Thinking about picking up a moisturizer during your next trip to the drugstore? It’s becoming more common and acceptable for men to have a skin care routine. This also means that moisturizing is no longer optional.

Why not?

You may not know it, but you are probably too hard on your skin. Daily regiments, such as shaving, spending time in the sun, sleeping on unwashed pillow cases or even poor diet can actually be damaging to skin. Therefore, nourishing and moisturizing on a regular basis can help skin heal and keep it healthy.

All in all, there may be hundreds of reasons why your skin should be angry at you right now, but a moisturizer can help undo all of them.

Still not convinced? Here are some reasons why you should be using a moisturizer.

Men Have Skin, Too!

Skin care is the same regardless of your gender. No, using a moisturizer and following a skin care routine doesn’t make you any less manly. Every human being has skin, so that means you should be taking care of it.

So, why does your skin need a moisturizer? Think of your skin as the top coat on a car. The level of moisture in your skin serves as the protective clear coat on your car. When exposure to the elements wears away the clear coat over time, the paint becomes susceptible to wear and rust.

Similarly, when your skin loses moisture, it becomes susceptible to damage. This can include acne, premature aging, and hyperpigmentation.

Applying moisturizer daily helps your skin to remain protected and healthy.

Shaving is Irritating

Every time you shave your face, you’re inflicting physical exfoliation on your skin. Physical exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells by scrubbing them off the surface. Usually, this is done with a face cloth, a loofah, or an exfoliation device, but shaving serves the same purpose.

The problem is that physical exfoliation is irritating. It’s important to exfoliate regularly to clear dead skin cells from your pores. However, chemical exfoliation (products such as Stridex) is much easier on your skin.

When you shave every day, you’re putting your skin at risk of over-exfoliation, which can lead to more serious conditions, such as:

• Hyperpigmentation
• Excessive drying
• Micro-cuts and cracks
• Infection (in severe cases with excessive drying)

If your job expects you to have a clean face, or you just enjoy having a clean face of your own accord, then you can minimize the damage of daily shaving by applying a facial moisturizer after your shave.

Men Can Be More Prone to Acne

Acne is a very common problem among men of all ages, and it can cause real life dissatisfaction. One study showed that over 50 percent of 18-year old men with facial acne were dissatisfied with the way they looked.

Luckily, acne is easy to prevent by taking good care of your skin, which begins with a daily skin care routine that includes using a moisturizer.

Why are men so acne-prone? Here are some reasons why:

• Sebaceous gland overproduction, which can be linked to testosterone levels
• Excessive sweating or oil production
• Poor diet and lifestyle (We’re looking at you, bachelors… )

But the biggest factor? Dehydration.

Dry skin is unhappy skin—period. Your skin loses water constantly. And if you sport an active lifestyle, then you’re losing water at a faster rate. This is even truer if you drink coffee, beer or caffeinated soft drinks, all of which behave like diuretics.

Take Care of Your Skin, and Your Skin Will Take Care of You

The truth is that not enough men use moisturizer. Therefore, do your part to change the trend by moisturizing your skin. The more you take care of your skin, the more your skin will take care of you.