"Men Don't Need Skincare" and 5 Other Myths Indian Men Still Believe

Men's skin is thicker and oilier, not tougher. Six skincare myths Indian men still believe, and what dermatology research says instead.

By Abhishek Jain 06 Oct 202613 min read

Illustration of a young Indian man at a modern bathroom basin, a single bar of soap in a brass dish beside the tap, skincare myths men believe

Men do need skincare, and the research says why. Men's skin is thicker and makes more oil, it tans and marks fast under the Indian sun, and it gets no free pass on sunscreen, moisturizer or a gentle face wash. Here are six myths Indian men still believe, and what skin doctors found instead.

Sunday at your parents' place. The bathroom has one bar of soap. It does hair, face and body, and it has held that job since 1998.

Your uncle has a cream for everything. He bought it at the chemist, no prescription needed. "Men don't need all that," he says, and the whole family nods.

Then you catch the mirror. Shiny by noon, a pimple mark from March, a tan line where the helmet strap sits. Your skin did not get the memo about being tough.

Here is the short version. Men's skin needs care because it is different, not because it is weak. Four steps are enough: wash, treat, moisturise, protect. The six myths below are why most men never reach step two.

Is Skincare Important for Men?

Yes. Start with what is true in the myth. Men's skin is built on different settings. A 2018 review in the International Journal of Women's Dermatology went through 57 studies. In one ultrasound study of 88 people, men's skin was 10 to 20% thicker than women's. The review also found that men make more sebum, the oil your skin produces. Male hormones drive the oil glands. Men have larger pores too.

Thicker and oilier is not the same as tougher. Think of a car on a dusty highway. A bigger engine does not mean you skip the wash. The same review found that the oily, tacky feel is one reason men skip skincare. More oil means more clogged pores and more shine by 2 pm, not less.

DermNet puts a number on it. Oil output rises up to fivefold in men at puberty. Adult men make a little more than women. So the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says men's skin is thicker, but the basics of a skin care plan stay the same. Wash daily and after exercise. Moisturise daily. Wear sunscreen outdoors. The AAD also notes that men "have traditionally kept it simple". One bar of soap is simple. It is not a plan.

The four-step routine for Indian men is the plan. The bestsellers are a fine place to start.

Cut-away diagram of human skin showing the epidermis, dermis, a hair follicle, an oil gland, melanocytes, a sweat gland and blood vessels — The oil gland sits next to each hair. In men it gets a stronger hormone signal, so it makes more oil and the pore around it runs larger. (Photo Credit: Don Bliss, National Cancer Institute, public domain)

Does Dark Skin Need Sunscreen?

Myth two: brown skin has built-in sunscreen, so skip it. Half true, which is the dangerous kind.

A 2022 review of sun protection for skin of colour lays it out. Darker skin burns less and tans more. In a lab test, the darkest skin blocked UV about as well as an SPF 13. Most Indian skin is lighter than that sample. The sun still causes pigment problems and ageing in skin of colour. The AAD agrees. Skin doctors recommend sunscreen for everyone. In brown skin, visible light alone can cause dark patches.

Now the Indian numbers. A 2021 study pulled satellite UV index data for Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. From March to May 2019, the monthly average ran from 9.5 to 13.8. The WHO says protect your skin from index 3. At 8 or above, stay out of the midday sun. The scooter ride to the office at 10 am counts.

What does the sun do to a brown face? It tans, and it darkens every mark. A panel of 14 Indian dermatologists noted that pigment from visible light lasts longer in darker skin. They recommend a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher. The sun does not check your gender before it gets to work on your face.

Few men know this. In a Mumbai-area survey of 2,037 adults, 61% of men had no knowledge of sunscreens. The women scored the same. For the tan you already have, read how men can reduce the look of tan. A vitamin C serum for sun damage is the treat step for it.

Illustration of a young Indian man in an office shirt stepping out of a glass office building into harsh midday sun, shading his eyes, sunscreen myth for dark skin — UV index 11 at the office door. Nobody told him, and the tan line on his neck is keeping score. (AI-generated image)

Does Washing Your Face More Fix Oily Skin?

Myth three: wash five times a day and the oil will give up. It will not. The AAD says wash up to twice a day and after sweating. A face wash that is too harsh can irritate skin and trigger more oil. Its acne page adds that washing more than twice a day irritates skin and makes acne worse.

The bar of soap is the other half of this myth. A Kerala lab study in the Indian Journal of Dermatology tested 64 bathing soaps. Healthy skin sits at a pH of 5.4 to 5.9. Of the 64 soaps, 53 measured between 9 and 10. Only two were in the skin range. Even the anti-acne and ayurvedic soaps were above 9. An Indian review of soaps and face washes explains that tight feeling 5 to 10 minutes after a soap wash. It is water leaving your skin fast. Syndet face washes, the non-soap kind, sit closer to skin pH and irritate less.

So: twice a day, lukewarm water, fingertips. Use a face wash made for oily skin with niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and salicylic acid (it clears clogged pores). Wash as soon as you can after a sweaty helmet. The face wash guide for men goes deeper.

Does Oily Skin Need Moisturizer?

Myth four: oily skin makes its own moisturizer. Oil and water are different things. The AAD is blunt. Apply moisturizer after cleansing, even with oily skin. Pick one labelled "oil free" and "noncomedogenic", which means it will not clog pores.

A 2016 review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology agrees. Face moisturizers are built non-greasy and non-comedogenic for this reason. Light, silicone-based ones suit oily skin. A light moisturizer with salicylic acid is made for that job. It also carries DustShield™, a barrier against ultra-fine pollution particles like PM2.5. That matters on a Delhi commute. The full case is in do men with oily skin need a moisturizer.

Do Lemon or Toothpaste Work on Pimples?

Myth five, and this one comes from people who love you. Lemon for the tan, toothpaste on the pimple, a hard besan scrub to finish.

Lemon first. DermNet describes phytophotodermatitis. Plant chemicals in citrus juice sit on the skin and then meet sunlight. Within 24 to 48 hours the skin turns red, swells and often blisters. The dark mark it leaves is more intense in skin of colour. Lemon at 8 am, scooter at 9 am, and you have made a new problem to fix.

Toothpaste next. Two skin doctors on the AAD site answer the question. One: "Absolutely not!" The other explains why. Toothpaste contains abrasives, baking soda, peroxide, colour and flavour. None of them fight acne, and they can irritate or harm your skin.

The scrub is the last trap. The AAD's exfoliation guide tells people with darker skin or dark spots to avoid strong scrubs. Aggressive scrubbing can cause more dark spots. For the marks pimples leave, a serum with 5% niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of post-acne marks. The pimples guide for men has the full routine for breakouts.

Close-up of fresh lemon slices on a dark surface, a home remedy that can cause dark marks when used on the face before sun exposure — Excellent in nimbu pani. On your face at 9 am, lemon juice plus sunlight can blister the skin and leave a dark mark that outlasts the tan. (Photo Credit: Thad Zajdowicz, Flickr, CC0)

Is the Chemist's "Fast Result" Cream Safe?

Myth six, and the one that does real damage. The cream your uncle swears by is often a steroid cream, sold over the counter and used as a fairness cream.

A 12-centre Indian study in IJDVL screened 2,926 patients with face problems. One in seven (14.8%) was using a steroid cream on the face, 112 of them men. In 29% of cases it was used as a fairness or general cream. Not one of those had a doctor's prescription. Six in ten got the tip from a friend, a relative, a pharmacist or a beautician. Side effects showed up in 90.5% of users, with acne the most common. In more than 93% of cases the steroid was not needed, or was used wrong.

A Kolkata hospital study in 2018 found the same pattern. Most users were aged 20 to 29. Symptoms began about five months in. Four in ten had bought the cream on a pharmacist's or shopkeeper's word. And 84% did not know a steroid has side effects.

If a tube at the chemist promises a lighter face in a week, put it back. A cosmetic that helps reduce the look of tan and dark spots works over weeks, and says so. A vitamin C range built to brighten is the honest version of what that tube promised.

What Does a Man Actually Need for Skin Care?

Four steps, twice a day, under three minutes. Pick the range for your main concern: oil, pimples and pores, or dullness, tan and dark spots.

Wash. Morning and night, and after a sweaty ride. Lukewarm water, fingertips, no scrubbing. A vitamin C face wash if tan is the issue, the oil control one if shine is.
Treat. Three to five drops of serum on a clean face and neck. For tan and dark spots, a 10% vitamin C serum with kojic acid and alpha arbutin, two plant-derived brightening actives. The product page states "Visibly brighter skin in 4 weeks".
Moisturise. A coin-sized amount. A light vitamin C moisturizer or the oil control one. Both carry DustShield™.
Protect. Mornings only. Broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher. One to two teaspoons for face and neck, as the Indian panel advises. This is the step most men skip, and the one that protects the other three.

New to actives? Test a new product on a small patch for 7 to 10 days first, as the AAD advises. Vitamin C and glycolic acid go with daily sunscreen, no exceptions. Starting from zero? The serum collection is the step that changes the most.

THERŌ Active Oil Control Niacinamide Face Wash tube, the cleanse step of a four-step routine for oily skin — Step one of four. A syndet face wash sits close to skin pH, which the family soap bar never managed. (Image: THERŌ)

Mistakes Men Make Once They Start

More products, faster results. The opposite. Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Dr Alok Vij says that if you give someone a 10-step routine, they will do two or three steps and stop. Add many products at once and you cannot tell which one works or which one hurts. The AAD says try one or two products and give them time.

The 4-2-4 rule. A K-pop cleansing trend, as one writer who tried it describes: four minutes of cleansing oil, two of foam, four of rinsing. Ten minutes at the basin. Your flatmate has questions. No dermatology body recommends it. The AAD's advice is fingertips and no scrubbing.

Scrubbing the tan off. Tan is pigment inside the skin, not dirt on top. The AAD's warning above applies: hard scrubs on brown skin invite more dark spots. A face wash with glycolic acid does the gentle version of the same job.

How Long Until You See a Change?

Honest timelines. The AAD says give a product at least four weeks. Expect improvement in four to six, and clearing in two to three months. For dark spots, the AAD's guide for darker skin says a spot a few shades darker than your skin takes 6 to 12 months to fade. It starts with sunscreen. THERŌ's FAQ says it in one line: good skincare works over time, not overnight.

When to See a Dermatologist

Some things are not a myth problem. See a dermatologist, not the chemist, for large, painful pimples that sit deep, or acne that scars. Go for dark patches that appear or spread fast, a rash, or a mole that changes. Go for an itchy ring-shaped patch, which is common in humid weather and easy to mistake for acne. Go if you have used a steroid or fairness cream on your face and the skin has turned red, thin or sun-sensitive. And go if nothing has improved after 8 to 12 weeks of a sensible routine.

FAQ

Is it okay if I don't do skincare?

Your skin will carry on. It will also carry every tan, mark and clogged pore without help. The AAD's minimum for men is wash, moisturise and sunscreen. Skip the ten steps, not the three.

Do men really need face wash?

Yes, twice a day. The Kerala soap study found 53 of 64 bar soaps at pH 9 to 10. Skin sits near 5.5. A non-soap face wash cleans without that tight, stripped feeling.

What percent of men use skincare?

There is no good national count. The best Indian number comes from the 2018 Mumbai-area survey. There, 61% of men had no knowledge of sunscreens, the same share as women. For everything else, this article is a start.

Is it true my skin looks better without skincare?

Sometimes, if "skincare" meant a hard scrub, a steroid cream and five products at once. Stopping those helps. A gentle wash, a light moisturizer and sunscreen will not make skin worse. The evidence above says they make it better over weeks.

Why is men's skin better than women's?

It is not better, it is different. Thicker by 10 to 20% in one ultrasound study, more oil, larger pores. Different problems, same four steps.

What is the 4-2-4 rule in skincare?

A ten-minute cleansing routine from K-pop fandom. Four minutes of cleansing oil, two of foam, four of rinsing. No dermatology body recommends it. Twice a day, 30 seconds, fingertips, lukewarm water is the evidence-based version.

The Takeaway: Men Need Skincare, and Not Much of It

Your skin is thicker and oilier than your sister's, and it tans faster than you think. That is a reason to do four steps, not zero. Tonight: wash with a face wash built for your concern, three to five drops of serum, a coin of moisturizer. Tomorrow morning, add sunscreen before the ride. Leave the family soap for the family, and the uncle's cream at the chemist.