The Ideal Skin Care Routine For Men Who Want To Do The Bare Minimum

Some men go straight to bed without doing a thing to their face, while others might embrace a 10-step skin care routine. But for anyone who’s a bit less high-maintenance than the latter and still wants to do a little something, what’s the best bare minimum skin care routine?

There are some differences between men’s and women’s skin, which means there are a few guidelines to follow. HuffPost spoke to four board-certified dermatologists on the ideal skin care routine for men who want to give just a little TLC to their face.

First, let’s talk about men’s skin.

There are measurable differences between male and female skin regarding the skin’s thickness, sebum production and transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

“Men’s skin is approximately 25% thicker than women’s due to higher collagen density. This can make men’s skin more resilient but also more prone to certain types of acne and oiliness,” said Dr. Hannah Kopelman , a board-certified dermatologist.

There are hormonal fluctuations for both, but women tend to be more affected by them. Acne, for example, is reduced post-puberty for most men. “Women tend to experience adult acne at a higher level compared to men; about 12-22% of adult U.S. women over 20 experience acne compared to 3% of adult U.S. men,” explained Dr. Anar Mikailov , a board-certified dermatologist.

“About 85% of adult acne patients are women, whereas about 15% are men,” added Dr. Omer Ibrahim , a board-certified dermatologist and co-director of research at Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology.

Also, more men vs. women tend to shave their faces, which often leads to ingrown hairs that look like pimples along the beardline, said Ibrahim. This creates the need for a specific post-shave product to avoid