It’s a pretty widespread and accepted idea that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day, in the morning and evening. Why? When it comes to keeping your teeth healthy and looking great, brushing and flossing are essential. But when it comes to facial skin care for men, it’s amazing how few men commit to the same level of care.
You need to start taking care of your skin stat. Caring for your skin on a daily basis offers comparable benefits to those achieved by brushing your teeth. Proper skincare rids your skin of dirt and old skin cells that build up over the course of a day and it also fights the signs of aging and keeps your skin looking as young as possible for as long as possible.
To achieve peak skin, you may want to consider starting a proper skincare routine, and that’s where we can help. Below we’ve put together a list of well-reviewed and effective products to start your new skincare journey.
Though we’ve got all kinds of skincare products for men listed below, you don’t necessarily need all of them. They all serve a purpose for your face, so it’s up to you how much you want to do. For example, if you’re a beginner, you’re probably OK with a cleanser, moisturizer and facial sunscreen because the best skincare routine for men is the one we’ll actually stick to. And if you want to start simple, any one of the products will be better than nothing. And we’d bet it’ll just be the beginnings of an even better skincare routine to come.
But if you’re a more intermediate or advanced user and don’t mind incorporating more skincare products into your routine, then serums and face scrubs and face masks should intrigue you. Even if you’re starting to see a few wrinkles (no shame here), we’ve got some anti-aging skincare products for men too. And whether you’re a skincare rookie or a pro, if you’ve been missing out on sleep or starting to droop under your eyes, you’ll definitely be interested in eye cream. But whatever your level of experience or skincare needs, you’ll find some of the best skincare products for men below.
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1. MARLOWE. No. 121 Facial Cleanser for Men
BEST FACIAL CLEANSER
If you add only one item to your skincare routine, make it a facial cleanser. Facial cleansers are the mildest way to clean your face and tend to be more lotion-y. One textbook cleanser is Marlowe’s No. 121 Facial Cleanser for Men. This excellent lightweight cleanser contains a number of natural ingredients like green tea, willow bark, passionflower and deep-sea algae to gently remove sweat and oil from the day while calming, soothing and repairing your skin.
2. Shiseido Foam Cleanser for Men
BEST FOAMING CLEANSER
If you’re looking for a cleanser with a bit more of a foaming lather, Shiseido’s Foam Cleanser for Men will treat your face skin right. You only need water and a little bit of the cleanser to make a creamy lather that will remove dirt and oil without stripping away your face skin’s moisture like soap would. As an added bonus, you can also use this as a shaving cream because it makes such a nice lather.
3. Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Daily Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
BEST FACIAL CLEANSER FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
If a cleanser has the words “ultra gentle” in its name, you know you’re headed in the right direction if you have sensitive skin.
The Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Daily Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin is definitely the right direction. Packed with ingredients to gently cleanse and hydrate your skin, this facial cleanser is so gentle that even those with harsh acne, eczema and rosacea can use it.
4. Rugged & Dapper Daily Face Wash and Scrub Cleanser for Men
BEST FACE WASH
While facial cleansers are designed to be used every day, face washes tend to be more aggressive cleansers and so shouldn’t be used as often, maybe one to three times per week depending on your need. Face washes also tend to be foamier than cleansers to help them clean more aggressively, and they remove more dirt, oil and dead skin than most cleansers.
For our pick, we recommend Rugged & Dapper Daily Face Wash and Scrub Cleanser for Men. It offers a deeper clean than a cleanser, exfoliates your skin with jojoba beads and contains natural ingredients to help regenerate skin. This wash also contains a bit of salicylic acid to help fight and prevent acne breakouts, so it’s an all-around solid face wash that will help you get your face clean, whether you’ve got acne or just oily, rough skin.
5. Beau Brummell Men’s Foaming Face Wash with Activated Charcoal
BEST ACTIVATED CHARCOAL FACE WASH
Beau Brummell Men’s Foaming Face uses activated charcoal, which is a natural detoxifier and cleanser, in its formula. It also contains hyaluronic acid, which naturally occurs in skin and helps skin retain water. But mostly, we dig this face wash because it’s got a great subtle masculine fragrance from cedarwood and lavender essential oils.
6. Viking Revolution Microdermabrasion Face Scrub for Men
BEST FACE SCRUB
Face scrubs are the most aggressive of facial cleansers and they typically exfoliate the most and help remove the most dead skin due to microparticles contained in the wash. Viking Revolution’s Microdermabrasion Face Scrub for Men is one such face scrub.
Microdermabrasion basically means small skin cuts, and making microscopic damage to your skin helps encourage new skin growth. The end result is healthier, smoother skin. This scrub works for all skin types, and it smells like peppermint, so you’ll smell as fresh as your skin feels. Just don’t use it every day or you might irritate your skin by breaking it down too much before it can properly heal.
7. MARLOWE. No. 123 Men’s Facial Moisturizer
BEST FACIAL MOISTURIZER
Facial moisturizers go the extra mile to ensure your skin doesn’t lose any important moisture. Marlowe’s No. 123 Men’s Facial Moisturizer is as excellent as Marlowe’s facial cleanser and relies on the same blend of natural ingredients. This water-based lotion will help you hydrate oily skin and leave you with a slight scent of aloe, citrus and wood for a masculine upgrade to your skin.
8. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Face Cream
BEST FACE CREAM
Sure, we test a lot of products, but we develop go-to favorites too. SPY’s e-commerce editor Tyler Schoeber stands by his assertion that the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Face Cream is the only facial moisturizer you need, the fact that it’s marketed toward women be damned. Just use a pea-sized amount all over your face after a serious face wash to replenish your skin’s hydration and leave your skin feeling moisturized like no other.
9. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment For Men
MOST ENERGIZING MOISTURIZER
If you’re OK to pay a bit more, we also recommend Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment For Men. This is a heavy-duty facial moisturizer with vitamins C and E as well as caffeine to invigorate, re-energize and wake up worn-out skin. You can purchase this from Amazon for a significant markup if you really need Prime shipping, but Kiehl’s website sells it for its usual $35.
10. GETMr. The Daily
BEST MOISTURIZER + SUNSCREEN
For the man looking to fight the signs of aging, the easiest thing you can do is use a daily SPF protector. But you can do even better with the GETMr. The Daily sunscreen-moisturizer.
We recently had a chance to test The Daily and speak with the doctor behind the brand. She explained that sun damage accumulates over a lifetime, meaning that by the time you’re noticing its effects that it’s too late to do anything.
But The Daily sunscreen-moisturizer is perfect for stopping that damage before it occurs. Upon testing in the hot sun of South Carolina, SPY Site Director Tim Werth found The Daily more than adequately protected his skin from sunburn and left it feeling soft and smooth too. Plus, though bottle design doesn’t usually make or break a product, he loved the twist top that exposes the pump dispenser. Not only do pumps rule because of their ease of use, they’re even better when we can hide them and not worry about accidental spillage if we packed The Daily.
11. Neutrogena Men Daily Acne Face Wash
BEST ACNE FACE WASH
Acne face washes are designed primarily with fighting acne in mind (surprise surprise). Typically that means they are great at fighting oil and they almost always have an active ingredient that fights blackheads, breakouts and general acne, such as salicylic acid or the stronger benzoyl peroxide. Neutrogena’s Men Daily Acne Face Wash contains 2% salicylic acid to help prevent and fight breakouts. It’s also gentle enough to be used daily, so toss it in the shower for easy rinsing.
12. Proactiv Deep Cleansing Acne Body Wash
BEST ACNE BODY WASH
When it comes to acne products, it’s hard to argue with Proactiv’s track record of success. That’s why you can trust the Proactiv Deep Cleansing Acne Body Wash to take care of whatever body breakouts you’re dealing with. Sure, it’s a little pricey for a body wash, but with a 90-day supply, by the time you’re finished, you won’t even remember what your body skin looked like before with acne.
13. Highlands Naturals Anti-Aging Face Cream for Men
BEST ANTI-AGING / WRINKLE CREAM
Anti-aging products and wrinkle creams are basically chock-full of ingredients that your skin can easily absorb. When used regularly, the creams will repair old damaged skin and result in more supple skin and fewer wrinkles. Highlands Naturals Anti-Aging Face Cream for Men contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to revitalize skin. In particular, vitamin C helps boost the production of collagen, the main structural protein in skin, so it literally helps give your skin more structure over time. Use this every day and you’ll be softening face wrinkles in no time.
14. Baxter of California Under Eye Complex Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
BEST EYE CREAM
We love Baxter of California for their luxe grooming products, from their deep-clean shampoo to their clay face masks. They also make the superb Baxter of California Under Eye Complex Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream. Hyaluronic acid rejuvenates under-eye skin through hydration and firming while caffeine and seaweed extracts take care of discoloration and puffiness for a highly effective, all-around great eye cream.
15. Lumin Anti-Fatigue Eye Patch
BEST EYE PATCHES
Eye patches aren’t an ideal long-term solution for puffy eyes and dark circles because they’re not cheap, but the Lumin Anti-Fatigue Eye Patches are perfect for a quick touch-up before heading into an office, going out to dinner or any time you don’t have eye cream on you. Caffeine and hyaluronic acid are the magic ingredients here and they’ll give your eyes a much-needed temporary facelift.
16. Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20
BEST FACIAL SUNSCREEN
Some products exacerbate your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, like chemical peels or skin serums with retinol, so it’s important to have a moisturizer with SPF protection. Jack Black is a go-to men’s grooming brand and the brand’s Double-Duty Face Moisturizer with SPF 20 will moisturize your skin while offering extra protection from sunlight, thanks to ultraviolet blockers in the formula. At the same time, blue algae extract, sea parsley and rosemary help improve your skin’s health. Just throw this on after your facial cleanser and you’ll be ready to face the dreaded UV rays.
Though we totally recommend the GETMr. The Daily, this makes for a great alternate option.
17. Jaxon Lane Rain or Shine Moisturizing Face Sunscreen SPF 50
HIGHEST SPF
If you’re really worried about sun sensitivity — and if you’re using any retinol products, you should be — you may want a more aggressive moisturizing sunscreen. Jaxon Lane’s Rain or Shine Moisturizing Face Sunscreen SPF 50 has even more sunscreen power than the Jack Black pick. You’ll be safe from ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays while vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, green tea and ginseng go to work to restore your skin’s moisture.
18. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25, Natural Mint & Shea Butter
BEST LIP BALM
Jack Black is back on the list again, but this time for its Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25. Lips have skin too and that skin can dry out and burn like any other skin. That’s why you need a lip balm like this with shea butter and avocado oil to help soften your lips and ultraviolet light absorbers to stop damage from sunlight. And hey, if it’s the middle of the day and you haven’t brushed your teeth since the morning, the balm’s natural mint scent will help tide you over.
19. Caldera + Lab The Good Multi-Functional Face Serum
BEST FACIAL SERUM
Not considering serums is like going hunting without a gun: It simply makes no sense to leave your best tools out of the mix. We’ve reviewed the Caldera + Lab The Good Multi-Functional Face Serum before and this excellent anti-aging serum will leave your wrinkly, rough skin in the past. But don’t take our word for it. We had one of our writer’s dads test it out on his aging skin and we’ll just say the Caldera + Lab serum is dad tested and dad approved.
20. Jaxon Lane Bro Mask
BEST FACE MASK FOR MEN
Yeah, bros, face masks are for you too. A face mask is basically like a moisturizer that’s meant to sit on your face for a while. That gives all the skin-rejuvenating ingredients time to be absorbed, resulting in clearer, smoother, healthier skin. There aren’t many face masks made just for men, so Jaxon Lane decided to take a swing with its Bro Mask. The brand definitely did not strike out. The hydrogel mask comes in two pieces (aka it’s beard-friendly) and it’s loaded with ingredients that should sound familiar by now, like hyaluronic acid, green tee, ginger extract and more. Throw this on for 20 minutes a couple of times a week and you’ll see improvements in redness, sun damage and any fine lines.
21. Brickell Men’s Advanced Anti-Aging Routine
BEST ANTI-AGING KIT
Nothing helps to solve a problem quickly like the right kit. If anti-aging is your concern, check out the Brickell Men’s Advanced Anti-Aging Routine. The kit includes Brickell’s eye balm, night serum and anti-aging cream, so all you have to do is use all three as needed for skin that’s firmer, better moisturized and generally younger and healthier looking. It’s perfect for the man who wants great skin without having to overthink a skincare routine.
22. NIVEA Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm
BEST AFTERSHAVE BALM
There are a lot of great aftershave balms out there, but we bet most guys would be more than satisfied with the NIVEA Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm. We’ve been using it for years in part because it’s available everywhere and absurdly cheap, but mostly because it works great to soothe irritated freshly shaven skin. What else even is there to consider?
These Gentle, Hydrating Cleansers Are the Best Face Washes for Sensitive Skin