Daily Moisture Defense Lotion to give your skin extra protection from winter’s harsh elements.
Shower Treatment. Yeah, we know how good a hot shower feels, especially in the winter. And hot water robs your skin of moisture and so does that cheap 12 for a dollar soap. Dial back on the hot water a handle a bit and use an all over body moisturizer. Seriously, your skin won’t feel as scratchy and you’ll be a lot more comfortable during the day. GQ Barber Lounge recommends Jack Black Cool Moisture Body Lotion for winter. It’s got glycerin and Vitamin E, jojoba oil and other good stuff to keep your skin smooth and slow moisture loss.
Hydrate for health. We gotta drink even more water in the winter, not to keep our skin soft but to stay healthy. We know, it makes you pee a lot. Think of it as adventure to set urinal visitation records. Maybe Foursquare has a badge for checking in at 20 different urinals in one day.
Lip Service. Dare we say she really doesn’t want you to plant your frigid raisin lips on hers? Easy fix here, carry a lip balm in your pocket, preferably one with SPF. We like Jack Black’s Baum Squad. Several flavors and what woman can resist a guy with mango lips.
Grease up your feet. In the summer, we just try to keep people from passing out from our foot odor. During the winter our feet can really dry out. We recommend a pedicure a couple of times during the winter to get the dead skin cells off and seriously treat heal cracks and calluses. For daily care use a cream that includes aloe and glycerin to help keep moisture in. Apply the cream at night and wear some warm comfy socks to bed. We know it looks geeky bit you’ll sleep better and your feet will wake up happy. You do want happy feet don’t you?
Keep your hands handsome. Always wear gloves when it’s really cold outside, duh. And yep, you gotta use a hand cream. Keep a hand cream handy, at your desk and have one in your car so you can easily keep your hands protected all day long. You can use Hand Healer from Jack Black or Active Hand Cream from Lab Series for Men.
Slap on Sunscreen. UVB and UVA rays don’t go away just because it’s cold outside. Use a moisturizer that has an SPF in it or apply after your facial cream.
Eye care. Right below the eyes, it’s the first to go, the first to sag, the first to get dark before the sun goes down. The skin below the eyes is paper thin and has no muscles to support it. Carefully and lightly apply a high quality eye cream morning and night. This keeps the skin firm, minimizes the dark circles and keeps you looking fresh. Buy the good stuff, a little goes a long way.
Be a masked man. Use a hydrating mask at least once a week. Oh come on, paint on a mask, put on a robe and throw back a single malt. But avoid clay masks, cleansing pads and toners in the winter. You need those oils to keep your skin moist and soft. That scotch will help while your wife is laughing hysterically.
Ban the tan. Avoid the tanning salons and under no circumstances should you ever use those self tanners. If you do, we’ll know it and we’ll facebook everyone about it. Tans must be earned the old fashioned way; with a beer in one hand and a babe in the other on a beach doing absolutely nothing. Ok, almost nothing.
That’s it, 200 bucks, two hours later and you’re ready to go out and get the morning paper. Seriously, ease into it. Maybe if you use a better soap you won’t need a body moisturizer. You can use a hand cream for your feet as well. A better shave cream and a moisturizer with SPF are easy. Eye cream and lip balms are optional but not interchangeable. And if you use a self tanner, duck, cause we’re gonna hurl a fast snowball right at your grill.
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