Who Stole Beauty from Men?
And how you will reclaim this power
There has been a marked decline in male aesthetic expression in post-Enlightenment modernity. This transition became known as “The Great Male Renunciation”, a term coined by British psychologist John Flügel in 1930. Flügel sadly noted that men “abandoned their claim to be considered beautiful“ and “henceforth aimed at being only useful”.
So how did we get here? What can we do about it? And how do men reclaim their God given right to being seen as both beautiful and useful?
I’ll do a short history and then we will go over three different skincare routines for men looking to improve their appearances with an 80/20 approach, where a few basic products do most of the heavy lifting.
To Hell With The Enlightenment
Upheavals in religious and cultural mores from 1600 onwards contributed to restrictions on masculine social signaling. The intellectual groundwork for this aesthetic restraint was, in part, a backlash against ostentatious Catholicism and its intertwined power with European aristocracy.
Reformation theology through Protestant sects, such as the Calvinist and Puritan varieties, urged men (and women) to leave behind overt displays of worldly riches and power. Moral seriousness should be communicated through simple signaling.
Meanwhile, the Enlightenment, and new theories of mind, set us on a path of Cartesian dualism with body and mind at odds. Appearance was in the losing post position.
Past cultures of tending and improving the body, from the Greeks onwards, were set against the intellect and the mind as the true seat of virtue. This represented a significant inversion of values, wherein the body and its abilities had equally contributed to communication of one’s power and vitality. Men had previously cared quite a bit about appearance, attire, and self-presentation across history. Now, in our strange modern era, it has become forbidden knowledge and even gauche.
Pre-Enlightenment and Reformation, grooming, fragrance, and fashion were frequently tied to one’s status, intellect, and power rather than vanity. There was no reason to impart a strict dualist split between mind and body.
Enlightenment and democratic revolutions pushed a turn in aesthetic signaling for everyone. Visible luxury came to represent decadence and inequality, which did end in death for many an aristocrat.
Male respectability was recast as serious, rational, and restrained. Simplified and functional clothing showed Godly virtue and seriousness of industry.
Being seen to care about image became a liability. Even now, as modern prosperity gospel and displays of wealth have regained some ground in the signaling wars, particularly in America, it is still a challenge for men to reclaim this lost power.
Reclaiming The Power of Appearance
It’s my belief that the pendulum is swinging back and appearing well groomed and well dressed is again the mark of a respectable (and yes even Godly) man of action.Do not be fooled by past campaigns to pry away a valuable lever of power from you. If you ask who benefits from this lack of power, the answer certainly isn’t you.
We can start with simple products with proven mechanisms of action that are neither complicated, nor expensive. With a little budgeting, this shouldn’t be to be beyond reach.
These routines, classed as basic, good, and best, are designed for men who are looking to combat signs of aging (it will work for all ages but it is tailored for men over 30) and meant to improve the texture & tone of your skin, for a vibrant face.
I’ve also made the editorial decision to recommend a single brand in each class of routine to ease the mental overhead and so you don’t need to memorize a laundry list of brands. I’d be comfortable with women using these routines as well, if your skin matches the use case.
This is a routine for maturing skin that needs cell turnover and regeneration, has some sebaceous over production (oily zones or occasional breakouts), and would benefit from more acids than heavy moisturizers, as is more typical for men in their thirties than women.
It is heavy on active ingredients, so women would benefit from less frequency in the routine if they choose to use it.
Why? Well…
Men Have Thicker Skin
Literally. Men have thicker skin (roughly 20-25%) than women. Yes, feel free to laugh. This is due to higher testosterone and collagen levels, making male skin denser, firmer, and somewhat more resilient. Well, right up until it isn’t. Preventative care is all the more crucial because of male body chemistry.
Men tend to have oilier skin, larger pores, and a greater propensity for breakouts than women. And while wrinkles come later for men, when they do, they arrive quickly and tend to be much deeper.
There is also the additional challenge of shaving and beard care. Shaving exposes skin to regular irritation and some men develop sensitivity (and ingrown hairs), which require soothing, barrier-repairing routines. Beards benefit from regular trimming and moisturizing as well.
The care and maintenance of men’s skin is otherwise similar to women: cleansing, moisturizing, and protection from the elements. The same proven ingredients work, so don’t get tricked into the male tax and paying extra for products branded specifically for you. Core ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide (vitamin B), and retinoids (vitamin A), along with sun protection work, are proven on all skin types.
The Routines
Basic
An all in one moisturizer that has your core vitamin needs to promote healthy skin growth and dead cell turnover, plus sun protection can be found in a single product and even at a drugstore price. CeraVe is a popular drugstore brand for a reason. A cleanser, along with some serum help in the evening.
Morning
Clean with CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser ($17)
Moisturize & protect with CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion w/ SPF 30 ($16) - The lotion is oil free, has hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and ceramides, plus a physical barrier (as opposed to chemical barrier) mineral sunscreen all in ons product.
Evening
Wash using the same cleanser as your morning routine
Treat with CeraVe Anti Aging Retinol Serum For Face ($18) - slowly add dots of retinol serum to areas of concern like crows feet, forehead and other areas where you want to promote cell turnover,
Moisturize with CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream ($15) - moisturize with a berry to grape sized amount, as needed. If the cream is too much, then thick-down (not a word but roll with me) to a lighter lotion or gel but DO NOT reuse the morning moisturizer as you don’t want to sleep in a sunscreen. I’d recommend this CeraVe PM Lotion ($12) a step down in moisture content intensity.
All in, this routine should cost about $66 to get started and last six months. Including repurchases you’re looking at about $132/year or $11/month.
Better
This routine has a number of moving parts, but its all from the same minimalist, science-forward brand called The Ordinary. Founded by a fairly eccentric man, as a fun fact.
You are cleansing and then layering a few drops of active ingredients to tighten, brighten, smooth and control oil. But as we are still mostly made of water, we have hydration in hyaluronic acid which help hold the water you’ve got and ceramides and lipids keep the skin barrier healthy.
Morning
Clean with The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser ($11)
Focus on your eyes with The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG ($10) - apply 2-3 drops per eye around crows feet and under eye area
Treat
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner ($9) - Using a cotton round with several drops to wet the paid swipe the formula across oil prone areas avoiding eyes. Use once or twice a week and up to tolerance but be warned it is strong
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($6) - apply several drops evenly distributed & rub in till absorbed. Aim to apply daily for oil control and brightness but it is also strong so ease into it a few times a week first
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 ($20) - apply 3-4 drops and spread till absorbed. Apply daily to reduce wrinkle appearance and increase moisture content in skin
Moisturize with The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA ($14) - use a grape sized amount and rub in till absorbed. Use daily unless it is too heavy in which case only use the treatments and save moisturizer for dryer days and move straight to SPF in routine
Protect with The Ordinary Broad Spectrum SPF ($19) - apply generously across face and neck once other products are fully absorbed into skin
Evening
Clean with your same cleanser from the morning
For your eyes, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, swap to an evening eye cream like The Ordinary The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, Anti-Aging Formula ($25) but you can skip eyes at night if its too pricey
Treat with the same morning routine, but with the night time addition of The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid* 2% Emulsion ($12) - slowly introduce 2-3 times a week with 3-5 drops until skin acclimates (isn’t peeling or red). Please wear sunscreen as all retinols will make your skin photosensitive
Moisturize with the same from the morning routine
Overall this routine should run you about $650/year if you repurchase frequently at 3 times but these products are strong and last with light applications so could be more like $500 a year and $40 a month. You can get a set from Sephora that contains trial sizes of all of the above, except the sunscreen and retinol, in a single set for $29 which I recommend as an introduction which should last you 2-3 months. You can order online. Just ask a girlfriend to use her VIB free shipping account if that is a hurdle for you. Or ask me and you can Venmo me ;-)
Best
I recommended Beauty Pie in my last edition as I both know and trust their CEO Marcia, and have personally used several of the vendors she herself uses. It is a beauty buyers club akin to Costco. You can’t always guarantee stock but they have the best quality on the market at the best prices and keep a line of staples which I myself swear by. I use it for my husband.
I’ll be doing their highest end line up here, with a few additions I have seen work for other men. I do have a referral link, which I’ll admit isn’t that good, but hey $20 ain’t nothing right? Protestants may have stolen beauty from you but at least we can give ourselves a discount on the way back. If the membership is a hurdle you can ask me me and I’ll figure it out with an order and a Venmo.
Morning
Clean with Beauty Pie Super Healthy Face Wash ($20) - it’s an easy pump bottle with a wash that is comp’d against a fairly well know $50 product.
Focus on your eyes with Plantastic Ginseng Energy Eye Cream ($29) - apply under eye bags with light taps. This is a bit extra but if you want a morning eye cream to wake you up it is nice.
Treat with Youthbomb 360 Double Radiance Serum ($46) - apply 3-5 drops and pat into your skin. Made in a top Swiss lab where the $300 types of potions are made. It has fancy peptides, fermented stuff but most importantly for the 80% portion of the equation it has 3% pure Vitamin C and 3% Niacinamide. Sometimes brands illustrate their own routines and you can see that serum is listed in its own category. No two brand conventions or beauty merchandisers are the same but the order of operations and times for application stay quite consistent.
Moisturize with Beauty Pie Youthbomb Breakthrough Repair Cream ($59) - apply a much as desired. It isa thicker daily cream with popular Geranylgeranone (GGA) and Polyglutamic Acid as well as 5% Niacinamide which gives it a multi-tasking moisturizer with the feel of a high end luxury cream. But I love the guarantee of top lab actives too.
Protect with Beauty Piece Traceless SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen ($22) - apply liberally as it is a mineral (that means physical not chemical barrier) sunscreen so endocrine safe. Your balls will thank you.
Evening
Clean with the same Super Healthy Face Wash from the morning routine
Treat your eyes with Youthbomb 360° Multi Action Eye Repair Night Serum (1% Retinol Complex) ($39) - apply on clean dry skin around eyes by gently applying small dots as your skin acclimates.
Treat your face with Youthbomb Extreme Retinal Triple Renewal Serum ($59) - This is a strong way to start a retinol routine so GO SLOWLY as it is 5% each of a Retinoid, Retinal and organic Bakuchiol. Apply one pump two times a week and ease up from there. If it is too strong (skin is red and peeling) thin it out with a moisturizer and use less frequently.
Moisturize with the same same Beauty Pie Youthbomb Breakthrough Repair Cream from the morning.
Seal it all in with Plantastic Overnight Miracle Oil ($22) - apply 3-5 drops of this excellent oil to face and beard and avoid looking like cracked leather later in life. You want to look like well cared for and moisturized leather not dusty, musty and cracked like tack kept in a shed. This blend has grapeseed, sweet almond, turmeric oil, and rosehip so smells terrific and softens beards beautifully.
All in, this top end routing will run you ~$100/month, assuming you have good adherence and are doing the morning and night routines each day. As our first Lady Lady would say “be best” and this routine certainly accomplishes that.