Acu Health Holistic Center

Lockdown Realizations – What Your Emotions Are Telling You

In this pandemic time, how do you deal with emotions you do not fully understand? How do you cater to the mental and emotional stress you do not know how to quite process? Do you repress what you feel because you become too afraid to admit that you are having issues with yourself? If you are confused about everything right now, that is okay. You do not have to pretend that you can handle things just because you don’t want people to view you as incapable and weak. Allow us to walk you through understanding what your emotions are trying to tell you.

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The Battle To Self-Awareness

Emotions serve to let you know how you are being affected by the things that have been going on with your life. It can be neither positive nor negative. It acts as signals that point you towards making the right response and help you make sense of what you are dealing with. While it may be uncomfortable and scary at times, understanding your emotions is vital to better understand yourself. These include recognizing your underlying wants, needs, and beliefs.

Happiness – One of the core emotions you experience is happiness. It is an emotion that often comes from the sense of safety and security that your loved ones give you. In this crisis, happiness allows you to stay positive despite the negative things around you. It reminds you that you should focus on things that you are grateful for having. It shows you that there are a lot more reasons not to quit. Not now, nor ever.

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Sadness – It is an emotion that comes in many forms. Its complexity contains varying degrees that manifest in a lot of different ways. But sadness is not always a bad thing. Honestly, in times of isolation, it allows you to heal your grief and process your thoughts. It makes you step back and reflect on yourself and your situation. It helps you better understand what the things that cause you so much pain are. It teaches you to concentrate on a broader perspective.

Loneliness – When you feel isolated from the people around you, you get lonely. At some point, it is a valid feeling that makes you value belongingness. As a human being, it is reasonable to desire social interaction to reconnect with people and yourself. Do not look at loneliness as something destructive because it aims to strengthen your emotional stability.

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Anticipation – During this pandemic time, anticipation is the most common emotions you can experience. It supports a psychological stage where you feel anxious, excited, and uncertain at the same time. But honestly, that is okay. It is your mental state that reminds you to look at things differently. It allows you to plan ahead of time so you can prepare for the future. It makes you get out of your comfort zone.

Anger – While most of the time, this emotion receives a bad connotation, anger can be a good emotion to experience. Yes, you get frustrated about not getting what you want because of a sudden change in your routines. That is why you sometimes lash out on something only to make yourself less helpless against the situation. But if you take the time to understand it, anger helps you act critically against your problem.

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Fear – Understandably, this emotion tops the rest from the list. With all the uncertainties everywhere, there is no escaping the feeling of fear. You don’t need to worry because fear is a primary survival mechanism meant to keep you safe from potential danger. But you need to keep in mind that you have to disregard fearing things that aren’t lethal. These include loss of control, uncertainty, failure, disappointments, and emotional vulnerability.

How Can Acupuncture Help With Weight Loss?

The 2019 Acupuncture Conference I attended last year tackled how helpful acupuncture is to everyone. It does not only target a specific part, but it also solves the various problems of the whole body. What most people are unaware of is that acupuncture is also an effective method for weight loss. Here are the reasons why.

Spearheads Healthy Digestion

Acupuncture quiets the fight-or-flight stress response of the nervous system. According to experts, this procedure also activates the parasympathetic system. This term refers to the body’s rest and digest stage. This activation leads to an improved stomach blood flow that aids digestion eliminates irritable bowel syndrome, and reduces bloating.

Reduces Cravings

Another way that acupuncture helps in weight loss is by reducing one’s cravings. A research experiment at Yale University found out that individuals who were addicted to cocaine but were able to receive acupuncture were less likely to consume drugs. It helped them kick or curb their addiction.

It goes the same with food. The reason behind this is because acupuncture alters the specific brain chemicals associated with food and cravings.

Relieves Stress

Acupuncture is a cheap yet effective stress-reliever since it blocks the spikes in stress-induced hormones such as cortisol. At the same time, it also helps release the happy hormones, endorphins. The secretion of which does not only make you jolly, but it also adds to the calming effect of your body.

Managing your stress contributes to your weight maintenance. If you feel less stressed, then the tendency of drowning yourself with stress food will reduce as well.

Promotes Better Sleep

Acupuncture also improves our sleeping pattern, and once you have sustained this, there’s a significant possibility that it will contribute to weight loss. If you have sufficient high-quality sleep, your brain function will improve. Those who are sleep-deprived are more likely to be stressed, less focused, and snackers.

Take note, however, that you should not entirely rely on acupuncture alone. You should also partner this with exercise, proper diet, and a healthy lifestyle. Make sure to ask the services of a professional since this approach involves the central nervous system.

Dealing With Coronavirus Anxiety

In the face of this outbreak, everybody feels the same. You can picture everyone having different levels of anxiety, stress, anger, confusion, and depression. Understandably, no one’s mental state is safe at this pandemic. All of us suffer from emotional and physical dilemmas as well. Since our mind is not capable of weighing data and creating decisions based on raw facts, we form things we can easily remember. That is why we often think about the future adverse effects of the situation. It is easy to look forward to it rather than staying positive without having no clue what could happen next.

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Getting anxious about everything in this COVID-19 global health crisis pretty much takes a toll on all of us. It somehow heightens our emotions and makes us react differently to things around us. Some of our actions result in positive, while others end up in a nasty approach. Perhaps there is no one to blame for that because we are all stuck in this situation. All we have is the thought of things getting more complicated as days go by.

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The Worst Thing About Anxiety

Commonly, not all of us are capable of shaking the anxiety away. There is too much damage that we visually see in the news. There are these images of millions of people wearing masks, the increasing number of families in the evacuation areas, and the unpredicted deaths of individuals from the virus itself. Those are the images in our heads that are easy to remember. And since it gets combined with a lot of concerns and fear, it forms a different level of anxiety. Thus, it becomes mentally harder for us to break apart the associations of negative thoughts in our head because we feel exposed to the danger. So how can we move on and get on with our daily lives despite this pointless anxiety we have?

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One of the things that entirely fuels anxiety is “uncertainty.” Yes, we do not have all the answers as to when this pandemic would end. And even though we somehow have an idea where it originated, we do not know how to stop the spread of the virus. We do not know what’s going to happen in the future. Therefore, the more uncertainty we deal with, the more anxiety-related thoughts and experiences count. So for all those reasons, our mind gets stuck with the idea that we will all soon end up getting infected.

Honestly, it is quite okay to feel anxious because it keeps us mindful. It allows us to become more concerned about our environment and the current things around us. It provides us enough information to be cautious with our actions concerning this public health concern. In a way, it protects us and keeps us aware of the danger this Coronavirus has. However, in most conditions, anxiety negatively gets us.

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Usually, the Coronavirus anxiety gets in the way of our lives when we find ourselves worrying excessively even without reason. Sometimes we feel too tense and aggravated with the situation that it gives us stomach distress. Sometimes we also find it hard to focus on what we do and often end up changing our daily routines. We either avoid or do things excessively. It can include unnecessary washing of our hands, using too many disinfectants in the house, and taking a lot of supplements. We know it is an anxiety problem when it takes us to an extreme approach only to be safe from this infectious disease.

This anxiety caused by the COVID-19 virus is mental torture. So to everyone experiencing this psychological issue, please allow yourselves to practice habits that can strengthen mental health.

How Can You Benefit From Aromatherapeutic Massage?

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The 2019 Alternative Medicine Conference identified the benefits of different alternative medicines and holistic healing treatments, including aromatherapy and aromatherapeutic massage.

Aromatherapy And Aromatherapeutic Massage

Aromatherapy uses natural plant extracts turned into scented essential oils to promote the health and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit. It is both an art and a science that enhances physical and emotional health.

Aromatherapeutic massage blends aromatic oil with the massage, alternating between gentle- and hard-pressure massage. Typically, the essential oil is diluted beforehand and then mixed with the massage lotion. Aside from the relaxing massage, you can benefit from the healing properties of essential oils upon exposure and inhaling.

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Benefits Of Aroma Therapeutic Massage

The combination of aromatherapy and body massage provides emotional healing and relaxation. Here are some general benefits of aromatherapeutic massage:

Relieves stress and anxiety
Increase relaxation
Decreases muscle tension
Relieves muscle and joint pain
Complementary care for symptoms of depression
Improves sleep

It can also ease the pain of specific conditions, such as the following:

Arthritis
Chronic back pain
Dysmenorrhea
Fibromyalgia
Myofascial pain syndrome
Peripheral neuropathy

Most Popular Essential Oils

There are a lot of different essential oils with varying effects of healing. Your therapist can help you decide which specific essential oil is best for you to use. Here are the most popular essential oils and their correlated healing properties:

Lavender

Boosts mood
Supports brain health
Relieves headaches
Improves sleep
Reduces pain
Helps with depression

Tea Tree

Heals acne
Reduces congestion and cough
Treats fungal infections

Lemon

Relieves nausea
Promotes detoxification
Natural cleansing property

Peppermint

Supports digestion
Relaxes the airways of the respiratory system
Relieves muscle and joint pain

Frankincense

Boosts immunity
Help reduce stress and anxiety
Reduces swelling and inflammation
Improves sleep

Chamomile

Promotes relaxation
Induces sleep
Boosts mood
Soothes digestive problems
Promotes youthful-looking skin and hair

Eucalyptus

Reduces congestion
Fights respiratory infections
Relieves headaches and muscle pain
Boosts immune system
Can be used as an insect repellent

Aromatherapy is a holistic method of care that can enhance your well-being. Essential oils are safe to use, and the only side effect that you need to take note of is whether you are allergic to a specific oil. It is not safe to inhale, let alone have direct contact, with a substance that you are allergic to.

Mental Benefits Of Acupuncture

Acupuncture continues to dominate medical treatment options. Recently, it has been more accepted by Western health professionals because of the numerous benefits it provides. “It is difficult to study the physiological mechanisms of acupuncture, because the placebo effect is strong and the pain relief it provides is real,” R. Douglas Fields, Ph.D. notes. He says, “Measuring the body’s physiological response to stabbing needles in it is certain to evoke physiological responses in the nerves and brain, but linking the body’s physiological response to the psychological perception of reduced pain is difficult.”

Aside from its effectivity in the treatment of physical nuisances such as headaches, sports injuries, back pain, and migraine, it is also helpful in treating mental illnesses. Here are some of the best mental benefits of acupuncture.

Treats Depression

According to recent studies, one in 12 Americans experiences depression. However, the usual treatment revolves around antidepressant medications. The problem they face with this approach is that it leaves them with side effects that only worsens the illness itself. There are times that these side effects contribute to the areas that these people need help with like weight gain, low libido, lack of energy, and sleeping disorders. “Depression can be treated successfully—the treatment is not the problem. The willingness to be assessed and ask for help is the major limitation,” says psychologist Susan Fletcher, PhD.

James Lake, M.D. shares, “Findings of a double-blind, sham-controlled study support that traditional manual acupuncture (i.e., needles in the absence of electrical current) is an effective treatment of severe depressed mood. By the end of the 8-week study, 68 percent of 33 female outpatients being treated with a specialized acupuncture protocol directed at depressed mood had achieved full remission.” Acupuncture has been proven to relieve symptoms of depression, especially physical pain and the emptiness of being disconnected from life. The best way to do so, however, is to combine this with Western medicine and therapy. Take note that there have to be fewer medications.

Addresses Anxiety

Acupuncture dedicated to addressing anxiety can reduce physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, digestive disturbances, tightness in the chest, and insomnia. What’s good with this treatment is its ability to reduce both mental and emotional symptoms for people battling anxiety. “Like monsters under the bed, stress and anxiety are stealing the peaceful nighttime rest of nearly 70 million Americans. Anxiety may also be sabotaging your confidence, turning your stomach into knots, and impacting your general well-being,” says Jamie Long Psy.D.

They do acupuncture in a way that instills a feeling of peace and calmness. Once the patients achieve their sense of fulfillment, they now get to the point of reducing the dosage.

Reduces Stress

Stress is one of the primary reasons why people seek acupuncture treatment. Nearly 77% of employees experience the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety because of the increasing job demands and personal pressures.

“The experience of acupuncture is, for most of my patients, quite pleasant and relaxing,” says Teri Goetz, M.S., LAC, ACC. She shares, “Once the needles are in, the patient lies quietly on the table with low lighting, lovely music playing and often with aromatherapy incorporated into the process.” The role of acupuncture in stress is that it moderates the client’s mood, lowers the stress hormones inside the body, and improves the overall feeling of contentment and happiness. “You are the only one who can determine which stress relievers are the right ones to incorporate into your stress management plan. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, relaxing is in the mind of the relaxer,” says Sherrie Bourg Carter Psy.D.

Who knows what will work for you if you don’t try?

Increases Energy

People exposed to acupuncture revealed that they achieve more mental clarity. Enhanced mental clarity leads to a more calm and relaxed day-to-day life. Since they don’t feel that much negative energy, they experience a surge of positive energy.

This boost in energy also comes from improved sleep. A lot of individuals experience sleep disorders because of the countless things running in their minds. With acupuncture, you get to have a more organized thought process. Upon reaching this state, there is no need to stress out at any time of the day, thus increasing your energy for the next day.

Solves Insomnia

As mentioned above, acupuncture is a relaxing treatment and can remove impediments in sleeping. It helps treat insomnia. There is a different treatment approach, however, in cases of chronic insomnia. To solve this, it has to be a tailored approach depending on the patient’s situation and needs. Some of the things that your acupuncturist may ask are the following:

Do you have problems staying asleep, falling asleep, or both?
What are your behaviors during the day and the hours before bedtime?
How do you feel when you’re awake: obsessively thinking, tossing and turning, or lying with eyes open?

Once the acupuncturist establishes the pattern of insomnia, he or she will now draft a personalized acupuncture treatment.

If you’re more inclined to avoid the use of harmful and invasive conventional treatment, then acupuncture is perfect for you. Make sure your acupuncturist bears a license, and good health will follow.

Finding The Right Dermatologist: Quick Tips

Finding the right dermatologist that can help us solve our skin-related issues can be very daunting especially if it’s our first time. Not all dermatologists are with the same set of knowledge that can put an end to our skin problems. Some can do it better than the others, and that’s the reason why we need to be cautious when it comes to choosing a good dermatologist.

“All the patients I’ve seen were referred by dermatologists who’d had a difficult time getting a positive treatment result and suspected a psychological component, or who’d responded to a patient’s request for a psychiatric consultation,” writes Robert London M.D.

Luckily, there are several guidelines we can follow when it comes to finding the best skin expert for us. Let’s take a look at the list of helpful tips in choosing the best dermatologist that can save us from spending too much time, money and effort.

Continue reading Finding The Right Dermatologist: Quick Tips

6 Ways You Unknowingly Harm Your Body

There are certain habits we know to stay away from, like smoking, staying up late, and not drinking enough water. We know these practices are harmful because people warn us against them all the time. However, there are other less-known activities we partake in that also damage our body. Let’s take a look at them.

Showering In Hot Water

When you get up in the morning, it’s tempting to step into the shower and go for a hot rinse. However, the temperature of the water you’re bathing in could do you harm as well. While warm or tepid water isn’t damaging, the scorching heat can dry out your skin and damage its top layer.

It isn’t only your skin that suffers. It can also hurt your hair cuticles. You’ll find yourself experiencing dull hair and even hair loss. Moreover, it has additional detrimental effects on men’s health. Studies show that hot baths decrease sperm count significantly.

“Most advice about coping with infertility is female-centric. But… men need support and help during this anxiety-inducing time as well,” writes Georgia Witkin Ph.D.

Giving In To Crash Dieting

Got an event to attend in a month? You’re sure that with a crash diet, you’ll fit into that suit or dress in 30 days or less. Well, this may not last.

While you’ll find yourself slimmed down after you cut down on food, it won’t be a sustainable approach. Such a method can cause muscle loss or breakdown, resulting in a slower metabolism. Additionally, your immune system will weaken due to the lack of nutrients and vitamins.

Sleeping In During The Weekend

For most of us, weekends are for catching up on sleep. Somehow, we believe that getting extra hours of rest will fill in for lost sleep. However, it doesn’t look like it is true.

Sleeping in will throw off your circadian rhythm (your body clock). Researchers call this effect “social jet lag.” This disruption leads to further problems for your health. You’re more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, overeat, and consume caffeine. Likewise, extra hours of sleep won’t reverse the damage sleep deprivation has done to your body.

“In order to stay synchronized to the real world your clock needs to reset itself every day,” writes Alex Korb Ph.D.

Storing Your Wallet In Your Back Pocket

Too many items in your back pocket mean that you’re not sitting on a completely flat surface. When sitting, it tilts the position of your spine to some degree.

Although it may seem insignificant, sitting in such a way for several hours every day will take a toll on your body. Poor posture can lead to back pain, nerve constriction, and even an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Not Wearing Sunscreen

For many people, sunscreen only becomes a staple when they’re out on the beach. But even when the sun isn’t out, you have to get some of that SPF. While clouds can filter out the sunlight, it doesn’t protect people from harmful UV radiation.

“Ultraviolet radiation is a major cause of stem cell DNA damage – a factor that eventually leads to signs of skin aging,” writes Danielle Citrolo Pharm.D.

Wearing sunscreen protects you from these damaging rays. Skipping out on such can lead to skin damage and even skin cancer in the future. It also ages your skin faster, causing wrinkles to appear earlier.

Lying About Being Okay

We’re sure that everyone is guilty when it comes to lying about being okay. Sometimes, it’s so much simpler to fake it than talk about our feelings. But keeping them in is bad news for your mental health.

Bottling up emotions and problems keeps you from finding ways to solve them. Doing such can further worsen the situation and cause you to feel worse. Letting people help you would help ease your anxiety and worries.

Summary

Because we’ve gotten used to our daily routine, it’s challenging to realize when the habits we have are harmful. Hot showers, quick diets, and getting extra hours of sleep can do more harm than we think. Placing items in your back pocket, skipping out on sunscreen, and bottling up emotions is likewise detrimental. It pays to evaluate your actions and research to avoid unwittingly damaging your body.

Do’s And Don’ts For A Healthy And Beautiful Skin

We all want fair and radiant skin. However, there are a lot of factors that can prevent us from achieving that. From pollution and everyday stress up to the things we eat and do, all of these things can affect our skin so negatively. But lucky for us, the dream of having flawless skin is still possible. There are tons of ways you can do even without spending too much.

Continue reading Do’s And Don’ts For A Healthy And Beautiful Skin

Outdoor Activities That Can Boost Your Mental Health

Most people experience stress due to work and other responsibilities. Thus, it is crucial to take breaks whenever things are becoming difficult to handle. It is advisable to take a step back since mental health is an essential aspect of a person’s life.

Burnout is becoming a regular occurrence because of the fast-paced environment of most workplaces. Toxic work environment, as well as co-workers, can also cause exhaustion. If not prevented or managed, burnout can lead to severe mental health issues.

“Experts define burnout in different ways and note different causes. So what might tip you over the edge at work may differ from what pushes someone else into emotional and physical exhaustion,” wrote Margarita Tartakovsky, MS. “This is why it’s important to reflect on the root of your burnout.”

Here are three outdoor activities you can choose from when you need to take a break for your sanity.

Hiking

Hiking may seem like a strenuous physical activity, but it is rewarding to the mental health of a person. Hiking is not only an exercise for the body, but it is also a gentle exercise for the mind. The fresh and clean air of nature contributes to this calming venture.

Hiking can clear your mind of unnecessary thoughts. You will have the opportunity to disconnect from the busy streets of the city. More importantly, the countryside will provide you with a peaceful setting to clear your mind of negative thoughts that harm your mental health.

Due to technological dependence, most people become addicted to their devices and social media applications. These applications help them easily connect with different people. However, continued social media connections can also be overwhelming. During those times, a hike to the mountains can be refreshing.

Camping

If you manage to take more than a day off, you could incorporate camping into your hiking plans. This way, you can spend more time with nature. The chirping of birds, the clean air, and the beautiful trees make for a perfect environment for relieving your stress.

Camping can help you sleep better. Having a good sleep will boost your disposition because of the rest and nourishment your brain will get from it. It will also help you avoid the feeling of grogginess. Thus, you will feel recharged once you get back to your daily routine.

Similar to hiking, camping allows you to disconnect from the technology-dependent world. It lets you avoid devices and applications which are frequently toxic to your physical and mental well-being. Camping enables you to connect with the peace and beauty of nature. The real connection you will feel during the camp will most likely bring relaxation to your mind.

“There is mounting evidence that almost any outdoor activity will decrease stress and improve life satisfaction,” wrote Constance Scharff, PhD. “Improvement in both mental and physical health can be attributed to spending time outdoors.”

Outdoor Yoga

Yoga is already rewarding, even when done indoors. Thus, when done outdoors, yoga brings more health benefits. This type of meditation gives physical and mental satisfaction to a person.

Outdoor yoga allows you to be more connected with nature. Most people who engage in outdoor yoga do not use mats during sessions. Practicing yoga without a mat provides grounding, which aids in pain relief and other benefits.

Being around nature is an effective stress reliever. Susan McQuillan MS, RDN, wrote that “researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City have found that there are significant mental health benefits to be gained from participating in outdoor activities. Their systematic review of the existing literature on the mental health benefits of nature-based recreation, recently published in the Journal of Leisure Research, confirmed that spending time outdoors, and especially participating in outdoor activities, can lead to a variety of positive mental health outcomes.”

You can choose to do these activities in a forest or near bodies of water. It is more relaxing to spend your break in a calming and refreshing environment.

Men’s Skin Care Routine: An Introduction

We used to rarely see the terms “men” and “skincare” in the same sentence, right? Well, it really shouldn’t be a surprise why. For decades, it was almost taboo for guys to talk about how they take care of their skin out of fear that people might question their masculinity. Thankfully, those times are over, and we’re now living in an era where it’s acceptable for guys everywhere to take care of their skin. In fact, the industry of men’s skincare products has been steadily flourishing over the last couple of years.

Taking care of your skin will help avoid skin problems like acne, which can cause distressing effects to an individual. “Acne negatively affects self-esteem and can lead to anxiety and depression,” says dermatologist and psychiatrist Amy Wechsler, MD. “Self-care often suffers, and patients with acne often withdraw from social and work activities, don’t go on dates, and don’t try for better jobs.”

A lot of men are becoming more open to the idea of having the ability to take care of their skin. They follow morning and evening regimens and take care of their skin as what most women do. If you want to find out the basics of a proper skincare regimen but you have no idea how they don’t go anywhere because that’s what we can help you with today. Written below is a quick guide to a standard men’s skincare routine.

Men’s Skin Care Routine

Unlike the skincare routine for women, a man’s proper skin-care regimen only follows three standard steps; cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. These three parts are essential for healthier skin, and when done regularly, you will have the kind of results that will make you smile. Now, let’s take a closer at these steps.

Cleansing

The first step is cleansing. It is the process of removing all the dirt, dust, and oil clogging from your skin. Since you are just starting, it is recommended to go for cleansers that have gentle ingredients and only use them once a week so your skin can suitably adjust to the usually active chemicals that facial cleansers have. The cleansing process opens the pores, and that is why you need the toning and moisturizing parts to close them again.

Toning

Most people skip this part, but it’s very essential. Toning removes the residual impurities left in the pores by the cleansing process. Aside from that, it also reduces the size of the pores and eliminates dead skin cells that can cause further issues. A lot of people don’t even do this, but if you want to get the best results possible, then you also need to invest in some amount of skin serums or toners.

Moisturizing

The final part is moisturizing. This process soothes the skin and helps restore all of the moisture that got lost during the cleansing and toning stages. It also closes your skin pores which prevent impurities from entering and clogging them. Moisturizing is extremely important because without it you will leave your skin pores open and vulnerable to things that can cause unwanted skin problems such as oiliness, acne, and dryness.

These steps make a standard men’s skincare routine. Each one of them is important in making sure that your skin will look healthy and radiant. According to Ted Grossbart, PhD, “People with skin problems are at high risk of developing psychological problems, and they can linger even after the skin gets better.”

Finally, Amanda E. White, LPC, reminds, “[T]rue comfort with ourselves is a state of mind.” So keep these in mind and buy the best men skincare products that can help make you look good and extra handsome.