For Beatrice Muthoni, Kenyans were a few years back ensnared by the misconstrued perception stemming from the notion that skincare for men is equivalent to a taboo.
"I am, however, delighted that this misconception is gradually being discarded with more Kenyan men embracing skincare,” Muthoni, a dermatologist at Skin Hyggez Aesthetics, tells the Star.
Muthoni has acknowledged the sudden attitude change by Kenyans towards men’s skincare.
According to Christine Kendeli, an esthetician at Glowskin Cosmetics Kenya, more Kenyan men have been recently buying skincare products.
“Before the hype of men’s skincare in Kenya, men who would buy skincare products for personal use ranged between 15-20 per day," Kendeli says.
"However, in the last month alone, around 35 men came to our stores seeking information on men’s skincare and purchasing the products. I never thought such a reality was foreseeable,” she states.
Despite these major strides in men’s skincare, some Kenyan men are still adamant that skincare is both unnecessary and peculiar for men.
“I don’t think there is a time when I will willingly do skincare. Just imagine me in front of a mirror, cleansing my face and applying two different moisturisers, my ‘boys’ would not let me hear the end of it," Frank Mugambi says.
"Will I do the skincare routines or will my girlfriend? The same soap and towel that I use for the rest of my body will always be properly utilised on my face as well,” Mugambi explains.
Such sentiments are however incapable of dampening Mark Waweru’s zeal for skincare.
In high school, Waweru came head-on with a downside to puberty.
“Prior to high school, my puberty only manifested through a sudden growth spurt and deepening of my voice.
He says that these were changes that he openly welcomed. However, the acne after starting high school was something he was not prepared for.
"Initially, my family and I assumed that my skin breakout was a result of the environmental change my body had experienced. However, even after two years, sufficient for adapting, my acne only increased,” Waweru says.
Men also care about their physical appearance. For Waweru, the pressure was higher for him after he started having acne.
He says his self-esteem has never nosedived to the pits like the time he was in high school.
Having a light complexion, his stressful habit of picking at his pimples did not ease his situation.
"All the bubbling excitement for major school functions, which I had prior to my acne, fizzled out. As soon as I spotted girls at a function, I would promptly recede to my shell, hiding in the school bus until the time we were supposed to leave the event,” he says.
After he was done with high school, Waweru adamantly refused to take a back seat to his skincare.
“Some of my male friends jab at me for ‘acting like a woman’. They don’t understand why I invest heavily in my skincare. Nevertheless, I know how far I have come in my skincare journey and how important consistency is," he explains.
He explains that a typical routine begins in the shower, where he uses a water-activated gel cleanser.
Following this, he applies a honey almond body scrub, and on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub.
"After this thorough skin cleansing, I apply coco butter to inhibit dry skin. In addition, I always use an after-shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older,” he describes.
Speaking to The Star, Charles Musyoka shares that his curiosity for men’s skincare products bloomed three months ago.
“I have a male friend who takes skincare seriously. We would often make fun of him, but at the end of the day, there was no denying that his skin looked better than ours," Musyoka says.
He says that putting in view the society’s stereotype of what a ‘real’ man is, he started his internet research on the best skincare products for men.
Despite extensive research on the internet, his questions were left unanswered. That’s when he decided to go to cosmetic shops and ask for the best recommendations.
"This also proved futile since most cosmetologists just recommended products blindly without any concrete reasoning. I have not given up on my skincare journey, though I am just figuring out my next step,” Musyoka says.
Dermatologist Muthoni emphasises on the importance of doing skin testing and analysis before deciding on the type of skincare product.
She advises Kenyan men against using skincare products blindly after recommendations from people who are not professionally trained to do so.
"If you can’t visit a dermatologist, the more established cosmetic stores have estheticians who will offer a consult to help you identify your skin type, concerns and goals and recommend products for that,” Muthoni advises.
Sharing more on skin testing and analysis, dermatologist Muthoni says that skin testing and analysis are critical in coming up with an optimal skincare routine, adding that the intelligent skin analyzer machine is capable of detecting six skin deep problems.
These include acne on the surface of the skin and underneath, enlarged pores, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation both on the epidermis and on the dermis, texture and moisture level.
For instance, often times, oily skin types overuse sebum control products, leading to dehydrated skin. Their skin compensates by producing even more oil, she says.
"Our skin test and analysis will be able to accurately diagnose your skin problems, and we will recommend an effective skincare routine,” she affirms.
In response to some Kenyan men’s macho against skincare, dermatologist Muthoni reiterates the invalidity of this.
“If step-by-step skincare is too much, I urge Kenyan men to at the very least use a moisturiser and sunscreen daily. That is not too difficult, I think,” she states humorously.
