Sensitive skin isn’t something that just affects women; more than half of guys in the UK believe they have sensitive skin, so it’s a lot more common than you might have thought.
If you have sensitive skin, it shouldn’t stop you from doing anything; you should still be able to spend time in the sun, use skincare products, and shave regularly - you just need to make sure you’re doing everything in the right way for your skin.
What is Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin can be lots of different conditions, such as dry skin, eczema, rosacea, flaky or inflamed patches and psoriasis. It can also feel tight, sore and tender, and it may even burn, sting or bleed occasionally.
Guys with sensitive skin can experience irritated skin when they use certain skincare or laundry products, with skin becoming itchy, red and perhaps even breaking out in a rash.
Sensitive skin can be easily aggravated, which is why it’s so important to always use the right products for your skin, and to make sure your everyday habits like your shaving routine are being kind to it.
Can You Treat Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin is a lifelong condition - if yours is especially bad and you feel like it’s reacting to everything, you should speak to a dermatologist who’ll be able to advise you on the best products to use, and prescribe them if you need them.
It’s vital to keep sensitive skin nourished by hydrating and moisturising it regularly - you might even want to moisturise before you shave as well as afterwards if your skin is sensitive, as each razor stroke actually strips away a little bit of moisture.
You should also keep sensitive skin protected from the sun, so make sure you’re wearing a sunscreen with a high SPF on your face and any other exposed parts of your body, even in the winter.
The Perfect Routine for Managing Sensitive Skin
Shaving sensitive skin requires a little more care than shaving other skin types - shaving can irritate skin at the best of times if you aren’t doing it properly, so you need to be extra careful with sensitive skin.
Here’s our recommendations for managing sensitive skin during shaving:
Keep Sensitive Skin Clean
Wash your face before shaving to soften your skin and open your pores, and take the time to exfoliate to remove any dead skin cells, oil, dirt or bacteria from your face. Sensitive skin can be more easily irritated by all of these, so we advise exfoliating ahead of every time you shave.
Use the Right Shaving Products
At Gillette, we’re proud to have developed a collection of shaving products especially for sensitive skin: our SkinGuard Sensitive range.
The SkinGuard Sensitive Razor is designed to minimise tug and pull during shaving to be kinder to your skin, and its handle can absorb some of the pressure from your hand, so it’s the razor doing the work, not you.
We also have our SkinGuard Men’s Sensitive Shaving Gel, which can give you a seriously smooth razor glide, and contains a touch of aloe to cool, soothe and protect your skin even further.
Shave Sensitive Skin Gently
Sensitive skin needs to be treated gently, so make sure you shave with the grain (that’s in the same direction that your hair grows in) and use careful, downwards strokes.
There’s no need to press too hard - SkinGuard Sensitive Razor Blades are designed to give you a close, comfortable shave even when they make minimal contact with your skin.
Always use a fresh, sharp blade to reduce the risk of shaving nicks and cuts that could make sensitive skin worse - sign up for a Gillette shaving subscription, and you’ll have a regular supply of fresh blades delivered straight to your door!
Rinse Your Razor Regularly
Keep your skin clean and hydrated during shaving by rinsing your razor as you go. After every few strokes, rinse your blades gently, taking care to never bang them against the side of the sink to stop them becoming damaged.
Regular rinsing stops blades getting clogged with excess shaving cream and hairs, which could end up aggravating sensitive skin if you were to keep dragging them across your face repeatedly.
Follow a Post-Shave Routine
Look after sensitive skin even further by following a post-shave routine every time you shave. This should include splashing your face with cold water to shock your pores into closing to help prevent a build-up of excess oil, dirt and bacteria, which could lead to a breakout of spots.
Make sure you’re gentle when drying your face, patting it dry with a towel or cloth rather than rubbing it, and always finish up with a moisturiser.
Sensitive skin tends to need extra moisture, hydration and protection, and our Gillette Aftershave Moisturiser is the perfect product to use. It acts as a 2 in 1 aftershave and moisturiser, and it includes SPF15 to give sensitive skin added protection in the sun.
Whether you have dry skin, oily skin or acne-prone skin, Gillette has shaving products that can help.
