The missing voice in skincare: A semi clueless man and his routine.

I know you’ve been yearning for yet another male perspective to invade your space and tell you something about the thing you already know way better than me - but I promise I’m not here to impose.

I’m just here to share what I’ve loved as I’ve gone from “body wash on the face” skincare to whatever it is I’m at now.

Just like when I started having fairy floss margaritas instead of a beer, I’ve really enjoyed expanding my horizons and leaning into what I enjoy, and what feels good for me.

For context for the rest of the article, my skin is a bit dry, a bit oily, and quite sensitive to changes.

My morning routine consists of a splash of water followed by SPF50+, and my night time routine has a good cleanse, followed up with a moisturiser.

Cleanser

CeraVe Cream to Foam Cleanser, $19.99 From Chemist Warehouse

Yes, you read correctly earlier - I used to be a 9-in-1 body wash shampoo conditioner face wash kinda guy. It was all about just cleaning up as quickly and easily as possible.

But there’s no love. There’s no passion. And if you’re not enjoying cleansing, you’re probably not cleansing enough - and I wasn’t cleansing enough, so I needed a hit from CeraVe.

There’s a strange joy in seeing the cream-to-foam process as you use this cleanser. It’s so nice and gentle that you could almost be worried that it wasn’t working, but the foaming is there to remind you that it’s doing its job. It’s a far cry from scrubbing my face red to feel clean.

This one’s also quite good on price, but I’ve needed to be careful with making sure I’m getting the right one.

CeraVe has the Hydrating Cleanser, the Foaming Cleanser, which I’m sure are both fine, but I want the Cream to Foam Cleanser every time (and if you’re not careful, it’s easy to get the wrong one. You’ve been warned!).

Moisturiser

Moisturisers are interesting in that I had never used them in the past, but again, ageing me realised that that needed to change.

I didn’t realise how amazing moisturising felt before bed, but it was still easy to forget or skip, so I needed something I really loved to keep me going. I’ve actually got 3 I really like, but all for slightly different reasons.

Avene Tolerance Control Soothing SkinRecovery Cream, $38.99 From Chemist Warehouse

Amazing.

This is actually the best moisturiser I’ve tried. It feels great on the skin. Weirdly it even feels good to use with its high-tech pump.

Unfortunately it’s quite a bit pricier for the smaller size so it’s harder to recommend, but if you can you should totally try it.

Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist, $28 From Sephora Australia

This might be a stretch for some people to call this a moisturiser, but my face is actually the most moisturised when I have this in my stash.

Pixi’s Hydrating Milky Face Mist is just such a delight to use.

I don’t have to wash my hands, get product on my hands and then touch my face - it just takes a second to spray this magic mist on me.

And somehow it feels so good. It’s not going to be as full coverage as a regular moisturiser, but I definitely use it more, and I feel like I get a quick “refresh” every time I use it.

CeraVe Oil Control Moisturising Gel-Cream, $20.69 From Chemist Warehouse

CeraVe Oil Control Moisturising Gel-Cream ticks all the essential boxes for me. It’s got a really beautifully light feel, especially since I tend to really prefer the sheerer products.

I’m running for it after every shower to bring my skin to a healthy hydrated state that feels awesome before bed.

Again, similar to other CeraVe products, quite affordable and quite widely available.

I love this, but I’ve also loved some other moisturisers that I’ll show quickly below

Sunscreen

Cancer Council SPF 50+ Day Wear Face Matte Invisible, $10.69 From Chemist Warehouse

I’ve been a pretty religious sunscreen user my whole life - at least I thought I was. I didn’t realise sunscreen wasn’t just for hikes, beaches, and long days outdoors.

People wear this stuff every day.

“Crazy how people can put up with heavy, oily sunscreen every day” young me thought.

But as young me became older me, the need to protect against skin cancer and wrinkles rose quickly. So I had to pick something quickly.

This cancer council SPF has been a godsend for my mornings.

It’s light. Beautifully light. I don’t feel like I’m slathering this thick, oily product all over my face before I start the day.

Maybe that’s more of a norm for people already in the beauty space, but coming from someone used to huge bottles of sandy sunscreen from the last beach trip, I love it.

It’s cheap. Sue me, I like that I don’t have to think twice when I get it.

It’s everywhere. It’s truly delightful to be able to keep my routine consistent and stocked up wherever I am.

This sunscreen is at Chemists Warehouse, Priceline, Woolies, Coles, Amazon - I wouldn’t be surprised if I could buy it with my morning coffee.

And That’s it!

I’ve enjoyed all these products immensely, and they’ve helped me move from basically zero skincare to something passable, and importantly something I can do consistently.

I’m glad I’ve been able to take a peek into the world of skincare.