Men's skin has different needs than women's

NEW YORK -- Men's skin care lines have long been a part of top cosmetics companies' offerings in department stores. But similar products have been popping up in recent months on drugstore aisles as well, raising the question: Do men really need their own stuff or can image-conscious men keep raiding their wives' skin-care products?

"On average, a man needs a stronger soap, more exfoliating and lighter moisturizing than a woman," says Dr. David Orentreich, Clinique's guiding dermatologist, who is also affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Male hormones make the dermis, the layer of skin just beneath the outer epidermis layer, much thicker, Orentreich says. The dermis contains collagen, the connective tissue that gives skin its elasticity, so a thicker dermis means smoother, less delicate skin.

"Also the fact that men shave; that daily exfoliation has an effect," Orentreich says. "Men, when they reach their 60s, 70s and 80s, the skin is a lot smoother than a woman's."

Beauty chain Sephora stocks skin-care lines such as Alexander and Zirh dedicated to men, and now drugstore aisles boast products like Nivea Men's face wash, shaving gel and after-shave balm. King of Shaves recently launched a skin-care and cosmetics line, XCD, which offers tinted moisturizer, concealer (or "camouflage stick"), eye cream, self-tanner and SPF 15 moisturizer.

Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier recently introduced a high-end men's skin-care and cosmetics line that was born out of his men's fragrance, Le Male. The Tout Beau Tout Propre line, which means "all beautiful and clean" in French, includes face and body soap, shower gel and after-shave lotion with notes of Le Male, along with makeup products such as powder bronzer and blush, lip balm in three colors and a concealer and black eyeliner packaged in what looks like a black fountain pen.

Orentreich says while men's skin varies by individual, men share characteristics that can be addressed with made-for-men beauty products.

"The average man can produce more oil per square inch than the average woman," Orentreich says. Thus, the extra hydration that some women's skin-care lines provide are often not needed for men's thicker, hardier skin.

"There's no question that on average, a man can be much more relaxed about what he's doing and it won't have an impact of drying out or being sensitive," he says.

Facial treatments specifically for men, which have become commonplace in spas, usually focus on rejuvenating skin and calming shaving irritation rather than employing the anti-aging regimens used on women.

Men's skin deteriorates slower with age, not only because it's thicker and gets regular exfoliation from shaving. The act of shaving -- stretching the neck to shave, jutting out the chin, moving the mouth back and forth -- also contributes to keeping the face tight.

"All of those exercises are working those facial muscles. So they do have a few things going for them that helps them stave off the lining as much," says Anne Bramham, a 25-year spa industry veteran who has her own spa in West Palm Beach, Fla., and created the programs at the Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach, Calif.

At the Golden Door Spa in Telluride, Colo., the "gentlemen's facial" focuses on soothing the areas of the face that are affected by shaving, and New York's Oasis Day Spa promises that its men's facial will alleviate irritated skin and prevent shaving bumps. The Spa and Salon at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, Texas, promises to soothe men's skin, which without makeup is less protected during the day than women's, by counteracting the effects of pollution and climate changes like sun and wind.

The "Spa 101 (For Men Who Don't Spa)" package at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Fla., includes a massage, a haircut, a manicure, a pedicure and a hot towel facial, a bracing shot of heat that Orentreich says men tolerate well.

"Men like to feel heat and cold extremes. Some spas may even use things based on the old barber hot towel," Bramham says.

Bramham says the differences between men's and women's skin are a major consideration when evaluating a client's skin. Not only do they have different needs, they have different wants, and Bramham says men shy away from painful beauty regimens.

"Typically we would use possibly a stronger exfoliation on men but that doesn't mean using a chemical such as alpha hydroxy. They cause a little bit of stinging, and that doesn't go over as well. They tend to like things that feel good," Bramham says.

Men also respond to different scents than women, another reason that just-for-men beauty products may be proliferating, Bramham says.

"They like essences that are more masculine that are less perfume-y, scents that have more of a sandalwood and a natural earthy essence," she says.