Men skincare guide by 18-year-old boy goes viral on Twitter


Image adapted from: sy4meel

Skincare is a huge industry in the market and it’s understandably so, considering everyone wants to have healthy skin. Even so, there are a large number of men out there who don’t take care of their skin. Some don’t even regularly wash their face with a proper cleanser because they think a splash of water will suffice. 

It might be due to certain stereotypes or maybe they just think skincare is too much of a hassle. 

Here’s where Syameel steps in, a young lad who enlightened the local Twitter community with his knowledge in men skincare.  


Image credit: @sy4meel

Guide to men skincare, according to Syameel

On Saturday (13 July), Syameel started a thread explaining the basics of men skincare under his Twitter handle @sy4meel. It went viral shortly after, amassing almost 30,000 retweets and likes from both men and women.

His tweet reads as: 

Hi everyone! It must be difficult for you guys to understand why we need to use toner, moisturiser, sunscreen etc. That’s why in this thread, I’m going to explain briefly what’s the function of each skincare product.

Syameel continued his thread by listing out skincare products that are commonly found in almost every skincare regime: cleanser, toner, moisturiser, serum, essence and sunscreen. 

If you’re interested, guys, we’ve got you covered. We give you the essentials if you have trouble sifting through his lengthy thread.

1. Cleanser

The first step to every skincare routine. Here’s why cleansing is important:

  • Cleanses the skin from dead skin cells, makeup, excess oil and clogged pores so that your skin can breathe
  • Boosts skin’s radiance while prepping it to fully absorb benefits of the next product
  • Don’t use cleansers more than twice a day (morning and night only). Your skin could end up dehydrated.


Image credit: Latest World Trends

2. Toner

If you’re confused over how a toner helps with men skincare, Syameel tells you how:

  • Reduces the appearance of pores
  • Rids your skin of impurities and dead skin cells that weren’t cleansed off from the first step
  • Balances the pH level of your skin


Image credit: Business Insider

What does skin balanced pH level mean? 

Syameel says our face is ‘acidic’ before washing, which means it’s around pH 3-5. After cleansing, it’ll be at pH 9-11 (alkaline). With the use of a toner, your face will be restored to a neutral pH level, which is around pH 6-8.

3. Essence

Essence and toner have two different functions, even though they look similar. What are the differences?

  • Essence adds another layer of hydration to our skin
  • When your skin is well hydrated, it’ll help boost the effects of serums and moisturisers

4. Serum

According to Syameel, serums target specific skin problems. They: 

  • Brighten your face
  • Reduce acne scars, dark spots, acne and repair skin texture
  • Reduce the size of pores, blackheads and whiteheads


Image credit: Chata Romano

5. Moisturiser

Syameel pointed out that many people think when you have oily skin you don’t need to use moisturisers. But that’s not true. Why? Moisturisers:

  • Prevent your skin from getting dry
  • Slow down signs of aging
  • Softens the skin, reduce redness and itchiness (dry)
  • Locks in all products into your skin
  • Help to reduce acne 

When your skin is dry, it will tend to produce more sebum. And sebum that gets stuck in your pores will cause more pimples.

6. Sunscreen

One should never take sunscreen application lightly, stresses Syameel. Because without it, any kind of product you use go to waste as there’s no layer that protects the skin from the sun.


Image credit: Bustle

He explains that sunscreen helps to protect skin from getting exposed from two types of harmful ultraviolet rays, which are UVA and UVB rays:

  • UVA causes wrinkles and makes you look older
  • UVB causes sunburns
  • UVA and UVB can cause skin cancer

Skincare regime in check now

Syameel says a useful rule of thumb for men skincare is the same as that of a woman’s: Cleanser > Toner > Moisturiser > Sunscreen. You can get started on the other products later in the process when you’ve had the basics locked down. 

Well, it appears that the folks of Twitter are now well-educated by the up-and-coming beauty guru, Syameel. Guys are actively retweeting the thread, saying they agree with the importance of men skincare. Some are even urging boys and men to start learning about skincare. If you have questions for Syameel, you can view the full thread here. 

No matter your skincare experience, here’s to better looking skin for all of us. 

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