You've probably made this observation several times before... A couple walking along and you thinking: "he must be taking his mother out to lunch" only to discover that the couple is married...

This is because the skin of men ages differently to that of women. Men have thicker skin because they have higher levels of Testosterone and as a result, the skin tends to sag less and produces fewer wrinkles. The thicker skin is also a more effective barrier against adverse environmental impacts, bacteria and other irritants. In addition, men's sebaceous glands produce slightly more oil, which acts as a natural moisturiser.

The regular act of shaving exfoliates the skin, removing the dead cells and reducing the onset of wrinkles. However, this process is very abrasive and can leave the skin rough and sometimes dry around the jaw and cheek area.

Despite the advantages of men's skin, a daily, natural skin care regime can and will maintain a vigorous, youthful looking skin. Men's skin care regime should be identical to that of women, in that it should follow the same principles of cleansing, toning and moisturising. However, there are a few other considerations we need to look at, when using a natural skin care regime.

Good nutrition: keep it simple, fresh and unprocessed. That is the best nutritional advice I can give. The simpler the food, the less processing and the fresher your food is, the better it is for you. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain so many of the nutrients we need to maintain our health. Sure have the odd processed, high in fat meal when you're enjoying a meal out or have to attend a Luncheon or what ever. But make sure you have more natural foods than not. Keep the diet varied - don't eat the same old, same old... risk a new veggie - one you haven't tried before - you might like it ...

Adequate rest and relaxation: don't work yourself to an early grave - it's not worth it. Make sure you get the sleep you need. Did you know that a study in England showed that your IQ (intelligence) drops if you do not have 8 hours sleep per night?
Think about it, do you get more work done if you feel well rested? Can you concentrate better if you're not tired? - I bet you can.

Well, why not invest some additional time into rest and relaxation so that you gain an increase in energy and concentration? I'm sure you will find you will get more work done in less time if you've had sufficient rest.

Sufficient water intake: that's a biggie. Most people (irrespective of were they live) will utilise around 3 litres of water per day - hey, don't believe me, all the medical texts say so. Our body simply needs water to function.

If you do not drink at least this amount, your body will either not function well (on some level) or it will take it from where ever it can. That is called dehydration. You know, dry lips, dry flaky skin, parched mouth, cracks on you tongue, premature wrinkles... the list goes on. So, drink up (water, mind you) or shrivel up - it's up to you.

Fresh air and sunshine: well, what can I say? Taking a deep breath of air and tell me it doesn't feel great... Well? Oxygen is the stuff of life. Fill your lungs with it. Here I could go into how most of us do not know how to breathe properly, but I'll save this

So what does all this have to do with skin care?

Well, that is the point of putting expensive, skin care products on your skin, when you do not give it the stuff of life from the inside? The cells that make up your skin need the right nutrients for proper development, growth and all that... You can help your skin by using good quality natural skin care products, but you have to support this from the inside as well. Only in that way can you expect to get good results from proper skin care.

So what's proper skin care?

Well, for starters there are 3 basic steps.

* Cleanse and Condition
* Hydrate and Tone
* Moisturise and Revive.

Cleansing the skin seems obvious and I know, you do know how to use soap - wrong, this is one sure way to make your skin dry-out quicker. Most soaps remove the natural oils of the skin, change the natural pH levels and do nothing to remove the dead layers of skin, which can block your pores and lead to blackheads. And, oh no, not pimples! The skin produces oils and acids to help it function, to protect it from loss of excessive moisture, to form a barrier... etc. So please do not use soap or detergents unless it is necessary.

Using a loofah or a gentle 'scrub' will remove the dead skin cells and this in turn will promote better blood circulation and help your skin to breath.

The next step is to hydrate and tone the skin. Say what?

Well, you've just removed the dead skin layers, rubbing the skin with a loofah and or a specially formulated cleanser, now it's time to remove the residue, sooth the skin and prepare the skin for getting a good feed of nutrients from the moisturiser. Toners will close the opened pores and in doing so, prevent loss of moisture.

Preparation of the skin prior to putting on the moisturiser is not dissimilar to preparing a surface about to receive a new coat of paint. You wouldn't just paint over a wall that hasn't been cleaned and prepared for the new paint, would you? It would be a waist of time and money... well, good skin care is the same. You first get rid of the old layer of paint, or skin cells in this case, than you give it a primer (Toning the skin) and finally the top-coat (Moisturising it).

Moisturise and revive your skin. Ah, but I already use a moisturiser...

Great, at least that's a step in the right direction. But, have you looked at the ingredients? Are they natural, or are there numbers and words you don't recognise on the label? Research has shown alarming numbers of synthetic substances contained in skin care products, which may be linked to causing serious health problems including cancer!!! So why run the risk? Using natural, herbal-based skin care products is definitely the preferred option. Pure essential oils, or herbal extracts are usually good ingredients to have in your skin care products.

So there you have it, natural skin care. These steps, if you follow them, will help you to achieve the results you want and your body will show its appreciation with healthy, vibrant looking skin.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.