When shopping for an anti aging skin care product, you should avoid products that contain collagen. Manufacturers have been taking advantage of the public’s ignorance on this subject. Of course, everyone knows that as we age the collagen in our skin starts to break down causing sagging and wrinkles. You might think it makes sense to supplement your body’s supply of collagen so you can regain your youthful skin’s appearance.

This is absolute nonsense. Collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed by the skin when applied in a cream. The type of product you need is one that contains ingredients that will stimulate your own body’s production of collagen. Now you might wonder why those products with collagen are so expensive.

Manufacturers of products are aware that it is the marketing of the product, not the quality or ingredients that make it profitable. This is why most companies spend far more money on marketing than they do on actually testing and developing the products they market. They know that if they hire the right celebrity model to promote their product, people will buy it. They know if they present the product in expensive looking glass jars, people will pay extra for it. They know if they spend millions of dollars buying full page advertisements in magazines and running commercials on TV, people will buy it.

The amazing thing is, all of this marketing cost them a fortune. Think about how much it costs to hire a celebrity model. Let’s take the product named Proactive Solutions™ as an example, it is not an anti aging product, but it is for acne prone skin. Jessica Simpson is a famous celebrity who endorses this product. How much money do you think Proactive Solutions has to pay Jessica Simpson to be the spokesperson for their product?

I am sure they have to pay her millions of dollars! How do you think they cover the cost of this endorsement? They mark up the price of their product to cover the expense. This is why I am a firm believer that it is the small, relatively unknown companies that are your best bet when you are shopping for the best anti aging skin care products. Actually, I think this applies to all cosmetics, fragrance and vanity products.

These lesser known companies can keep their costs down and invest more money into actually developing a quality product, because they aren’t paying out millions to some celebrity or marketing company. As a researcher it is my job to discover the best products, and in my experience they are always from small companies like these.

In conclusion, the best skin care product will be one that has ingredients clinically proven to stimulate your own body’s production of collagen that is manufactured by a company that doesn’t spend their money on celebrity endorsements.

Men have been notorious of being careless with their skin. Their skin care regimens seldom go beyond soap and water.

However, lately there has been increased awareness among men about the needs and requirements of their skin and this has fuelled a market segment consisting of special skin care products for men. There is such an extensive range of men’s skin care products available in the market that it gets difficult sometimes to make a sane choice.

While some prefer to try out a variety of skin care products to see what works for them, others stick to one particular product and hope it does the trick. Choosing skin care products that work well for your particular skin can be a daunting task. This is because there is plethora of options available, all of them claiming to be the best and promising to do wonders to the skin. In midst of all these, how do you know what the best skin care product is for you.

Here are 5 points you should consider while buying skin care products for men.

Know Your Skin Type

Before you go about finding skin care products, you should know what exactly your skin needs. And this can only be assessed by knowing your skin type. Is it normal, dry, oily, combination or sensitive? Skin care products are designed to address the specific requirements of the various types of skin. For example, dry skin needs more moisture, oily skin needs controlled exfoliation, acne prone skin needs bacteria fighting ingredients that heal acne and so on. Determining your skin type will let you know what skin care products best suit you.

Get a Men’s Cleanser

Cleansers are a very important part of the skin care regimen. And since men’s skin is intrinsically different from women’s they need special cleansers designed for their specific gender. Men generally have bigger skin pores than women and accumulate comparatively more dirt and debris. Thus they need a tougher cleanser that can flush out the toxins and clean the skin well.



Include a Toner & Moisturizer in your Regimen

Most people fail to realize the importance of toners in the skin care regimen and prefer not to use it at all. Men’s skin succumbeds to harsh treatments like shaving and this disrupts the pH balance of the skin. Toners not only help balance the pH levels of the skin but also ensure that the skin pores are absolutely clean and no residue of cleanser is left behind.

Additionally, when the skin is stripped ofnatural moistures due to shaving and cleansing, using a moisturizer hydrates the skin and restores the lost moisture. However, if you have oily or acneic skin, use a lightweight oil-free moisturizer. Moisturizers relieve skin dryness and prevent premature aging of the skin and keep wrinkles and fine lines at bay.

Buy Skin Treatment Products

If you have severe skin conditions like acne, anti-aging concerns or so on, make sure you buy specialized skin treatment products rather than general skin care products. This is because treatment products address specific skin concerns, go to the root level of the problem and cure the same.

Obagi Clenziderm M.D. Acne Therapeutic System for Normal to Oily Skin – It is a three step system that identifies and treats the primary causes of acne and help promote a clear skin. The system includes:

Obagi Daily Care Foaming Cleanser (4 fl. oz) – To clean off all the dirt and debris from the skin and reveal brighter skin from within

Obagi Pore Therapy (4 fl oz) – To clean the skin pores of dirt and oil residues

Obagi Serum Gel (1.8 fl oz) – To deep cleanse and treat acne with benzoyl peroxide

Obagi Clenziderm M.D. Acne Therapeutic System for Normal to Dry Skin is the same thing as above but it treats acne concerns on normal and dry skin types. The system includes:

Obagi Daily Care Cream Cleanser (6.5 fl oz) – To remove the excessive oil residues and dirt

Obagi Therapeutic Lotion (1.6 fl. oz.) – To remove acne and prevent further breakouts and inflammations

Obagi Therapeutic Moisturizer (1.7 fl oz) – To moisturize and hydrate your skin

Buy Suitable Shaving Products

Make sure the shaving products that you buy suit your epidermis type and care for your specific skin condition. Shaving products generally are comprised of three major components – Pre-Shave, Shaving Creams and Aftershave. All these products have moisturizing and conditioning agents that hydrate the skin and enhance its quality.

Although many people place scalp acne under one umbrella category, there are actually a few different types of skin conditions that can be confused for acne on the scalp and they range in severity from mildly irritating to a variety that is painful and can lead to scarring. Scalp acne can appear at any place on the scalp and each type has its own telltale signs and treatment methods. As with facial and back acne, there is no clear cut reason why some people have it and others don’t, but genetics, hormones, stress, and skin care all play a role in the development of any type of acne. However, though facial and back acne both occur in the same manner and from the same bacteria infection, there are several forms of scalp acne that do not follow suit. Each different type of scalp acne has unique symptoms and causes, but share several treatments with each other as well as with facial and back acne.

Although many different skin conditions occur on the scalp, sometimes it is just plain old acne. Acne on your scalp can be difficult to treat, but washing your hair enough to keep it from getting greasy is one of the best things you can do. Many times an oral medication is needed to get scalp acne under control since the scalp is tough to treat directly. If you do attempt any topical treatments, make sure to avoid benzoyl peroxide since it can bleach your hair.

Other than normal acne, the most common form of scalp acne is called folliculitis. Although folliculitis commonly occurs on the scalp, any hair follicle can develop folliculitis. Like other types of acne, the affected pore or hair follicle becomes infected by bacteria, but folliculitis is caused by the Staphylococcus or staph bacteria while facial acne is caused by different bacteria called p. acnes. However, folliculitis can also be caused by yeast or mites in the hair. Folliculitis can develop because the hair follicle is damaged by shaving, wearing a hat, or exposure to makeup or chemicals that affect the follicle. Once a follicle is damaged, it is very susceptible to infection and, consequently, folliculitis. Folliculitis usually develops along the front hairline and itches a great deal, making folliculitis difficult to bear on a cosmetic and comfort level. Folliculitis treatment varies depending on the cause of infection. Doctors often prescribe an antibacterial or antifungal medicine to get rid of the severe cases of folliculitis, although some shampoos will eliminate folliculitis. If you wish to treat folliculitis on your scalp, look for a shampoo that contains one of these ingredients: 2.5% selenium sulfide, 1% selenium, or 50% propylene glycol. Mild folliculitis may go away without treatment, but if it reoccurs, you should consult a doctor. Severe cases that continue to reoccur may need to be treated by performing laser removal on the infected follicle or follicles.

Although it is sometimes classified as a separate condition, necrotica milaris is a severe type of folliculitis that affects the scalp. It is considered a chronic form of folliculitis, but is treated in the same way. Unlike normal folliculitis, nocrotica milaris has the potential to scar and stop hair from growing in the scarred area. In some cases, Accutane may be prescribed to eliminate necrotica milaris.

Varioliformis is another type of scalp acne that many physicians consider to be a type of folliculitis, and is treated in the same manner. Varioliformis is characterized by brown pimple-like formations around the front hairline.

The most severe form of scalp acne is called Dissecting Cellulite. It most commonly occurs in black males between the ages of 20 and 40, but it occurs in men and women of other races. Dissecting cellulite often begins with a case of folliculitis that will not respond to normal treatments. Dissecting cellulite will typically occur in large patches that have raised nodules and no hair growth. In severe cases, these nodules can be drained surgically, and X-rays were the preferred treatment for decades. However, many physicians will first try Accutane, which has been shown to have mixed results. It has also been found that ablative lasers are effective in curing dissecting cellulite.

Although scalp acne occurs in a few different forms, it is typically regular acne or a form of folliculitis. Because of the seriousness of some forms of folliculitis, if you notice acne on your scalp, you should treat it as quickly as possible. If you do not want to see a physician at first, at least try to treat it with the above mentioned shampoos to see if this home remedy will clear it up. However, if home treatments do not cure your scalp acne, you should see a physician so that baldness does not result.