Why the Hell Aren’t You Washing Your Face?

Guys, we’ve got to do better.

Between you and your best friend, one of you is gross. Yeah we said it, guys can be gross and kind of unsanitary, and there’re stats to prove it.


“Dove did a survey and 46 percent of men in America don’t wash their face,” Dove Men+Care face expert Karen Lynn Accattato—who has worked with everyone from Michael Jordan and President Obama to the cast of Empire—told Maxim. ” And that’s not even counting moisturizing. That’s astonishing; what do you mean you don’t wash your face? How do you go through life?” 

It honestly doesn’t take much to cover your bases. Three steps—maybe a full two minutes longer in the bathroom—before you run to work or your date or wherever. Two minutes. A whole 120 seconds to keep ingrown hairs and stuff off your face. Let’s break it down for you.

CLEANSE

Sure, you could use that old bar of soap you have squirreled away — we’re honestly happy whatever you use since one in two of you aren’t using anything — but if you’re feeling a little skin savvy, let’s go with a dedicated cleanser.  “Wash your face: hot water, circular motions, towel off that dirt and bacteria and you have clean skin,” Accattato instructed.

While the bar of soap you use is a start, it’s likely too harsh to use on your face. Dove does a solid cleanser that even comes with a sensitive skin option (for those that are prone to redness and breakouts).

SHAVE

You’re probably already doing this but you could do with some improvement: when you’re shaving, use better shaving cream. “There’s so many products on the market that dry out your skin, especially when you’re not using the best shaving cream,” Accattato said. Use something like Baxter of California’s Super Close Shave Formula and you can expect a cleaner, smoother shave with less shaving bumps, tugging and ingrown hairs.

Oh and for those that aren’t shaving, wash your beard the same way you wash your face. Don’t ask, just do.

MOISTURIZE

Sure, this sounds like we’re getting into the big leagues if you’re not even washing your face (still honestly can’t get over that one) but when you  know better, you do better. After you cleanse, go the extra mile by moisturizing. The extra step will obviously keep your forehead from flaking, can surprisingly keep your skin from being oily and typically slows the aging process. And with Formula 10.0.06’s Oil-Free Moisturizer coming with a matte finish (just means no shine) it’s the perfect get.

Photos by Getty Images