It's a guy thing: men's skin care in 5 easy steps. (bodycare).(Brief Article)

By the time a man is 50 years old, he's probably pulled a sharp blade across his face more than 9,000 times. That much shaving calls for some serious skin care and repair. So if your morning ritual consists of scrubbing your face with deodorant soap, dragging a razor across your stubble and splashing on a handful of Old Spice, it's time to rethink your routine. The fact is, real men do moisturize, tone and exfoliate.

That doesn't mean you should start raiding your sweetie's stash for facial care products. "Men's skin is a lot different from women's," says Susan Hussey, vice president of Aubrey Organics in Tampa, Florida. "It's thicker and oilier, and every day it gets scraped and tugged by shaving, so it has very distinct needs."

But you don't have to fuss over your face. Five simple steps, followed faithfully, can substantially improve the skin you're in.

1. Cleanse. Start by washing your face, morning and night. And forget the Dial and Irish Spring--most bar soaps contain harsh ingredients that dry or irritate skin, especially if they're of the deodorant variety. "Instead, choose a gentle liquid cleanser to emulsify oil and dirt from the surface of the skin without stripping away natural protective oils," says Mary Abrahamsen, sales manager for Kiss My Face Corp. in Gardiner, New York. Check the ingredients for antioxidant vitamins to nourish and emollients such as olive oil and aloe vera to moisturize. If ...