Masking for men with facial hair doesn’t come easy. A beard, whether scanty or full-bodied, can hinder proper application. Facial hair can block access to the mask’s yummy ingredients, especially if you have a bushy growth. The struggle does not just end there. If you pick the wrong texture or mask type for a bearded face, cleaning it off can be a hassle. And nothing is more not-cute than remnants of your Sunday routine still showing on a Monday morning.
But your face being 50% hair should not deter you from the pursuit of beautiful skin. Masking for men has also gained traction because of an increase in maskne, which can be worse for skin with thick facial hair. Men’s skin tends to be oilier than women’s, with more active sebaceous glands and large, open pores. The pH tends to be lower, making their skin prone to impurities and acne. Treating with a weekly mask can help improve skin quality and allow you to take some downtime during a busy week.
Masking For Men With Facial Hair, How To Ace It
1. Sheet Masks Are Not Out Of Reach
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As a skincare enthusiast, I love to drag everyone in my life to share my skincare obsession. But men with beards end up treating my cute sheet masks wastefully. First, their faces are too big for my itty-bitty K-beauty sheet masks. Second, the fabric refuses to adhere to the bottom half. The dangling masks are not a pretty sight or relaxing to the one masking with them.
That said, sheet masks are not out of reach for bearded boys. Patchology’s Smartmud sheet mask comes in a two-piece, one for the top half and one for the bottom. It is an excellent opportunity to mask with your partner or BFF who does not have a beard and let them have the bottom half. Mask just the upper half of the face, and work the leftover serum in the packet into your beard. The Beardo Vitamin C Sheet Mask is another affordable option if you do not have anyone to share the bottom half with (chin up, you’ll find someone soon!). If the sheet masks refuse to take to your facial contours, add 1-cm long snips near the eye and nose area to allow it to settle and stay in place.
2. Careful With The Peel Off!
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Peel-off masks are fun, but even we women are wary of them. They can unnecessarily tug at your skin. This worsens when a thick beard is in the picture. They can often be painful and even turn your skin red if misused. When using peel-off masks, stick to areas with thinner facial hair like the apple of your cheeks, forehead and nose. Apply a thin coat as a thick one can be painful to peel off. If you get any on your beard, work in a little avocado or organic coconut oil to get it off; you do not want to leave that in till it dries. Peel-off masks are not suitable for sensitive skin, and we recommend limiting their use to once a week so that you are not over-stressing your skin.
3. It’s All About The Texture
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Your beard doesn’t always have to skip the fun when masking. The skin under your beard can get stressed, especially if you groom and shave over it. Cream, clay or gel-based masks can be worked into your beard. The go-to saviour of skin nourishment seems to be beard oils. But if you already have oily skin, loading it with more oil can lead to breakouts and oily dandruff (yes, your beard can get flaky, too!).
Part your beard in sections and work your face mask into them. The mask works on your skin and softens the beard hair to make it less itchy and shinier. Lightweight and easily spreadable textures are ideal for this. Avoid masks with beads or other physical exfoliators as they will be challenging to wash off. Aim for hydration over-exfoliation or clarifying as the latter contain ingredients that can affect the quality of your beard.
4. Do Not Neglect The Eye Area
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Masking for men is often not inclusive of eye care. Sheet, cream or peel-off masks are not supposed to go anywhere near your eye area. However, given that men’s skin tends to be prone to deeper wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation around the eye area, it does need extra care. Eye masks, made of bio-cellulose, are ideal for dry skin around the eyes. Their thin fibres effectively attract and retain moisture. They also adhere better to the thinner, more fragile skin around the eyes for excellent care.
5. Hack Your Way Through It
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A list about masking for men with facial hair is incomplete without a genius, time-saving hack. One that allows lazy boys to do their morning routines and be out of the house in record time. Multipurpose mask/cleanser products can come in handy for them. They are easy to apply as a mask and even be worked into beards. Washing them off is also super easy because when emulsified with water, they foam up and are easily rinsed off, even from a bushy beard. So, if you are someone who just CANNOT with the time it takes to wash off facial masks, hack your way to get your skin some extra TLC with these products.
Photos: Instagram, Pexels
