How Different Is Female Skin From Male Skin?

When it comes to our skin men and women differ quite dramatically, especially when we look at how the skin ages.

Here is a brief guide to the main ways in which our skin is different from each other. This has implications for the kind of skincare each of us should be looking to as the ‘gold standard.

1. High levels of testosterone mean that men have 25% thicker skin than females. They have a larger pore size and a thicker stratum corneum. Men’s skin also has more collagen and ages more gradually than women’s skin does.
2. Men produce more oil (sebum) in their skin due to their hormonal makeup. Oil is an evolutionary throwback to Ape times when we all had facial hair and the oil was there to lubricate the hair that grew in each follicle. Higher oil levels mean that men should use products that help control and balance the oil production, such as products with salicylic acid.
3. Adult men on average age about 10 years behind women. This is due to a number of factors such as increased collagen density, thicker stratum corneum, and due to their hormone profiles. Both men and women lose about 1% of their collagen from their late 20s onwards. Men often lose their genetic advantage in ageing because they fail to wear SPF and protect their skin from the damaging effects of UV light.
4. Men shave their facial hair regularly which can cause irritation if done without enough shaving foam or with blunt razors. This can increase the chance of developing ingrowing hairs. Products should contain anti-irritants for the skin and calming ingredients like aloe vera that help calm and soothe post-shaven skin.
5. Shaving daily may mean men are more likely to have sun damage because shaving gets rid of dead skin cells exposing immature cells to the sun. Also, women generally are more clued up on the effects of sun damage on their skin so men, in general, tend to experience more sun damage.

But what does it all mean and what should women and men be doing differently daily?

Here’s a brief guide for each gender...