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Have you ever used a face wash as a body wash? {Your Opinion}

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I just wanted to ask you all if you had ever used face wash in place of a body wash? I have definitely done so on many occasions, the most being during my travel. If I am going to my relatives place or some where else, I always carry my face wash and use it for my body as well. This serves to lighten my travel kit and spares me the necessity of debating on the best body wash which can be easily carried. Also, I feel that face washes are supposed to be milder than the body wash (need not be so in all cases, though) so they keep the body skin softer and do not dry out the body as some soaps and body washes tend to.
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Skin Care Essentials {Skin Care}

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Last week, I discussed about how a man’s skin differs from a woman. But, the skin care routine stays more or less the same for both the genders so let us discuss some points.

Good Cleanser
Using a good cleanser is very imperative to a clean skin. The cleanser should be mild and be able to clean out the dirt out of your pores. Using medicated cleansers presecribed by dermatologists is also an option.
Exfoliate
This is another carnal rule of skin care. You don’t want your pores to be clogged. So, exfoliate using gentle scrubbers which remove the dead skin easily and do not really tear the skin. Once a week is sufficient if you are using a really powerful scrubber but it can also be extended to twice a week depending on your usage of products and exposure to natural forces like pollution and sun.
Sun Protection
You don’t really want to look aged at any age, right? So, get a good sunscreen with adequate protection for yourself and slather it on before you venture out even if it is for 5 minutes or even for 2 minutes. Preferable, get a Zinc Oxide based sunscreen which is skin friendly and environment friendly too.
Wear Shades
Getting a good quality sun glasses which wrap around your eyes is a very good idea to protect your eyes from not only sun rays but also from letting the dirt and pollution inside the eyes. Don’t hitch to spend on a good quality shade.
Protect Hands
Hands again are important as they are continuously doing our work and come in contact with so many germs. So, it is our duty to keep them soft and healthy looking. Slather on a rich face moisturizer on your hands before you sleep. And, do not forget to use a moisturizer on hands after washing them every time.
Lip Care
Your lips are sensitive and do not have any sun protection. So, make sure you always slather on a good lip balm on your lips and it is even better if the lip balm comes with sun protection.
Facial Moisturizer
Again very important and easily ignored by many people, your skin needs a lot of moisture from outside as well. So, use a good moisturizer which suits your skin and keep it looking soft and healthy.
How do you take care of your skin?

How does a man’s skin differ from a woman’s? {Skin Care}

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Last week, I spoke a bit about tips to shave. That made me thinking about how different is a man’s skin as compared to that of a woman’s? So, I shall share a bit about that today and hopefully, that should convince your better-halves and “boys” to take care of their skin. Technically speaking, there is not much of a structural difference in a man or woman’s skin. But, there are some significant points to think about.

Rough Skin
Men have really rough skin. Why? For one, they have 25% thicker skin than women (Source). The top layer of their skin is naturally thicker. Secondly, they have to shave everyday or on alternate days. That removes the lipids from the surface of their skin. Then, they have more facial hair and also suffer from ingrown hair because of improper shaving routine.
Having said that they have thicker skin, I would also add that their skin loses its thickness with age where as the thickness of a woman’s skin remains constant till her menopause stage.
Oily Skin and Sebaceous Glands
You would be surprised to know that they have lesser number of sebaceous glands which produce sebum which makes the skin oily. But, their secretion of sebum is more than women and consequently, the skin of a man is 15% oilier than that of a woman. And, because of that reason, they are more prone to acne and blackheads. Also, their pore size is bigger than a woman counterpart.
Exposure to Environment
Men are generally more exposed to the natural forces like sun, wind, rain, dirt and pollution and they do not really take care of their skin because of which their skin is more sensitive. And, their skin is more dirty and there is more chance that their pores can get blocked resulting in more acne and blackheads.
Also, the amount of anti-oxidants in a man are far less than that of a woman so they are more likely to suffer from cancer. And, they are also not very devoted to sunscreen which increases the risk.
Collagen Density
So far, the above factors have been looking disadvantageous. so, let us talk a bit about why they still look younger as compared to a woman. That is because their collagen density is intrinsically much higher than that of a woman. Collagen maintains the elasticity in the skin and helps you look young. The age difference just by looks can go up to 15 years between a man and a woman of the same age (whoa!!! I am jealous).
And, the loss of collagen is more in woman as compared to a man because of the menopause stage. Otherwise, per year, both men and women lose up to 1% of collagen every year (Source).
Hydration Levels
Having said that regular shaving removes the lipids which hydrate the skin, a man’s skin is naturally hydrated as compare to that of a woman. During puberty, hormonal changes in a main lead to secretion of sweat which contains lactic acid which is a natural humectant and makes the skin look more hydrated. As a rule, men sweat twice more than women. And, their natural ph balance is acidic due to the presence of lactic acid in the sweat as compared to a woman.
Less prone to Pain
A man’s skin has lesser nerve fibers and consequently, they feel less amount of pain as compared to a woman. So, don’t let your men think they are too macho 😀 It’s naturally endowed to them. And, still, we bear all the pain 🙁
What do you say – a man’s skin is better or a woman’s?