WHY WEAR SPF?

ANSWER : Sun-damage, Premature age and melanoma(skin Cancer) to name a few.

    We were going to write an article on sun damage and the importance of SPF but since modern society is very visual we thought we should show you. Prevent premature aging!!!

    Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging such as wrinkles and skin cancers. The most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer is sunscreen.

     Most people use sunscreen improperly by not applying enough. They apply only 25% to 50% of the recommended amount. Sunscreen should be applied liberally enough to all sun-exposed areas that it forms a film when initially applied. It takes 20-30 minutes for sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin, so it should be applied at least a half an hour before going out in the sun.

Daily Sunscreen

Sunscreen should be applied daily. The daily use of a low-SPF sunscreen (15) has been shown to be more effective in preventing skin damage than the intermittent use of a higher SPF sunscreen.

What can you do to prevent premature aging and skin cancer? 

• Avoid excessive exposure during midday sun, 10am-4pm, when the sun's rays are the strongest and most damaging.
• Apply sunblock with at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. Reapply every two hours while outdoors and immediately following swimming or exercising.
• Seek shade when you proceed outdoors.
• Wear protective sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
• Keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer.
• Replace old bottles of sunscreen each season; the chemicals decompose over time.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a wide brim hat.
• Examine your skin once a month. Look for any changes in moles and age spots, keeping in mind the following anagram, ABCDE: asymmetry, borders, color, diameter, and enlargement.

http://www.evolution-man.com/MOISTURE-PROTECT-FOR-MEN-s/46.htm

HOW TO AVOID ACNE?

           Acne can occur on your face, chest, neck, back and shoulders, which are areas of your body with the largest number of functional oil glands. Pimples are more common in teenage boys than adults but acne can occur in men of any age. Some factors, such as being in puberty, can't be altered, but you can take steps to avoid and prevent acne. Keep yourself healthy and presentable by removing factors that contribute to acne.

Step 1 - Wash your face daily

Wash your face twice a day: once at night, and once during your morning routine. When you wash your face, wash it gently and with warm water. The heat will open your pores and the temperature is better suited to clean than cold water. Wash your hands before you wash your face. Washing your face is definitely important, but what's the use if your hands are oily and dirty to begin with?

*WASH & BUFF: A daily cleanser and exfoliator that removes oil and dirt to minimize blemishes and ingrown hairs. Like a mini-facial, it cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes. Antioxidant ingredients Vitamin E and Soybean Seed Extract hydrate skin. Tea Tree Oil, a natural antiseptic, helps minimize breakouts.

Step 2 - Keep your hair clean

Keep your hair clean. Whether you are a man with short hair or long hair, wash your hair daily. Dirt and oil from your hair can be transferred to your face, neck, back and shoulders, especially as you sweat.

Step 3 - Moisturize after each face wash

Moisturizing your skin is just as important as washing it. When you wash your face, you strip it of oils and moisture, and that's the point: those oils that clog your pores are no longer there to give you acne. But your skin is an organ, and it needs moisture.

*Moisture Protect SPF 20: Leaves skin hydrated without being shiny. Green Tea Extract soothes razor burn and redness. Vitamins E, C and B5 provide rich moisture to skin. Titanium dioxide provides full UVB and short wave UVA protection.

Step 4 - Try not to touch your face with your hands

Avoid touching your face and other areas prone to pimples throughout the day. Bacteria from your hands - or even the receiver of a phone - can lead to breakouts. The less bacteria on your face, the lower your chances that you'll develop nasty breakouts. 

Step 5 - Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor

Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor because men are more prone to heavy sweating than women. The oil and sweat on your skin can cause dirt and bacteria to become trapped, which can lead to breakouts not only on your face but on your neck, shoulder, rest and back.

Step 6 - Wash your pillowcases at the end of every week

The oils on your pillowcases can cause acne by spreading dirt, grime, and dead skin. Think about having two pairs of pillowcases that you can switch out at the end of each week so that you don't find yourself doing laundry every week.

If all else FAILS - Use a spot treatment or a concealer. Conceal & Treat does both in one step :) 

Ingredient Spotlight: Panthenol

There’s nothing like taking a nice hot shower after an especially exhausting work day. As the hot water rolls off your back, and the worries and concerns of the day melt with them, stepping out of the shower becomes an almost therapeutic experience. An instant weightlessness is felt in the muscles, and a sense of well being permeates the mind. A hot shower is pretty amazing, huh?

That’s all well said until the drying process kicks in. While you continue to reel from the otherworldly sense of relaxation, your skin is livid. As the water evaporates from your skin, so does the natural moisture within your skin. Stripped of it’s soothing oils and moisture, it doesn't become long before your skin or scalp become an itchy mess, ruining what was almost a worry-free night. Instead, you’re writhing in itching agony, rolling around in bed, grappling with the pricks of itch on your legs. What’s worse is that this could have all been avoided.

Next time you’re experiencing a particularly painful bout of dry and itchy skin, be sure to utilize a moisturizer rich in Panthenol (the alcohol version of Vitamin B5). Panthenol is an ingredient frequently used in skincare as an emollient and moisturizer. The chemical can be found in shampoos and conditioners, and is a popular ingredient used to seal in the moisture along your strands. Likewise, it is also used in skin lotions, including EVOLUTIONMAN's Moisture Protect SPF 20. Liberally apply a moisturizer with the water-binding ingredient on your skin and you'll feel the relief. 

Not only is it perfect for an almost instant relief, but it protects the skin from irritating weather elements, including the wind. The product works when it's thoroughly massaged into the skin, so don't be afraid to apply it liberally! The product's penetration into your skin is key to ensuring relief from dry and itchy skin. Once the skin absorbs the ingredient, it's converted into Vitamin B5, where it'll work it's soothing and moisturizing magic from within. 

So don't be shy! Our Moisture Protect contains the ingredient, so no more reaching for your girlfriend's cream when she's not looking. And not only will your skin be as soft as hers, but now you'll probably be spending a little more time in the skincare aisle with her. 

Get Your Tan On

Now that winter is upon us, it brings to us limit(ed) opportunities. Stylistically speaking, we're limited in terms of fashion, now forced to discard shorts for khakis, tank tops for long johns, and sunglasses for earmuffs. In terms of leisurely activities, our fun in the sun is effectively over for 3+ months (depending on what part of the world you live in). No more surfing, swimming, outdoor runs, and sun tanning; forget about it!

Let winter be a great time to rejuvenate your skin. It's not exactly the ideal time to do it; winter's unforgiving weather can certainly do a number on our fragile skin, but it's a great excuse to stay out of the sun and forgo the tanning bed. Try using a bronzer instead. Not only is using a tinted lotion practically 100% safer in almost every possible way (at least when taking into consideration UV ray exposure, and the it's often perilous results), but it's a heck of a lot cheaper. EVOLUTIONMAN's Moisture Protect Bronze is a great example of an easy-to-use self-tanner that won't go awry with your budget. Plus, a single application is all it takes to mimic a healthy dose of the sun at the beach. It's winter - stand out and stay sun smart!

ACNE SOLUTIONS

When perusing the skin care aisle of your local drug store, finding a solution for your sudden break out is a dizzying and frustrating experience. With a wide array of brightly colored products available at your fingertips and a limited budget and time span, it’s important to be discerning and decisive when selecting the right acne fighter for you. So why make the search any more exhausting? Conquer not only your acne woes, but your shaving, exfoliating, and concealing needs with three of EVMAN's highly effective (yet subtly obvious) products: Cleanse & Shave, Conceal & Treat, and the heavy duty Wash & Buff! Don’t be shy about toting these cleansers around - the packaging is subtle enough to fit into your gym bag, but powerful enough to make an impression!

So what’s on your winter wish-list? A new shaving cream that leaves that perfect smooth finish? Or something to cover up your momentary acne, all while treating it at the same time? EVOLUTIONMAN's got you covered with these three dual-purpose products!

Cleanse & Shave: We’re all really picky when it comes to our shaving cream, and the discerning man knows when what he’s got is good. So why try something new? Cleanse & Shave is a refreshing spin on the traditional shaving cream, providing a thin, light lather for an effortless shave. The cream is also instilled with Tea Tree Oil to prevent a bacteria-based breakout. 

Wash & Buff: Is your face in need of some tough love? Condition it with Wash & Buff, a heavy duty, daily exfoliator that’ll scrub away your acne with a gentle infusion of Tea Tree Oil, an ingredient used to treat and clear your skin. With microbeads embedded into the cream, your skin will feel soft, clean, and refreshed after a good scrubbing. 

Conceal & Treat: A must have for any face in need, Conceal & Treat, provides a gentle exfoliation to cleanse and heal the pimple, all while covering the troublemaker at spot. The product’s secret ingredient and star warrior is undoubtedly the 2% of salicylic acid imbued into the formula – the chemical removes oil from the pore, all while exfoliating the blemish as it heals.

Skin Care Diet

We all know the age old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but what sort of truth does this really hold for our skin? Of course, many of us are conscious of time’s decaying effect on skin, and a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has examined the connection between wrinkling, geographic location, and diet! With a study consisting of participants over the age of 70 from countries such as Australia, Greece, Japan, and Sweden, it came as no surprise that those with diets high in dairy, processed meats, butter, ice cream, full-fat milk, and soft drinks experienced a higher rate of wrinkles.

Evidence suggests the sugar in these food products led to the deterioration of the skin’s health, resulting in the unsightly wrinkles. As found in the study, the more sugar a person consumed, the more likely their skin was to deteriorate. EVMAN product developer Valerie Patton explains. "The collagen in your skin is what provides the framework for your skin, blood vessels, bones, etc. It is continually breaking down and re-synthesizing itself. Under conditions where there is oxidative stress (free radicals) and continual exposure to sugar in the body, a glycation reaction occurs where the collagen becomes bound to the sugar. At the beginning, this reaction can be reversed. Over long-term exposure, the reaction becomes a little more permanent and it cannot be reversed.The end results are called Advanced Glycation End-products, or AGEs. Over time, your skin, blood vessels, and other organs are affected by the lower amounts of collagen, since it can no longer do what it's supposed to do - provide support. In addition to making skin appear older, it can also be catastrophic where other inflammatory diseases of the skin and body are involved."

This of course, begs the question: what kinds of foods prevent deterioration of skin? Research has discovered naturally-occurring foods low in sugar and high in antioxidants are the best to prevent wrinkles; diets high in olive oil, olives, leafy greens, yogurt, legumes, apples, pears, nuts, and water were the best to keep skin intact. And while the study remained inconclusive as to whether or not these foods, in combination with others, could prevent skin damage, the fact the wrinkle culprits were discovered is a huge development!

So the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is sure true on this factor – not only will it keep the doctor away, but it’ll also keep the wrinkles at bay!

Ingredient Spotlight: Green Tea Extract

Image via PrecisionNutrition

Not only is green tea good brewed, but it’s great for your skin too! Green tea has been steeped for over 4000 years by people all around the world, most notably discovered and brewed by the Chinese. Historically, most of Asia has utilized the tea for its healthy properties, and the green leaf was used to treat most medical maladies, including bleeding, blood sugar, and digestion. The tea was so popular it even inspired the book, Kissa Yojoki, outlining the many health benefits of the popular substance. Eventually, the tea found its way to the Western world, where it continues to be brewed just as it was in 600 AD.

Today, the tea continues to be revered for its many surprising benefits, even as an extract for your skin. Green tea extract, an herbal derivative of the plant, has been recently discovered to help combat skin cancer (when properly taken), and reduce irritation when applied topically. It’s so soothing, EVMAN has even ensured the extract is in some of its most popular items, including Conceal & Treat. The anti-inflammatory soothes skin and razor burn, eliminating some of skin’s biggest problem spots.

Used solely as a tea, however, the tea provides an effective and relatively inexpensive remedy for acne in general. By brewing the sencha tea in hot water and allowing the tea to steep for about 20 minutes, you can take advantage of the cooling tea’s healing properties with a cotton ball. Dab the cotton ball on your problem spots and use it like a face wipe, where the tea will soothe your face, gather excess oil, and dry up your acne.

Although it certainly is an acquired taste, the many health benefits resulting from the tea won’t leave a sour taste in your mouth – there’s a reason this tea has been a hit for nearly 4000 years!

Review: Skin Cancer Prevention App

Earlier this year, we reviewed an app from Solaveil that helped you to put on sunscreen. Now, we have another app for you. Just because you're done with fun in the sun, doesn't mean you don't have any work to do in skincare prevention. Aside from the fact you should be wearing SPF daily, all those days outdoors means you should monitor your skin for any changes. Luckily, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed an iPhone app for your phone that makes checking for cancerous moles easy. 

UMSkinCheck provides tools to help users identify suspicious moles and keep track of them. Since remembering how new a mole is can be hard, you'll have years of scans to help you figure out if it appeared before or after that trip to the beach. Since pictures never lie,the pics saved in this app can provide an accurate representation of your moles for your dermatologist to see. The only con we saw was that you'll need a second person you're comfortable enough with to get naked and take pictures of your skin in various poses, including your bum. 

This app also has other handy tools, including reminding you when you need to perform your self exam, and your yearly full-body scan. All in all, a very handy app that is free for download from the iTunes store. 

Are you fully protected?

In a 2011 post, we mentioned that you should be applying an average of one ounce of sunscreen to the exposed skin on a clothed body - face, neck, ears, arms. By applying less than this amount, or by mixing sunscreens, you may be getting less than the advertised protection on the bottle. Understanding how SPF is calculated and the errors in application will help you decide if you are achieving the maximum SPF. 

In the United States, SPF is tested and calculated by using real humans. We'll spare you the technical jargon and math, but in short, male and female volunteers go through a series of medical examinations and are given a skin type according to how easily they burn. Then, the test subjects are given 2 milligrams of the sunscreen moisturizer for every square centimeter of skin that's being tested, just before being subjected to synthetic ultraviolet radiation. The moisturizer is then given a sun protection number based on how well they were protected during that exposure period.  

Moisture Protect SPF 20 (and its Bronze brother) were given a sun protection factor of 20, based on applying 2 milligrams of formula per square centimeter of skin. 


As mentioned, the first mistake in sunscreen application is not applying enough. Since the SPF is calculated on a healthy dosage, which most people do not use, you need to apply that much to get the advertised coverage. Any less coverage means less SPF - this goes for tinted SPF moisturizers as well. Additionally, you can't apply SPF lotion once and expect to be protected all day. When it wears off, your protection wears off. 

The second mistake in application is when sunscreens are mixed. Combining products with two different SPF values does not give you the addition of the SPF, but rather an average of the two. Remember: 

In short, to achieve the advertised SPF, you need to apply generously and reapply often. 

Conceal & Treat Video Spotlight

Masc Skincare, in Vancouver, British Columbia, has been onto Conceal & Treat long before our feature in Details magazine. Here, shop-owner Jamie tells you a little about the product, and why it's so great at disguising and healing blemishes.  

(Pssssst! Check out the rest of their YouTube channel for other great EVMAN reviews!)

How To Wash Your Face

You've probably been washing your own face since you were a small child. While it's a simple, easy process, we could all use a little refresher.

1. Avoid bar soap. Most men cleanse their face with the same bar of soap that is used on their feet, pits, and groin area. In addition to that disgusting your girlfriend, bar soap contains occlusives that can cause your skin to break out. Bar soap is also not as gentle as a cleanser formulated for your skin. Hint: if your skin feels "squeaky clean" after the shower, you've stripped it of its natural oils, drying it out.Your skin then may produce more oil to compensate for the oil lost. 

Select a gentle cleanser like Cleanse & Shave (available at urbanoutfitters.com), which also doubles as a shaving cream for a close, soft shave. It contains tea tree oil to cleanse the skin and minimize breakouts, and is also sulfate-free, so it doesn't damage delicate facial skin.

2. Splash your face with warm water. You don't want to use water that's too hot (dries out your skin) or too cold (doesn't soften the hairs and open up your pores). This also helps the cleanser spread more easily over your skin. Hint: skip diluting the cleanser if you have extra grime. 

3. Massage the cleanser in a circular motion. Gently work the cleanser on your skin with your fingertips, in gentle circular motions. Don't press too hard - let the cleanser do the work for you. 

4. Rinse with warm water, pat dry. Splash your face again with warm water to remove the cleanser. It's important to pat your face dry with a towel, as rubbing creates friction and can lead to premature wrinkling. 

5. Apply your favorite SPF moisturizer immediately. Now that you've washed your face, you have a clean canvas to apply SPF to. Apply within thirty seconds of washing your face so that your skin does not lose too much moisture and dry out. 

Oh, and don't forget to add a daily or weekly exfoliatior to your routine, like Wash & Buff. 

Shower Shortcuts: Do or Don't?

Morning-time is hectic for anyone, whether you're a parent trying to shoo kids out the door, or get in that morning work out before heading off to work. Trying to fit in everything we want to do makes us take shortcuts on other parts of our morning routine: the shower. Some of them are DOs - like doubling your shaving cream as a facial wash - but some are DON'Ts. 

The biggest offender is using your shampoo to clean your hair, then your body. 

Both products use many of the same types of cleansing ingredients, but they are formulated a little differently. Most shampoos are cleanse a little harshly, as their goal is to strip buildup and oil from the hair. Body washes are supposed to be a little gentler on the skin. If you're, using your shampoo to clean your skin, you're actually stripping away beneficial oils, leaving dry and damaged skin. 

The verdict? Don't use shampoo to clean your body. Do use a moisturizing body wash was specifically designed for skin. 

A Smartphone App to keep you smart about the sun?

Solaveil, a leading UK supplier of active suncare ingredients, has released a new smartphone application that reminds the user to reapply sunscreen or seek shelter from the sun through their phone's alarm system. With summer in full swing, the timing couldn't be better. Our question - is the free app really worth it, or is it easier use your phone's timer?

The app uses GPS to figure out your location and corresponding temperature and UV index. Users simply enter in a few details about themselves, and Solaveil helps select an SPF and frequency of reapplication. It then tells you the level of risk you are at and how soon you will begin to burn at this UV exposure. Eventually, an alarm goes off that tells you to reapply SPF.

The application is a great reminder for you and your family to keep track of your exposure to the sun, and it gives advice about other things you can do (besides apply SPF) to keep your skin protected. And, honestly, we forgot about the timer until it reminded us - fun in the sun is always a distraction from applying more SPF. However, generally practicing sun safety all the time, not just when you're in the sun, will work just as well as the app. Like the disclaimer says on the application when you download it - in the end, the responsibility for sun protection rests with the individual. 

With that in mind, no matter the weather, wear a daily SPF like Moisture Protect SPF 20 and reapply often. Drink plenty of water, and stay out of the sun from 11am - 3pm.

Alcohols in Skincare: Good or bad?

We've all heard at one point or another to steer clear of any skincare products containing alcohol. They can dry out your skin, cause irritation, and lead to premature aging. However, not all alcohols are bad. Alcohol can exist in its pure form (ethanol), or by attaching itself to another compound. It is in the latter instance that you actually want to see the word alcohol on the back of your product listing. 

Products containing the following alcohols should be avoided. They can dry your skin out or cause long-term damage. Products containing these alcohols quickly dry the oil from the skin, so when you are initially using these products, like acne solutions, you may notice a quick improvement in your skin's condition. However, after long-term use, your skin problems will be back, and you will start to think the product is not working.

• ethanol
• ethyl alcohol
• denatured alcohol (alcohol denat.)
• methanol
• SD alcohol 

Products containing the following alcohols are good! These are called "fatty alcohols," because, in short, they are derived from fats (or lipids).

• cetearyl alcohol
• cetyl alcohol
• stearyl alcohol

Wash & Buff and Cleanse & Shave are just two EVMAN products that use cetyl alcohol, an ingredient that moisturizes skin.

However, it's also important to note that the "dose makes the poison." Where is the alcohol listed in the ingredient listing? If it's the first ingredient, it is of the highest concentration, whereas ingredients at the end of the product are typically less than 1% of the product. So, you may see a product containing benzyl alcohol as the last ingredient. This alcohol is used as a preservative in the product and is perfectly safe to use. 

Ingredient Spotlight: Tea Tree Oil

Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia, is better known around the world as tea tree oil. Thanks to the pungent aroma, the indigenous people of northeast Australia have used this plant for hundreds of years to treat coughs, colds, and skin ailments. It wasn't until last century that the oil extract from the plant was discovered to have medicinal properties related to killing bacteria. Use of the oil as an antibiotic waned mid-century, as new drugs were developed on the market, but production has since rekindled due to an interest in the natural remedy market.

The reasons why tea tree oil has positive benefits was not discovered until much later. It is a great antiseptic because it is a monoterpene alcohol, also known as terpineol. Simply put, that means there's a lot of hydrogens, carbons, and one alcohol. The way the atoms are arranged is what makes these compounds able to penetrate bacteria and other microbes, killing them. Additionally, tea tree oil has been known to fight fungal infections like athlete's foot, staphylococcus bacterias, lice, and dandruff. Just make sure you don't ingest tea tree oil, as it is toxic and should not be taken internally.

What does this mean for you?  By selecting skin care products with tea tree oil, you can kill acne-causing bacteria on your skin. EVOLUTIONMAN's Cleanse & Shave and Wash & Buff are two facial cleansers that have tea tree oil, acting as an antiseptic on the skin. These gentle cleansers are powered with antioxidants and moisturizers to leave skin feeling clean, refreshed, and moisturized.

THE MINI-FACIAL: HOW IT'S DONE

Facials aren't just for women or sissies. Facials are an easy way give your skin a health glow, because they utilize two important skincare steps: exfoliation and moisturizing. Resolve skin problems and brighten skin with three easy steps incorporated into your grooming routine.

SHOULD YOU WEAR EYE CREAM?

The eye area can be one of the first parts of the face to show aging. The skin here is the thinnest on the face, and squinting and sun exposure cause premature wrinkling over time. Needless to say, the use of daily SPF and an eye moisturizer is important. The type of moisturizer you use is your preference, but there are a few things to consider.

Start by selecting a lightweight eye moisturizer, like an eye gel. A heavy, rich moisturizer can contain oils to make up for the lack of oil glands around the eye. The heaviness of the oils weighs down your thin eye tissue, weakening the cellular fibers that keeps the area firm and elastic. Additionally, these heavy creams contain mineral oil or petroleum-based products as their main moisturizing ingredient. Mineral oil not only can run into the eyes, causing irritation and puffiness, but it coats your skin like clingy plastic wrap, inhibiting its ability to breathe. Try to seek moisturizers that provide anti-aging benefits, such as those infused with antioxidants and plant extracts. 

Revitalize Eye Gel is the best choice. It's a lightweight eye gel that leaves skin supple while taking care of the three major under eye issues: dark circles, puffiness, and aging. 

Licorice root extract, and linoleic acid diminish puffiness and dark circles, while glycolic acid and salicylic acid gently exfoliate skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Sodium hyaluronate, seaweed, and algae extracts balance the skin's moisture content, leaving it supple. Traditional antioxidants like vitamins C and E rejuvenate the skin. 

For a full list of beneficial ingredients and their function, click on the "key ingredients" tab on the Revitalize Eye Gel product page.

How to apply eye gel may be obvious, but following a few tips will help achieve the best results. 

• Always apply eye gel with your ring finger; it's the weakest because it shares a muscle with both the middle finger and pinky, and won't apply too much pressure or tug at the delicate skin. 
• Apply a small portion to your ring finger and, from the outside going in, pat the gel in a dabbing motion around the eye bone (the top part of your cheek bone around the eye). Never rub.
• Avoid putting the eye gel too close to the lash line, or on your upper lid. The lashes pick up tiny amounts of product and it eventually gets into the eyes, causing irritation and puffiness.

EVOLUTIONMAN's Revitalize Eye Gel retails online in the US and Canada at a suggested retail price of $24 for .5oz.

Be a Tough Guy Without Being a Rough Guy

For you tough guys out there, exfoliation (the process of removing dead cells from the skin's surface) isn't strictly for those with two X-chromosomes. Both gals and guys can have dry skin, acne, large pores, aging skin, or other dermatological concerns. What makes it a man's sport?  Men typically have thicker skin than women, and thus may experience the most benefit from exfoliation. Think of it like that home-improvement project - you have to use a sander to smooth out rough edges for that perfect finish. Exfoliation is just another tool on your tool belt.

Your skin is composed of different layers, the newest, most supple skin being at the bottom and the oldest (and most dead) skin at the top. As we get older, cell-turnover, the body's natural way of bringing fresh cells to the surface, slows down. This means the dead cells hang around longer and skin appears dull, blotchy, and uneven. Sun damage over the years also slows the turnover process because it thickens skin, thus taking longer for new cells to reach the surface. To keep skin looking fresh and younger, you have to speed up the cell turnover cycle - removing the old cells forces the skin to regenerate more quickly. The easiest method of speeding this up is by exfoliating in moderation (with the word moderation being key - there is such a thing as over-exfoliation!).

There are essentially two types of exfoliation, chemical and physical. Chemical exfoliation is the process of using chemicals to remove dead surface cells from the skin. There are a few types of mild to harsh acids used in skincare for this, but between AHA, BHA, PHA, the NFL and the NHL, it can be a little brain-racking. Let's tackle chemical exfoliation later and talk about the easy stuff now.

Physical exfoliation is just that - using particles or rough cloth that scrubs and polishes the skin. This typically consists of using a cleanser that contains a physical exfoliating component, like ground nuts, shells, beads, or anything else that can be crammed into a six ounce bottle. This method of exfoliation is typically less expensive than chemical exfoliation treatments. Most physical exfoliants that you find at the store are full of harsh chemicals, on top of using plastic beads to scrub the face. Your exfoliant should gently clean the skin and remove dead cells - not leave your face squeaky-clean like a stripped hardwood floor. It's all about balance. Look for an exfoliant that utilizes finely ground natural particles or alumina, so it cleanses your face like a microdermabrasion treatment - similar to gentle sandblasting. Not to toot our own horn or anything, but EVMAN's Wash & Buff is a great example of an exfoliant that  utilizes alumina, is gentle, smells great, and leaves your skin smooth. So, you can still be that tough guy. Sounds manly to us.

Oh, and as always after exfoliation, make sure you moisturize with an SPF moisturizer to protect your newly revealed skin from the sun's harmful rays. It saves you from looking like an old tough guy!