How to choose the Best Face Wash for Men?

Sep 3, 2024

Authored by: Shagun Azad

Reviewed by: Dr. Shashank Malik

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Men are simple beings that like simple things. They find it difficult to stick to complex skincare routines but can thrive on a simple cleansing, toning and moisturizing (CTM) routine. It is the basic three-step routine that is perfectly capable of keeping your skin healthy. Do not let the influencers fool you into buying several products you don't need. The only three products you need are a cleanser, toner and moisturizer. And remember to go for only natural cleanser (ayurvedic face wash), toner (rose face tonic) and moisturiser (kumkumadi serum).

Men is massaging his face as he applied ayurvedic face wash on his skin by standing infront of mirror

A cleanser is meant to cleanse your skin. It is often used interchangeably with a face wash, as the primary function of a face wash is to clean the skin. It is vital to wash the face twice a day. The skin is sweaty in the morning, and you need to fly off the products you apply at night. Dust, sweat and pollution can cause the skin to become dull and lose its glow, making it necessary to wash the face at night. Using a face wash, possibly an ayurvedic face wash not only cleans the skin but also prepares it for using skincare products. The face wash is thus the first step in the cleansing, toning and moisturizing routine.

Men's skin is thicker and oilier and has more pores than that of women. This makes it all the more important for men to use face washes. The pores get clogged more often because of the dirt and sweat. Deep cleaning face washes cleans the pores, controls the oil production and keeps other issues like whiteheads, blackheads and acne away.

Many products are advertised as the best face wash for men, and we need to understand that the best face wash for oily skin people would be different from the best face wash for dry skin people . And the use case of best face wash oily skin or best face wash dry skin would also be different. There are a few things we need to consider before blindly buying a product that claims to be the best face wash for men for ourselves.

The purpose of Men's face wash – Why should men use face wash

While a lot of products might claim to be the best, there is only a handful that is good for their skin. Here are a few things the best face wash for men does:

Best face wash for men controls oil production- Men's skin has more pores and therefore controls more sebum, making the skin greasy. A face wash such as an ayurvedic face wash cleans the pores and controls oil production, making the skin look fresh.

Best face wash for men removes dead skin - Regularly cleansing your face with ayurvedic face wash or a regular face wash removes the dead skin cells that accumulate on the skin. Dead skin makes the skin textured and can clog pores and cause acne, ingrown hair, etc. Therefore a cleansed skin given the skin an even texture.

Best face wash for men helps to avoid skin issues- Face washes like neem face wash remove dirt and excess oils from the face and help keep it clean. This keeps away blackheads, whiteheads, acne, etc. Overall best face wash for men should remove excess oil and dead skin, control oil production, and keep common skin issues at bay. Look for words like neem face wash, ayurvedic face wash or pimple face wash on the pack to avoid these problems.

Best face wash for men prepares the skin for skincare- As mentioned above, the face wash is the first step to the CTM routine. You should always use moisturizer like kumkumadi cream on clean skin after washing the face. Face wash gives you a clean base for the moisturizer and other products to absorb better.

Neem face wash bottle has been placed on pink color table

Ingredients harmful to men's facial skin

Every time you buy a face wash or best face wash for men, you should look at its ingredients. Face washes can often be formulated using harsh chemicals, especially for men because naturally oily skin protects the barrier and keeps the skin moisturized. However, the best face wash for men should never include the following:

Alcohol- Alcohol is a common base ingredient in skincare products as it damages the skin's barrier to help penetrate other ingredients and makes thick products appear lightweight. It can be very drying, so one must avoid it at all cost.

Fragrance- Fragrances are made up of various chemicals that can cause irritation or allergies to the skin. Certain fragrances are strong enough to even cause a headache. It is one of the most common ingredients added to cosmetic and skincare products. Adding it to skin care products may make them appear pleasant to use, but it can damage the skin.

Oils- As stated before, men's skin is oilier than women. Oils in their products would make the skin oilier and clog pores, leading to blackheads, whiteheads, acne, ingrown hair, etc. This, in turn, can ruin the skin texture and significantly damage the barrier. The best face wash for oily skin people should, therefore, never contain oil. There are ayurvedic face wash for oily skin too. Blue nectar has the best face wash oily skin people can use. This ayurvedic face wash is made with natural herbs like aloe vera and thus controls oil secretion.

Parabens- Although there is no concrete evidence that parabens are bad for you, they are known to irritate the skin. Many other claims suggest that Parabens are bad for us. Parabens are used as preservatives to increase the shelf life of products, but it is best to avoid them as they could destroy the skin's barrier.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate- It is added to face washes and shampoo as it creates a foam when it comes into contact with water. It can severely dry the skin as it strips the skin of all its natural oils. The dryness can further imbalance the skin's pH, making it crack and cause lines and wrinkles.

An ayurvedic face wash would generally not contain any of the above ingredients and may thus be classified as safe and natural face wash for men.

Ayurvedic face wash is placed on blue table and the leaf shadow is on the table

Ingredients in a good face cleanser

As noted above, it is imperative that you look at the ingredients list before buying a face wash. Watch out for the following ingredients when trying to pick the best face wash for men:

Aloe Vera- Aloe vera is a natural ingredient that is suitable for all skin types. It is high in water content and provides hydration to the skin. Face cleansers (like blue nectar neem face wash) containing aloe Vera have a balanced pH and are rarely dry on the skin. Therefore, your best face wash for men should have aloe vera as one of the ingredients.

Glycerin/Hyaluronic acid- Both glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid are humectants. They attract moisture to the skin and lock it in by creating a barrier, keeping it hydrated, and providing elasticity. Hyaluronic Acid also helps in fading away the dark spots on face. Best face wash for men should therefore has glycerine or any other natural humectant in it.

Neem- Neem has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is the best natural ingredient to keep away acne. People in ancient India used to put neem leaves in their bath water to keep the bacteria away. Neem face washes are particularly beneficial for bacterial acne. You can find many products in the market that state their products are chemical free. Always read the labels carefully. A chemical free natural neem face wash works well for acne prone skin.

Retinol- Retinol is an effective anti-ageing ingredient. It is known to delay signs of aging and improve the skin's texture. It is an ingredient most dermatologists recommend beginning to use in your late 20s to delay visible signs of aging. Apart from face wash, one can use anti aging men’s cream that has retinol in it.

Saffron- It is a natural brightening ingredient used by Indians for years. Your best friend, best face wash for men, in this case, should contain Saffron. Saffron brightens the skin, reduces and treats hyperpigmentation. A face wash with saffron in it could be the best face wash for men as the saffron would decrease the sun spots and give the skin a youthful glow by working on hyperpigmentation.

Salicylic Acid- It is one of the most popular and effective chemical exfoliants that remove dead skin, control oil production and help with acne. Physical exfoliants are abrasive and are mostly found in face scrubs. Using a face wash with salicylic acid eliminates the need to use a face scrub and keeps the acne, blackheads, and whiteheads away. Any face wash that has salicylic acid and a decent pH can be the best face wash for oily skin people can use. If your face wash does not have salicylic acid, you could try exfoliating with Kumkumadi scrub once a week.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is an active ingredient that is known to reduce pigmentation and dark spots on face, brighten the skin, and give the skin an even tone. Using vitamin C in a face wash is a great way to introduce the active ingredient to your skin as it is a wash-off product, so it gets on the skin, but it doesn't stay on your skin for long. A face wash with vitamin C in it could be the best face wash for men as just like saffron, vitamin C also reduces sun spots, treats hyperpigmentation, and brightens the skin. Top up your skin with vitamin c face serum to effectively complete the skincare routine.

Vitamin E- Vitamin E moisturizes the skin, reduces dark spot on face and has antioxidant properties. It is available in the form of capsules and is one of the no-nonsense ingredients that can be applied directly to the face. Best face wash for men should have Vitamin E to get the best skin experience.

How to use a Men's Face Wash

While it is extremely important that you pick the right and the best face wash for men, it is also important to use it well in order to derive maximum benefits from it. You could buy a hundred different face washes that claim to be the best face wash for men and still not get the desired results if you lack technique when washing your face.

Begin by splashing some water on your face. Take a pea-sized amount on your palm and rub them together to generate lather. Apply this on the face and gently massage for about a minute. Then, rinse the best face wash for men that product off. Apply moisturizer such as kumkumadi cream, kumkumadi serum or vitamin c face serum on clean skin while it is damp for it to absorb better.

Ayurvedic face wash bottle has placed on baby pink table

Points to remember while using best face wash for men

Once you settle on buying the best face wash for men, keep in mind the following points to derive maximum benefits from using best face wash for men.

Use pea-sized amount- Use pea-sized amount of face wash to wash your face to avoid over drying the skin and to not waste products. Your face does not need more than that.

Wash your hands before using face wash- Hands contain a lot of bacteria and other germs on them. Washing your hands before washing your face ensures that the bacteria doesn't get to your face and mess up the skin barrier and cause acne.

Avoid hot water on face- Facial skin is thinner than the rest of the body. Using hot water on the skin makes it dry and can increase the chances of developing visible signs of ageing, like fine lines, dark spot on face and wrinkles.

Avoid oil cleansers- As stated above, male skin is thicker and oilier than that of women. Oil-based cleansers are suitable for dry skin and might not work well for men as they might not break down the dirt on their faces.

Choose non-drying products - Pick products that are non-drying. Products with alcohol and other drying substances can destroy the skin's barrier and cause the skin to age faster than usual.

Razor burns- Avoid washing your face if your face has razor burns or cuts to avoid irritating the skin.

Always apply moisturizer after face wash - Face washes get rid of the excess oil and instantly makes a face a little dry to incorporate the natural oils that are produced in the skin. Applying moisturizer such as Kumkumadi cream or a face serum such as kumkumadi serum, after washing the face adds some moisture to the dry skin and maintains its barrier.

Post cleansing routine

Men do not need an elaborate skincare routine to maintain healthy and clean skin. The CTM routine works just fine. You only need three products to get the skin of your dreams, cleanser such as ayurvedic face wash, toner or face tonic like rose face water and moisturizer like any men face cream. We have discussed cleansing using face washes at length. But what next?

What do you do after cleansing your face with the best face wash for men?

That T in CTM stands for toning. It is the process of applying a toner or a natural face tonic to one's face. Many skincare moguls have questioned the need for using toner in the past. Toners were introduced because face washes had high pH levels, and toners were applied to balance the skin's pH and protect the skin's barrier. With time the face washes got better and eliminated the need for toners. However, the toners available in the market today no longer exist to merely balance the skin's pH. They are formulated with beneficial ingredients that can help with multiple skin issues like blackheads, whiteheads, acne etc. A toner like rose face tonic is a natural toner, which may be applied on damp/dry skin after washing the face with a cleanser that suits you. It can either be sprayed on the face or directly taken into the palms and patted into the face.

The M in the CTM routine stands for Moisturizer. A moisturizer is supposed to add moisture to your face. A good face washes deeply, removes dirt, cleans the pores and removes excess oil from the face. The face is hydrated because of the water or toner (if used), and the moisturizer locks that hydration in, making the skin soft, supple and healthy.

Now that you're familiar with the essential CTM routine, take a moment to refresh yourself—hydrate, splash some water on your face, and get ready to elevate your skincare game. Discover the best face wash for men and other top-notch products that cater to all skin types. Don’t wait—invest in your skincare routine today and experience the difference!

References:

Science-backed anti-aging ingredients that don’t break the bank

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1. How To Select The Best Face Wash For Men?
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