Learning to shave is one thing; starting a skincare routine is a whole other ballgame!

So you’ve finally decided to look after your skin… but where do you start? What does your skin need? And is it necessary to have a cabinet filled with lotions, masks, scrubs and moisturisers?

Well, fret not, fellow man! Here at Hunter and Bligh, we are bringing you four, easy-to-follow, straightforward skincare routine tips for men thanks to the guys at Bulldog Skincare. Since 2005, Bulldog’s mission is to make men’s skincare as easy as possible. And, as expected, starting simple is the first thing Di Timlin – the Senior Marketing Manager at Bulldog Skincare – advises you to do.

1. Start Your Skincare Routine Simple

“Keeping your routine simple and no-fuss is the easiest way to start your skincare journey and means you’re more likely to keep your skin looking great long term,” says Di.

“When you’re new to skincare and starting to craft a routine, it’s important to be realistic about what products you will be consistent with. If you want to stick to the basics, the three face products you should have in your arsenal are a face wash and moisturiser to use daily, and a scrub to use two or three times a week.”

2. Understand and Know Your Skin Type

Once you’ve developed your easy-to-follow skincare routine into your daily activities, you can then start adding new skincare products to your arsenal. But before you jump into that, it’s important to know your skin type, as Di explains:

“Take some time to understand your skin type; whether that be oily, dry or normal/combination.”

“Your T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) gives you a good indication of what your skin type is. But, no matter your skin type, you should always have a moisturiser in your routine.

“Bulldog Skincare’s Original Moisturiser has key natural ingredients like green tea, green algae, and Vitamin E to help balance your skin without making it feel greasy.”

Knowing your skin type helps when adding new products to your skincare routine in the future, and whether you need to up-the-ante on your daily scrubbing and moisturising.

3. Use Lukewarm Water

It’s a known fact that hot showers are simply amazing – especially in the middle of winter. But it’s not recommended for your skin, especially your face. If you enjoy hot showers far too much, consider doing your skincare routine over your washbasin instead. And this is best done after your shower.

“Doing your face care in the shower can result in product wastage; and if the shower temperature is too hot, you run the risk of drying out your skin,” Di says. “Aim to keep your shower at a mild temperature and try to apply face wash/scrub outside of the water stream.

“Don’t forget about the skin on your body, either! You should look for shower gels that are sulphate-free and void of synthetic thickeners, as they are gentler on the skin and better for the environment.

“I recommend trying the new Bulldog Skincare Shower Gels, which are also vegan and packaged with recycled materials.”

4. Always Apply Sunscreen!

Australia faces the harshest sunlight thanks to its position on planet earth. As NASA states: “The elliptical orbit of the Earth places the Southern Hemisphere closer to the sun during its summer months than the Northern Hemisphere during its summer.” So it’s fair to say that sunscreen is a must for us Australians who are prone to burning.

But even those who can tan well are prone to sun damage.

“Sunscreen is your first line of defence against skin damage and should be applied every day to avoid premature ageing,” Di says.

“Apply after your moisturiser each morning, even if you’re just going to be inside all day – UV can still come through the windows!”

“Make sure you follow the instructions for each product,” Di says. “Whilst you should be cleansing and moisturising daily (or twice daily depending on your skin type), you should only be using a scrub two or three times a week at most.

“For the guys who have beards, make sure you aren’t neglecting them. Use a beard shampoo to keep it clean, and an oil or balm to keep it soft and protect the skin beneath.”