From Epidermis Idiot to Skin Care Savant
I'm a man. Born and raised in South Dakota. We eat meat with a side of meat. The closest I came to a vegetable growing up was a potato. Exaggeration aside, in my younger years I thought John Wayne and Clint Eastwood were some of the manliest guys out there, still do, and you never saw them putting sunscreen on before heading outside or washing their face before they went to bed - so why would I? They wore crow's feet and wrinkles like a badge of honor!
Through college, I didn't know squat about skin care. I was notorious for going days without washing my face and when I would, I'd use a bar of Irish Spring soap and do nothing after that because that's what men do, or so I thought. I would wait days in between washing my face because I hated how dry and tight my skin felt after using that bar soap and figured I needed to build up some natural oil before trying it again. I remember one summer where I was a counselor at a running camp in the Black Hills and I went a full week without taking a shower. One week! Can you imagine running 10+ miles a day and deciding to pass on a shower?! I did that seven times in as many days!
I've been fortunate to have some really cool female friends over the years but it wasn't until after graduating from college that I realized how smart they are and how great their skin looks. One day I decided to ask one of them how she did it. After pulling out a small rolling suitcase filled with skin care products, I felt like I might be sticking with the bar soap regardless how awesome her skin tone and texture looked. She challenged me - I love a good challenge - to go in for a skin analysis and try using some skin care products. She even offered to split the cost of the first round of products with me - taking care of your skin can be a little pricey. I was lucky to never have "bad" skin but after a month of using medical-grade skin care products I was really impressed with how smooth my skin felt, the reduction in blemishes, and how my pores seemed to shrink up.
Today I use Revision's Brightening Facial Wash (cleanse), Soothing Facial Rinse (tone), their Vitamin C lotion (treat), their Hydrating Serum (moisturize), and their Multi-Protection Broad-Spectrum SPF (protect). I do this routine twice a day, in the morning when I wake up and again before I go to bed. Typically, my morning routine consists of cleansing with the Brightening Facial wash, toning with the Soothing Facial Rinse, applying the Vitamin C lotion followed by the Hydrating Serum and lastly protecting my skin from the sun with the Broad-Spectrum SPF. I do the same thing at night, just excluding the Vitamin C lotion and SPF. It might sound like a lot, but it only takes 5 minutes. I was also talked into trying a Clarisonic (think electric toothbrush for your skin) and it goes everywhere with me now. I still do my best to put off some manly vibes. I realize I may be a little softer than John and Clint but I can still enjoy eating steak, working out, and riding motorcycles. Only now i can do it without breaking out or rocking sun burns.