How often should men wash their faces?

Men, it's time to face facts: You probably aren't taking care of your face as well as you could be. You might be washing it too often or too little, using the wrong face wash or washing at the wrong time. The results can get ugly: dry skin, ingrown facial hairs, acne or oily skin. Luckily, taking care of your face is pretty easy -- and it doesn't require a bunch of expensive, flowery-smelling lotions.

How often should you wash your face and when should you do it? Generally speaking, you should wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Any more often than that and you'll risk drying your skin (although a splash of water in the afternoon to wash away sweat and oil isn't a bad idea; if your face gets very dirty, you'll need to wash more often). Lots of guys probably wash their faces in the morning when they take their daily shower before work. Don't skip the evening scrub, though: Dirt and oil accumulates on your face throughout the day.

It's also important to remember to wash your face before you shave. Oil and dirt on your face make it hard for the razor to travel smoothly over your skin, which affects the quality of your shave.

Don't use a plain bar of soap to wash your face. Soap may get things clean, but it also can dry skin out. What you want is a face wash, which will get your face clean without drying it out. If you don't like the smell of women's face washes, find an unscented variety that will get the job done just as well -- and often for less money.

There are some optional steps, such as using an exfoliating wash every once in a while, or using an astringent to cleanse, disinfect and tighten pores. You may find that these products work for you, while other men may prefer a more minimalist approach.

One step that isn't optional is applying a moisturizer with sunblock. Make this the final step in your routine. This will protect your face from the sun every day, which will significantly improve your skin's condition and slow the aging process.

When your face does start showing the signs of aging, you don't need to change much about your face washing routine. Your skin might change somewhat (from oily to dry, for example), so you may need to adjust the products you use to wash and moisturize your face. For the most part, taking good care of your face when you're young will keep it healthy as you age.