Why don't women have amazing skin compared to men?

[ilovemincepies24]

Like many women I buy various skincare products. Cleansers, serums, retinol, eye creams, moisturisers etc. I buy more now I'm in my 30s and starting to see the first signs of ageing.

But most men I know never moisturise and use the same shower gel to wash their body, face and hair. They would think eye cream is something you use when you have an eye infection.

As women tend to use all these beauty products, surely they should look better and years younger than men the same age? But usually, they don't. They look the same age, despite most men using next to nothing in the way of skincare.

I know spf is essential from a sun safety POV and my skin does feel dry if I don't use a moisturiser. And of course, skin should be cleansed to remove make up etc.

Are we being conned - Does skincare actually do anything?

I’ve got a bit of a Klingon V on my forehead but nothing on my face. I’ve always put that down to having very greasy skin.

I can only speak as I find. My skin is better than my husbands and men around me have worse skin than me or their wives and look a lot older.

With or without make up?

I think mostly women I see have much better skin than men. I certainly do compared to my DH.

Men do have thicker skin which often ages better though.

People saying they see older couples where the woman looks much older, was this the baby oil as Spf generation? Huge amounts of sun damage. I think we are much more aware now.

Also younger guys now do take care of skin the same as women

I remember reading years ago, that because men shave, they take off dead skin cells and thus have a more youthful appearence.

"The top layer of the skin is dead, so it doesn't 'breathe.' When people talk about skin 'breathing,' they're usually referring to whether the skin is occluded or not. Occluding the skin can cause pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads. It can also cause skin to look dull—especially if a heavy amount of makeup is applied and not removed. The lower, living layers of skin get their oxygen and nutrients from the blood supply, or from what you put in your body. That's why what you eat and drink is at least as important as what you're putting on your face."

• dermatologist

The standards for men are different . DH is early 50s like me. He puts a bit of whatever is in the bathroom ( body cream) on his face if it's dry. He has stubble and is more rugged looking. He definitely has deeper lines than me.

I was thinking the other day that a beard would nicely hide the lines around my mouth.

Do you have a specific Tretinoin recommendation please?

I have only ever used bar soap on my skin and occasionally a bit of E45 in the winter when my face and hands can dry out. No make up. I look years younger than I am though I do attribute that to good genes rather than my skincare. I don't know that men's skin looks better but I have long held the opinion that using lots of products like foundation etc is bad for the skin.

I really have to disagree. My husband is almost a decade younger than me and we look the same age. In addition, he has way more wrinkles than I do. I use tretinoin and have always moisturised and it shows! He uses nothing .

I disagree as well. My husband has always had gorgeous skin, olive toned and no blemishes. But now we’re getting older, he is getting wrinkles.

I am a religious user of retinol and serums, moisturise twice a day, and have barely any wrinkles.

Whenever you get these threads, you always get the people smugly saying “because skincare does nothing, I just use a bar of soap”. But for all their smugness, they are wrong. Certain ingredients (tretinoin, retinol, hyloronic acid, and of course SPF) are clinically proven to make a difference. And people who use them can tell that they do.

I use 0.0025% and get mine from family overseas. In the UK you can get it from Dermatica and Skin and Me. There are several threads on this if you search. It takes months to work and should not be used when pregnant, but it has changed my skin.

I began using it for hormonal acne and then carried on. This is one of the few things that does work for many.

Exactly
I have great skin. People are constantly asking what products I use.
They are often shocked to discover that I only use a sunscreen , simple facial scrub ( once a week) , vitamin C serum and astral cream
Overloading the skin with too many products is not beneficial

Because most of its a con or marketing

I’m early 40s, I wear sunscreen, have never smoked, rarely drink alcohol

I use inexpensive face wash and cheap moisturiser. I have no fancy products.

I look the same or better than most my age

I'm nearly 60 and my skin looks way better than most men my age! Just give it a few decades OP and you'll see the difference...

While there are obviously a lot of gimmicks in the skin care industry, I think its reasonable to say that well moisturised, well hydrated skin looks better. Some people who have oilier skin need less help with this than others. Products produce a temporary plumping through trapping moisture and if applied daily this doesn't have time to wear off so results in smoother skin.
I think its also reasonable to believe that applying a barrier between ones skin and the elements/environmental pollutants probably helps preserve and protect it.
I don't think its possible to assess if products work by comparing women to men or women with each other. There are too many variables - amount of fat in the face, oiliness of skin, bone structure and the way it holds the skin up, lifestyle; even tbh how kind or otherwise we are being to ourselves with our self reported lack of wrinkles!
The only true assessment would be for the same woman to use products on one side of her face and not the other.