From wondrous hair to nourished nails and hydrated, soft skin, the unrealistic beauty expectations thrust upon women of all ages by TV producers and modern advertisers is well-established. However, given attempts by various cosmetic brands and bloggers to confront reactionary, sexist, and racist beauty standards, cosmetic myths are constantly being challenged, and will hopefully one day, be eradicated once and for all.
Those beauty myths often confronting men are of course, much less in volume and intensity. Nonetheless, they do exist, and can do a great deal to undermine one’s confidence and self-belief.
As a man with often dry, particularly sensitive skin, skincare is both an obsession and bane of my life. After all, any perusal through popular high-street pharmacies in the UK for Mens Skincare, is usually met with harsh exfoliators, drying ingredients, and products with little concern for those without traditional male facial skin.
What is traditional male facial skin? Of course, any such question requires a reasonable level of exaggeration and generalisation. But for the purpose of this, I’ll have a go. The traditional male facial skin, as defined by the major skincare brands, is seemingly one of insensitivity, capable of tolerating sulfates, parabens, and (a lot of) denatured alcohol.
Consequently, the past several years of my life have been spent scouring the internet, paying little attention to my own gender (and the skincare product’s intended gender), and allowing myself to look beyond society’s myopic perception of ‘man’. I just so happen to like my facial toner without alcohol. I like my moisturiser without synthetic fragrances or perfume. And I prefer chemical exfoliators, to physical exfoliators. Does this make me any less of a man? Of course it doesn’t.
That’s where UNICSKIN come in.
Founded by Mónica Sada, UNICSKIN’s guiding philosophy derived from Mónica’s own unwillingness to accept the status quo, and determination to provide skincare products that represented dermatology and cosmetics working in tandem with one another, to produce simple, yet effective skincare.
To do so, UNICSKIN select “active ingredients”, capable of enhancing the quality and appearance of your skin. What’s more, UNICSKIN‘s devote themselves to a producing a form of skincare that’s suitable for both her, and him.
Indeed, there will be those that consider there to be an enormous difference between men and woman’s facial skin. After all, men’s skin is supposedly 20% thicker than women’s, containing more fat and higher quantities of collagen.
But that’s it. One’s skin is determined more by skin type or circumstance, than by gender.
That’s why UNICSKIN’s enthusiasm to find the best ingredients, for each and every one of us, rather than a specific sex, must be applauded. Active ingredients that are uniformly effective for both men and women, and non-greasy concentrated formulas in each and everyone of their creams/oils and/serums, produces a level of assurance and trust so desperately craved in the beauty industry.
UNICSKIN’s UnicHydro-Active Serum is a perfect example of this. Containing no less than five active ingredients, each of these ingredients can be demonstrated as providing your skin with something highly valuable. The high concentration of Hyaluronic Acid for instance, possesses long-lasting premium moisturising properties, whereas the Argireline prevents and reduces wrinkles and expression lines.
I initially used the UnicHydro-Active Serum after cleansing in the evening, using the recommended three drops and nourishing the skin after the inevitable sun damage and air pollution that comes from a summer’s day in London. But soon enough, I realised the luscious fluidity of the serum allowed for UnicHydro-Active to be used in the morning, without leaving behind a greasy residue. As a result, I soon found myself using the serum both in the morning and evening, concentrating on rejuvenating any dry or red spots hanging around my T-spot.
For many, UNICSKIN’s devotion to all skin types would be questioned, as there is a popular perception that for oily combination skin types, anything intended for sensitive skin will be unable to provide sufficient power, to hydrate, renew, or cleanse the skin. And then of course, for someone such as myself, I feared the opposite. Would something suitable for combination skin, irritate my dry, sensitive skin?
Well, in as little as one week, all redness surrounding my nose had near-disappeared. Fully-hydrated, I no longer felt the urge to re-apply some form of moisturiser at lunchtime or the mid-afternoon, allowing me to experience a sense of freedom in my skin that I hadn’t felt for so long.
Upon reflection, it’s easy to see why UnicHydro-Active Serum had worked where previous products – for dehydration, for rosacea – had failed. Founded upon a devotion to harnessing the strength of active ingredients, UNICSKIN have managed to perform the rather delicate balancing act between strength and sensitivity.
From rosacea to psoriasis, acne to ageing, UNICSKIN’s attachment to high-quality, active ingredients means that each of their products, are prepared for each and every kind of skin issue. For example, beyond the UnicHydro-Active Serum there’s the possibility of preparing your skincare routine for each eventuality, with cleansing (UnicClear & Clean), repair (UnicEyes Triple Action), and long-lasting nourishment (UnicA+ Rejuvenating Cream) each available in at least one of their products.
I can only hope that other skincare brands soon take note from the holistic approach that UNICSKIN and Mònica Sada have taken to skincare. Non-comedogenic, suitable for all skin types, free from synthetic thickeners, and appropriate for anyone and everyone, UNICSKIN gives us each a chance to enjoy healthy, beautiful skin, whoever we may be.
