With the advent of the Metrosexual Male, the curse was lifted for all men everywhere to start taking care of their skin. Now there are even special products packaged to appeal to all men. None of that frilly girly-girl stuff, just solid, no-nonsense, containers full of pretty much the same ingredients that are marketed to women in pastels.



Hey, whatever it takes to get a guy to start caring for his skin, I am all for it. Just getting them to slather on a good moisturizer after they shower will go a long way to keeping them looking their best and feeling good about themselves at the same time.

As with products designed and marketed to women, the most important thing to do before plunking down your credit card is to read the ingredient list very carefully. Some ingredients are just cheap fillers while others actually perform a function when applied to one's skin.

Ingredients to look for in any moisturizer, and which should be at the beginning of the list, are jojoba oil, shea butter, palm oil, and olive oil. Jojoba is one of the most important moisturizing ingredients and it does not leave an oily residue behind. Because it is really a vegetable wax it is absorbed quickly into the skin and seals in the body's nature moisture.

Shea butter is also a marvelous ingredient which works much like jojoba. Shea is usually much thicker, like a heavy cream whereas jojoba is liquid at room temperature. Both ingredients accomplish the same thing, however, they keep your skin from drying out.

Olive oil is a wonderful ingredient for applying warm. Soaking work-roughened hands in warm olive oil will really help soften your cracked cuticles and scratchy callouses. Olive oil will leave an oily residue on your skin, however, so it is a good idea to wash with gentle soap (not that he-man deodorant bar, either!) then apply jojoba oil to damp hands to provide a protective layer. And guys, please wear gloves when doing heavy man's work, that is why they make them is such large sizes!

Beware of products that list water as the first ingredient. You will find this in every price range, too. Water is not a moisturizer, it actually dries out your skin, if it's to HOT! We all are familiar with that dry, stretched feeling our skin has when we forget to moisturize after showering. The perfect time to apply moisturizer is immediately after you turn off the water. Keep a container of your favorite in the shower with you and anoint your entire body before you gently pat yourself dry.

Which brings us back to the beginning. What works for women works equally well for men! There is no need to buy separate products. Just settle on one that you both like and stock up. You guys who have never much bothered with your skin in the past will begin to notice a marked difference within a week of regular usage. And even if you don't notice, your wives or girlfriends certainly will!