If you are 50 years old and have been shaving your face since starting to grow a beard you have dragged a razor blade across your face in excess of 9000 times... Yes, that much shaving and tugging at your skin combined with the irritations, nicks and cuts add up to significant need for skin care and repair. Slashing on some after-shave is not going to do the trick either.

"Men's skin is quite different to that of women's" according to Susan Siegenthaler, director of research and product development for Wildcrafted Herbal Products, Sydney, Australia. "The fact is, men's skin is thicker and oilier than women's and has to put up with considerable irritation from daily shaving".

That said, Susan insists: "that there is no need to go over board and spend hours going through complex skin care regimes to keep men's skin looking and feeling great. Three simple steps, followed faithfully, can substantially improve the skin's look, feel, health and vitality".





1. Cleansing your skin before you shave:

"First, throw out your traditional soap bar - it's too harsh, dries out your skin and is full of synthetic chemicals which do nothing positive for your skin. Use warm water to wash your face and instead of using soap bars, choose a gentle cleansing gel to remove stale oils and dirt from the skin that doesn't remove the natural protective acid mantle", Susan suggests: "try a gentle exfoliant such as the Skin Renewal Gel from Wildcrafted Herbal Products, which contains herbs, essential oils and other ingredients to deeply clean pores, promote blood circulation and remove dead skin cells".





2. Shaving

Susan suggests, "shave right after you wash your face, because the warm water makes your stubbles soft and easier to shave. Traditional shaving creams tend to be harsh on the skin and do not in them selves benefit the skin. They are designed purely for the purpose of shaving", Susan explains. "The benefits of replacing your harsh shaving cream with a natural alternative, like the Vitalis ing Shaving Gel developed for Wildcrafted Herbal Products, is that not only do you lubricate the skin to assist in shaving, but you add vital nutrients and oils that are absorbed by the skin. The oils and herbal extracts contained in our products are designed to prevent nicks and cuts and sooth the skin preventing shaving rash, while at the same time nourishing and hydrating the skin".





3. Tone and Moisturise

Susan insists that: "Toning and moisturising is critical for men. The shaving process irritates and stresses the skin and leaves it quite vulnerable". "Toning closes the pores, preventing loss of moisture and invasion of dirt and bacteria", explains Susan. The formulae of our toning lotions are all designed to re-establish the skin's normal pH and prevent dehydration of the skin.

Finally a moisturising crème such as the Ginseng Hydrator for Men is ideal to help repair and give back to the skin what shaving takes out. It is a must for any man that cares about the health of their skin.

About the author:

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.



© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005