These Fab Gay Men Reveal How They Get Their Skin Glowing

The quest for glowing skin is timeless and universal. Before the term “glow” was even a thing, ancient Egyptians used dead sea salts and soap made of clay and olive oil to exfoliate. These days, skin care can be more complex (hence more fun, too). Take a peek into the routines of these fab, gay men for inspiration.

Angelo Ramirez de Cartagena, 32, admits that he’s not so diligent when it comes to skin care. But while this makes him feel guilty, he does take it seriously when he can. The number of steps in his routine depends on the day’s stress levels and diligence. “For as long as I get in the requisite cleanse, tone, moisturize, and exfoliation once a week, I’m good. So that’s 3-4. Sometimes, I get intense and add steps with a mask, serums, and oils,” he shares.

Cleansing is his favorite step. “It’s where you get to slough off a good chunk of the day’s aggressors. It’s oddly satisfying seeing the dirt swirl down the drain.”

He adds, “But my favorite and non-negotiable step is drinking water, especially when you wake up and before going to bed. Nothing says hydration both internally and on the surface like a cold glass of water throughout the day." His go-to ingredients include hyaluronic acid, retinol to address furrow lines, and niacinamide for firming.

Combination skin isn't exclusive to one gender – gay men experience it too. For his combo skin, entrepreneur Niño Gaddi has a current skincare routine that ranges from five to six steps on good days and two on lazy days. “I follow the usual cleanse-tone-moisturize routine and sometimes inject additional products in between. Then I apply essence for that extra boost. This is on good days and when I feel that my skin needs extra moisturizing — especially after nights out or beach trips,” he shares.

He sometimes uses an intensely moisturizing night cream. “Only on days I feel I need it! On lazy days, I just skip the other steps and go with cleansing and moisturizing and just pray for good skin,” he adds. Exfoliating is his favorite step. “It brings out the best in me! Chz. I feel like a new person after exfoliating: fresh, young, and soft!” He also loves getting professional treatments, like a Honey Almond Facial from time to time.

Twenty-nine-year-old Paolo Chua has already started practicing an anti-aging skincare routine for his combination skin. It currently has five steps. “I cleanse my face, use a treatment lotion, followed by serum, eye serum, and then moisturizer,” he says. “The serum has to be my favorite part. I like seeing the serum work its magic and absorb into my skin.” His anti-aging weapon of choice? Retinol. “I feel it works best for my skin.”

XP Alvarez, 35, is as minimalist as it gets regarding his skincare routine, which only has two steps to address his combination skin concerns. “My ritual is just washing my face with a tea tree or doing a coffee facial scrub and applying sunscreen or moisturizer. I like the feel of scrub going through all the areas on my face. With my face exposed to harsh elements such as dirt and sweat the whole day, there's nothing like making it feel fresh, soft, radiant, and clean.”

If you've learned anything from these fab, gay men, it's cleansing shouldn't be neglected. Try POND'S Bright Miracle Ultimate Oil Control Facial Foam as the first step in your skincare routine. It cleans and detoxifies your skin without any harsh ingredients and uses charcoal powder to purify the pores.

Designer Boy Kastner Santos cares for his oily skin type in six steps. He starts with a facial wash and then proceeds to apply toner, serum, moisturizer, eye cream, and sunscreen. The correct order of application and consistency is the key. “Applying moisturizer is my favorite step. It’s like a ritual,” he says. He also loves seaweed as a skincare ingredient, which has a detoxifying and wrinkle-reducing effect.

Take it from these fab, gay men. Having a consistent skincare routine is worth it if you want glowing skin at any age.