When it comes to winning a date with that hot girl, the guy with clear, healthy skin will win hands down if he’s pitted against a man with chafed, irritable skin that is breaking out. The last few years have been marked by a healthy trend of men taking interest in their skin’s upkeep. However, how well they are doing, is another subject altogether.

You are obsessed with lather
You don’t feel squeaky clean until you have squeezed out copious amounts of face wash, worked it into a lather, and thoroughly rubbed your face with it? Products that lather or foam too much, strip your skin off its natural oils. Your skin will feel stretchy later. Also, it sends your sebaceous glands into overdrive making you feel oily within no time. Choose a face wash that doesn’t lather too much. The best way to make your face wash work for you is to take a pea-sized droplet in your palms, work it up into a lather and then rub it onto your face.

You skip moisturiser
Men’s skin is thicker than women’s, which is why it’s better at resisting wrinkles and ageing. You still need to moisturise your skin no matter how oily it is. It is a myth that using a moisturiser will make your face look oilier and thus attract dust. Invest in a lightweight moisturiser for the day, while opting a heavier one for the night. Better still, consult a dermatologist who will suggest one that suits you best.

You detest using sunscreen
Men’s skin might be thicker than women’s but they are just as susceptible to skin cancer as the fairer sex. Wrinkles, spots and losing elasticity of skin are just some of the side-effects of over exposure to sun, which are further accelerated by not wearing sunscreen. Gel sunscreens are a worthy investment, since they totally take out the ick-feeling out of sunscreens.

You use random products
So, you are not guilty of the above two points since you regularly slap on moisturiser and sunscreen from your girlfriend’s shelf in the shower? Wait, what? Unless you share your girlfriend’s skin type (which we are sure you don’t), that’s just wasted effort. Do some research and go shopping for products that are meant especially for your skin type.

You don’t get adequate sleep
You are not a collegian anymore where you could pull an all-nighter and still make it to classes in the morning and by evening you were ready to hit the dance floor again. Less than six hours of snooze time will give you dark circles around your eyes as well as dull, sallow and sagging skin.

You binge-drink and smoke
Drinking up or rather tanking up was a common occurrence in college. Some habits are best left to collegians though. Alcohol dehydrates you. Dehydrated skin means dry skin. Dry skin ages faster. It’s a vicious circle, my friend. While smoking is terrible for your health in general, it causes irreversible damage to your skin. It damages collagen and makes your skin lose its firmness apart from causing wrinkles.

BDST: 1723 HRS, JAN 26, 2015