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Men are (finally) waking up to the powers of a great skincare regimen. Besides helping you look younger in the long run, the best men’s skincare brands can help you look (and feel) better on a day-to-day basis (i.e. softer, more resilient skin, free of dryness or oil).
“The normalization of men’s grooming is a welcome change,” says celebrity groomer Christine Nelli, whose clients include Justin Timberlake, The Weeknd, Tom Holland, and Jon Hamm, among others. “I remember I used to use a lot of women’s-marketed skincare products because the men’s market was very small,” Nelli tells Rolling Stone. “Now you can go into Target and there is a whole aisle dedicated to men’s grooming products with anything you can think of. I think there is more demand now than there used to be because guys have gotten more comfortable normalizing beauty habits for men.”
At a Glance:The Best Men’s Skincare Brands
- Best Overall: Hims
- Best Dermatologist-Approved: Curology
- Best for Beards: The Beard Club
- Best Organic: Brickell
- Best for Anti-Aging: Lumin
- Best for Wellness: Primally Pure
The best men’s skincare brands today aren’t the same as your dad’s face and body soaps. Peruse your local drugstore and you’ll find more shelf space dedicated to face washes, serums, moisturizers, and face masks geared towards guys — and some, like CVS, are even stocking men’s makeup. And Rihanna’s Fenty Skin isn’t the only star-powered beauty brand that’s catering to everyone. Perennially-young, multi-hyphenate musician Pharrell Williams launched his own gender-free skincare label, Humanrace, back in 2020, and actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina have a sustainable skincare line called S’able Labs that prioritizes melanated skin.
Beverly Hills-based esthetician and men’s groomer Lashelle Ullie has worked with singers Toni Braxton, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland, and witnessed how “modern” masculinity has shifted men’s receptiveness to the beauty world. “It’s the everyday man — no longer the ‘metrosexual’ — who’s really wanting to know what is good for their skin. It’s all about a holistic approach to health. And they’re interested in doing their own skin treatments at home, they’re doing their research, and they’re listening,” he says.
What Are the Best Skincare Brands for Men?
Let’s be clear: You don’t need to go jump up to a 10-step regimen a la K-pop idols. (But if that’s what you’re looking for, more power to you). Whether you’re a bearded businessman, a clean-shaven commuter, or an oily-skinned outdoorsman, there are trusted companies that zero in on concerns including environmental damage, aging, dull skin, acne, and discoloration. If you’re looking to restock your personal care kit, or upgrade your current bathroom cabinet, we’ve rounded up the best men’s skincare brands for every type of guy, skin tone, and lifestyle. Check them out below.
BEST OVERALL
Hims
shop Now on hims
Telemedicine brand Hims got its start with fantastic erectile dysfunction pills, but has since expanded to skincare, as well as hair, mental health, and supplements.
If you’re unsure where to start with skincare — or need to switch things up — Hims is the most helpful way to go. The company offers convenient, free consultations with licensed dermatologists who help you figure out the right course of action. After you’re consultation, you’ll know which of Hims prescription-strength skincare products are best for your skin type and issues. Of course, if you already know what you need, you can go straight to Hims website and pick up things like their moisturizer or anti-aging cream.
BEST DERMATOLOGIST-APPROVED
Curology
shop now on curology
Curology has a network of 100+ dermatology providers who help design a custom skincare routine, delivered straight to your door.
All you have to do is sign up, answer a quick survey about your skin concerns, upload a few selfies, and then Curology will recommend a personalized skincare routine that’s tailored to you.
Your treatment plan can help you tackle signs of aging or acne, with shipments going out every two months. You’ll also have access to your dermatology provider for any questions or if your treatment plan needs adjustment as your skin evolves. All in all, Curology is the easiest way to get personalized skincare, without ever having to leave your home.
BEST FOR BEARDS
The Beard Club
If you’re bearded, then a normal bar of soap just won’t do. NBA star James Harden, also known by his nickname “The Beard,” has been a “Brand Champion” for The Beard Club for years, a direct-to-consumer company that makes lotions, balms, face wash, moisturizers, oils, and more that are specifically made for all types of beards and the skin underneath them.
The company also makes bread grooming tools, like brushes and precision razors, to make beards looking their fullest and richest. In our use, after washing and treating, breads and faces feel and look cleaner, healthier, softer, and fluffier. It’s refreshing without leaving any flaky residue.
BEST ORGANIC
Brickell
$77.00
Buy Now On Amazon
This luxury men’s skincare brand is known for its natural and organic formulas without synthetic and toxic chemicals. You can shop Brickell by routine (say, you’re interested in advanced anti-aging) or by regimens best suited for sensitive, dry, or oily skin.
The label also features products designed to protect from the environment and pollutants, repair blemishes, firm up the skin, and cut down inflammation (among other concerns) as well as other grooming and shaving essentials for all skin and hair types.
BEST FOR ANTI-AGING
Lumin
No you’re not on the Severance floor — this premium skincare brand allows you to customize its entire regimen of skin, hair, and body products depending on your skin type, tone, and concerns from the comfort of your home. You can buy skincare as individual products or as complete sets that focus on maintenance, anti-aging, correcting, and repairing, and the roster includes anti-wrinkle serums, under-eye rollers for reducing dark circles, charcoal cleansers for purifying the skin, and moisturizers for treating hyperpigmentation, among others.
What’s cool about Lumin is that it offers a free trial when you subscribe to its skincare sets so you can see the difference within your first month. While you’re on the site, you can stock up on hair care that strengthens your strands and repairs your scalp.
BEST FOR WELLNESS
Primally Pure
$92.00$102.0010% off
buy now on primally Pure
Utilizing animal-based ingredients for your skincare routine (such as beef tallow and Emu oil) may seem strange at first, but this TikTok trend has been credited with clearing up acne, evening tone, and smoothing wrinkles. Primally Pure‘s farm-to-face skincare was designed for wellness-minded folks seeking high-performance products without any fillers or synthetics.
That translates to sustainability-driven skincare that makes it simple to keep up appearances by revitalizing, hydrating, and restoring your skin’s microbiome: like with their twice-daily Clarifying Cream cleanser, an exfoliating Clarifying Bar soap, and an Everything Balm. If you’re not sure where to start, their Men’s Grooming Bundle also comes with an Old Fashioned Beard Oil offering the same citrusy, masculine notes of the cocktail.
BEST MOISTURIZERS
Kiehl’s
There’s a reason why the heritage apothecary brand has been in business since 1851 (and it’s not just good marketing). The New York-born company was among the first in the U.S. to list its product ingredients on its labels, and its skincare products have become cult favorites thanks to their effective, science-backed formulas.
Its Men’s skincare line is comprised of aftershave balms, hair and beard grooming products, exfoliating body scrubs, deodorants, and a full range of skincare (including cleansers, anti-aging moisturizers, and firming masks) that leaves the skin refreshed, hydrated, and overall healthier.
BEST SCENTED
Dr. Squatch
Most men don’t want to smell like flowers and perfumes. Some men want options for skincare products that cleanses and refreshes, while also scented with something manly. Enter Dr. Squatch, the maker of rugged and natural soaps, lotions, deodorants, colognes, and more.
But don’t let that “rugged” tag fool you either, in our use, we found that Dr. Squatch‘s soaps to be gentle on the skin, no matter if it has zero or heavy grit, without leaving a sticky film afterwards. We also found that the company’s soaps —which are made with natural oils and cold processed — smell amazing with flavors, like pine, citrus, bourbon, birchwood, coconut, aloe, and more.
BEST ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Scotch Porter
Scotch Porter offers a full range of face, hair, beard, and body products that address concerns for every skin type and tone. Gents with more melanin and textured facial hair tend to have more razor burns and ingrown hairs, and the brand’s skincare is a great choice for treating those issues and leaving the skin smoother and healthier — thanks to anti-inflammatory turmeric root, soothing licorice root, and exfoliating white willow bark.
BEST FACE MASKS
Jaxon Lane
$120.00$140.0014% off
California-based brand Jaxon Lane counts Nick Jonas and Justin Theroux among its famous (and very well-groomed) fans. Although Korean skincare isn’t new to U.S. beauty buffs, the company uses the same ingredients-focused approach and formulates products for men’s skin. It’s known for its nourishing and soothing hydrogel Bro Mask, which works for all skin types.
The rest of its products are equally top-notch, thanks to clean ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, and squalane, which all work together to reduce fine lines and strengthen and protect the skin. Pick up this Deluxe Skincare Set if you need a grooming overhaul, or if you want to sample Jaxon Lane’s many fine offerings.
BEST FOR MEN OF COLOR
Bevel
$27.99$34.9920% off
Formulated with melanated men in mind, Bevel’s roster includes a range of products for head-to-toe personal care. That includes skincare designed to treat common issues in skin of color, such as discoloration, ingrown hairs, razor bumps, previous damage, and uneven skin tone. Also on offer are sulfates- and silicone-free hair care for textured tresses, nourishing body washes, and shaving products that have been clinically proven to leave coarse-haired skin smoother after just a month.
BEST FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
Geologie
$105.30$117.0010% off
The dermatologist-driven brand doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all skin routine, and its online diagnostic tool will help you nail down a personalized regimen to address signs of aging, sun damage, hyper-pigmentation, and acne, to name a few. Geologie says it prioritizes efficacy, clean formulas, and “clinically-proven active ingredients.”
That means you can expect to find face washes, morning and night creams, and eye creams packed with miracle workers like retinol (which helps reduce wrinkles and puffiness), peptides (which help boost collagen production for firmer skin), and hyaluronic acid (for hydration), among others, and none of the unnecessary filler ingredients.
BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY
The Shop
Created by NBA icon LeBron James and SpringHill Company co-founder Maverick Carter, The Shop is a men’s grooming and skincare brand that specializes in wallet-friendly products. In facts, all of the brand’s items are less than $10 each and are exclusively found at Walmart. From face wash to lotion and shaving to beard creams, The Shop men’s grooming products cleanses, refreshes, exfoliates and hydrates all skin and hair types.
In our testing, The Shop Face Wash was gentle and not abrasive, while faces felt bright and airy without leaving the skin feeling harsh and tough. The brand’s lotion also felt good on the skin without feeling oily or heavy. It was fast to absorb, but also felt moisturized all day.
How to Pick the Best Skincare Brands for Men, According to Celebrity Groomers
“I’ve noticed a lot of guys are more open to getting facials and want to know who the go-to person is when it comes to skin,” says Nelli. “They want to know all the tips and tricks on how to take care of their skin to prevent wrinkles so they can look more youthful, just like women. The trend I see a lot with men lately, which I didn’t in the beginning, is all-natural skincare, or a more holistic, vegan, eco-friendly approach to what they put on their skin.”
Ullie credits the change to “a new breed of men” that’s noticeably different than generations past. “They’re more emotionally available to their families, they’re more aware of their own needs. They really pay attention to self-image, apart from the haircut and getting dressed. I also credit more mental health awareness,” he explains. The best men’s grooming brands, according to Nelli and Ullie, have nailed multi-tasking products that deliver results in as few steps as possible — think the ability to soothe razor burns while reducing the appearance of wrinkles, or combatting flaky skin while clearing clogged pores.
Social media is also a driving factor in this change. Grand View Research found that “increased exposure to social media has been contributing to the healthy demand for men’s skincare solutions. […] Men are becoming increasingly aware of the need for body image, hygiene, and self-grooming. Furthermore, skincare brands are increasingly targeting shoppers through the online platform (e-commerce) and allowing them easy accessibility to a rapidly expanding product range.”
The best men’s skincare products are also formulated for a range of dudes and Fitzpatrick skin types. That means that what might work for your fair-haired pal may not be as effective for darker-skinned dudes due to differences in epidermis thickness, oil production, and hair texture. (FYI, it’s a myth that men with melanated skin don’t need sunscreen — SPF for all!)
