6 Reasons Why Every Guy Should Care For His Skin (2025)

I understand why so many men are uneducated on the topic of skincare.

Up until recent years, even the gents who wanted to up their skin game had only two products to choose from: Aftershave and sunscreen (both of which are still very important, by the way).

Not only did we lack options, but the culture didn’t exactly encourage us to care.

Let me ask you some questions, though. Do you care about looking good? If not, do you at least want to look and feel healthy? Do you want people to take you seriously from a professional, romantic, or everyday interaction standpoint?

If you answered yes, or even if you nonchalantly answered, “sometimes, sure,” to any of those, it’s crucial that you mindfully care for your skin. Fortunately, times have changed as have our dermatological options.

Here are the most important reasons why men need proper skincare.

Your Health and Hygiene Depend on It

I’m not shaming guys who have issues due to genetics or hormones. I understand that acne isn’t always caused by bad hygiene or self-neglect. Many perfectly clean guys can still break out.

However, if you don’t take care of your specific epidermal issues, the bacteria and oil that cause them might end up on your pillowcases, towels, and even clothes. In turn, this will make your skin issues worse.

A comprehensively healthy lifestyle isn’t complete without good, targeted skincare. Your skin is the first natural line of defense against the outside world.

Think of unmaintained skin as damaged armor.

Polishing armor doesn’t necessarily improve its raw strength. However, it will improve its lifespan, up its overall resistance, and make it look so much better. Similarly, the cleaner, healthier, and more properly moisturized your skin is, the better it can do its job as a barrier from the elements.

Skin that hasn’t been treated with the proper vitamins, antioxidants, and SPF can’t fully protect you against cancer-causing UV rays. Meanwhile, unrepaired and acne-wounded skin may serve as literal open gates to pollution and even infection.

Skincare is an Element of Self-Esteem and Maintenance You Have Full Control Over

If you’ve ever struggled with skin issues, you might find this difficult to believe. Allow me to convince you otherwise. We all have emotional and psychological issues that may affect our self-esteem and general experience of the world.

These are often complex waters to navigate that require a day-at-a-time approach. Similarly, keeping your body fit requires frequent exercise and a good relationship with nutrition.

With the right routine, caring for your skin requires only a few minutes a day. All you need to do is find the right system.

Do you have acne? Then a cleanser with salicylic acid is what you’re looking for. Avoid overly aggressive benzoyl peroxide. Perhaps you have oily skin. Don’t just zap that excess grease with drying products; that’ll just put you in a toxic cycle. Instead, use a gentle moisturizer with oil that regulates your natural sebum.

I know trying to personalize your skincare routine sounds like a lot of work. That’s not the case anymore, though. Men have many options, some much better than others. This is why I like Geologie so much. They offer a dermatologist-tested trial system that targets the problem, not just the symptoms. It’s comprehensive enough for all skin types, making it an effective litmus test for what ingredients you may need more or less of depending on your specific skin composition.

It comes with a gentle salicylic acid cleanser, a morning cream that I’m obsessed with, an overnight treatment, and an under-eye cream. Equally as important (for any skincare system you’re considering) is what’s not in the ingredients. Find products, like those from Geologie, that avoid hormone-disrupting parabens and phthalates. The fact they steer clear of skin-irritating SLS is particularly important to me since I, like many, am highly sensitive to it.

I also want to highlight the night cream. It not only incorporates the right ingredients, but the right amount. Retinol increases cell turnover, fighting aging, acne, and ensuring acne that does happen is in and out as fast as possible. However, too much retinol can result in too intense of a purge, resulting in an uncomfortable acclimation process. If you’re going to use retinol, which is a good idea ultimately, go for something like the Geologie Night Cream, which contains only .2%.

Again, skincare is easy compared to other forms of self-maintenance, but these days it’s even easier. There’s no excuse to avoid it, so take the reins.

We’ve even teed up a free trial on your first month using Geologie’s Personalized Skincare Sample Set (use code TAM100). There’s really no downside to trying it.

Shaving is Easier

Here’s a male-specific skin issue. Don’t you hate when you have a spot underneath your beard or mustache, and you have to work your razor or trimmer around it? You don’t want to make it worse or activate an infection, after all.

I’ve heard people say beards are like makeup for men. In that vein, why take care of hidden skin, anyway? Well, first of all, you still have to take care of your scalp even if you aren’t bald. Second, need I remind you of the role skin plays as a protective barrier?

Even more, just as a lady with excellent skin can take on makeup more naturally, a gent with good skin will have a more even, easy-maintenance mustache or beard.

Well-exfoliated, properly moisturized skin allows blades to glide fluidly over it. Otherwise, you risk razor burn, irritation, and ingrown hairs. The more dead skin cells on your face, the more your skin will try to resist and fight your razor. This just makes for an uncomfortable, inconvenient overall experience.

Attractiveness

Don’t pretend you don’t care what you look like. We all do. Sure, some do more than others, but we all do to an extent. Perhaps you don’t care so much that you’ll actively avoid carbs or hit the gym every day. But, again, now you know that skincare can be quite easy.

Why not do this one thing that also reaps so many other benefits to level up your looks? Imagine if doing one sit-up a day would result in six-pack abs.

The lady (or potential lady) in your life will certainly appreciate it. Even women who prefer men with a more effortless approach to their looks won’t deny that good skin is attractive.

Good Skin Levels Up Your Overall Presence

This goes beyond looks. This is the impression you make in a job interview or first date. This is the set of passing assumptions people might make about you at the grocery store when you’re walking with intention. It’s about having your act together.

I’m not saying that guys with imperfect skin don’t have a presence in the room. Other ways to achieve “presence” are good posture, speaking clearly, having a firm handshake, balancing being disarming and commanding, and dressing with purpose. Still, why not check all the boxes? Or, at least check the easy ones.

People respect people who take care of themselves. Self-maintenance is one way to show up in the world with commitment.

Caring for Your Skin Makes Life Easier

Tying it all together, good skin, like a well-kept lawn, just makes life easier. It won’t fix everything in your life, but it’s one less thing to think about. And again, it only takes a few minutes out of your day.

You don’t have to worry so much about breaking out before an important meeting or date.

And let’s be real. Overly oily, overly dry, acne-ridden, and overall bad skin is just so uncomfortable. As someone who hates being itchy, I absolutely loathe having dry skin.

You may think I’m giving skincare too much credit by saying it makes your life easier. To that, I say two things. First, small wins add up. Second, reread this entire article.

You know how they say it’s important to drink water since humans are made up mostly of water? Well, it’s important to care for your skin—it’s the largest human organ.

Remember, skincare supports health and hygiene, it doesn’t take a lot of time and effort, and it levels up your looks and entire aura.

Perhaps you just want to feel more attractive, or maybe your concerns are health and comfort. Everyone has a horse in the skincare race.