Spring has well and truly sprung, with warmer weather already hitting the Hunter. This change in season marks an important time for men to wash away the stigma and reassess their skincare needs. Newcastle Weekly spoke with men’s fusion cosmetics brand Tony & Munro to find out what you should be doing to look after your skin this spring.
Newcastle Weekly: What are your best skincare tips?
Tony & Munro: Keep it simple – make sure you’re hydrating, protecting and cleaning your skin. Whether you’re talking about your eye area, your face (or your skin in general), the benefits of hydration and moisturising are endless. For an extra helping hand in this area, Eyeseryl® (the active ingredient in our Hydrating Eye Gel) has been proven to reduce puffiness under the eyes in as little as 15 days. Here’s a few top tips you can incorporate into your daily routine:
- Protecting your skin against the sun’s harmful rays is super important in order to keep your skin healthy and reduce the visible signs of ageing. So make sure you’ve got some SPF protection if you’re heading out into the sun.
- Don’t forget to wash your face. Men tend to have larger pores, so going to bed at night without wiping away the dirt and grime from the day can cause all kinds of skin issues.
- Get some sleep! This is key to reducing those tired/puffy eyes and dark circles. At least seven to eight hours a night is desirable. Your body does its best work when you’re sleeping, including cell regeneration and skin repair. Give your skin a fighting chance and you’ll wake up looking and feeling refreshed.
NW: Why is it important for men to look after their skin?
Tony & Munro: Actively protecting your skin can help you continue to look and feel healthy (and younger) for longer. As the body ages, it produces less collagen, and our skin produces less natural oils. This can lead to wrinkles and other skin conditions such as dry skin and Rosacea. However, taking care of your skin early on in life helps your body to produce the proteins, vitamins and oils your skin needs to fight ageing and wrinkles. Your skin will thank you for looking after it!
NW: What should people be doing to prepare their skin for the warmer weather?
Tony & Munro: The weather is changing (thank goodness for that), and with it comes a difference in humidity, an increase in temperature, and a rise in the intensity of the sun’s rays. Depending on where you live, spring and summer can bring about hot dry winds or humidity – these conditions may dehydrate your skin, or could even cause an overproduction of your skin’s natural oils. Solar rays tend to be more intense during these seasons too, and while you should be wearing a daily SPF all year round, it’s important to be extra diligent in the warmer months.
NW: What’s the best routine men can follow to look after their skin?
Tony & Munro: In a word: moisturise. If there is one thing you should do every day, this is it. And you can give your skin a fighting chance by opting for a moisturiser that includes an SPF. Keeping your skin hydrated can promote the production of collagen, give your skin more body and more plumpness, encourage elasticity, reduce the signs of ageing, and restore your skin’s natural sebum (oil) layer – all of which promote healthy skin cell production and regeneration.
NW: How important is SPF in your routine?
Tony & Munro: We can’t stress enough how important SPF is in your daily routine. SPF blocks excessive sun exposure, which will stop the skin ageing prematurely. By investing in SPF, you’re helping avoid damaged, wrinkled, and tough skin. Not mention the dangers of skin cancer.
Heavy, thick, zinc-based, traditional SPF 50+ creams are old school. Steer clear of the greasy mixtures – all you need is a light SPF 30 to get you through the day. Our Nourishing SPF 30 BB Cream (available in three shades) helps to protect your skin against the sun’s harsh UVA & UVB rays. It also moisturises the skin, evens your complexion, and promotes skin elasticity via the Kakadu Plum extract (the world’s richest source of vitamin C). It’s lightweight and blends perfectly into your skin, neck and/or beard line, so no one will even know you’re wearing it.
NW: Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
Tony & Munro: Yes – it’s important to remember that men and women have very different skin. Men’s skin is about 25% thicker, and generally more oily, than the average woman’s. So, while your wife or girlfriend might be the one to offer skincare advice, their products aren’t really going to work for you. Tony & Munro cosmetics have been specifically formulated for men’s skin. This means our products are more absorbent and less oily – plus, they all easily wash off with cold water for your convenience.
As you now know, men also have larger pores, so washing your face is super important (whether you’re wearing product or not). A simple gentle foaming cleanser will do the trick, but if you don’t have any on hand, cold water with a soft wash cloth will work. And yes guys, cold, normal tap water, no matter the season. If you use hot or warm water, your pores will open up and you’ll end up pushing the bacteria back in, causing acne and other skin complications.
– Elizabeth Symington & Gemma Ferguson
