There are some men out there who understand that taking care of their skin doesn’t have to be an arduous task. It can be fun — even indulgent. You are allowed to take of your skin while also enjoying the act of it. Still using a bar of soap on your face? OK, this may be a bit too far of a leap for you, but if you are part of the larger population that understands that the skin on your face requires a different approach than the skin on the rest of your body, then listen up. Men have thicker, oilier facial skin than women, so we naturally age differently, but nevertheless, we all age. We all lose fullness, firmness, and hydration the older we become. There is no way to stop this all indefinitely, but there are ways to prolong the good skin you have now.
Consider your skin — the largest organ of the human body — a lifelong investment. You need to take care of it, protect it, and help it age with grace and dignity. We know by now that not all skincare is created equal. Sure, there are great products you can find at any big box retailer, but there are some products that are just considered top-shelf, the best of the best, the holy grails within their league. These luxury skincare products are laid out below. You may not think you need any of them, but you will certainly benefit from understanding why they are what they are: the best in their class.
La Mer Moisturizing Matte Lotion – $260
There is no way to cover luxury skincare without talking about the iconic La Mer. Delivered to a generation in a single rich cream often found to be too heavy for men’s skin, it’s now available in multiple iterations, with the most recent — and most man-friendly — being the new Matte Lotion. The intensely moisturizing, lightweight lotion has a potent dose of what makes La Mer, La Mer: the Miracle Broth. What the hell is that, you ask? After 12 years of experiments to repair badly burned skin, physicist Dr. Max Hubert hit pay dirt when he concocted his dense concentrated base of fermented sea kelp. Combined with vitamins, minerals, oils, and other active ingredients, Miracle Broth is found in every La Mer product. Unlike it’s older sister product, this new matte lotion contains a sea-sourced mattifying powder to keep skin from looking too dewy. After all, as men, “dewy” isn’t necessarily on our list of attributes we look for in a product. However, superior performance always is.
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La Prairie Line Interception Power Duo – $350
Another brand synonymous with luxury is the Swiss-born La Prairie. If you are ready to invest some hard earned cash on a brand that delivers results, then you have found your high reward stock right here. One of their latest products streamlines what you need in your medicine cabinet so you can focus on earning enough to maintain the luxurious habit. The Line Interception Power Duo is a product that actively targets aging, both day and night. A day cream fights expression lines you get from simply being human, by using three powerful peptides to help keep those lines from settling in quite as quickly. On top of that, the SPF 30 UVA/UVB/IRA sunscreen fights off where more than 80 percent of aging comes from: the sun. Peptides, collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid found in the night cream work to relax the aging caused by gravity, since nighttime is when you may be asleep, but your skin is wide awake in repair mode.
Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 – $91
Don’t let the name fool you — this is a lotion like you have ever used before. A cult favorite, this liquid potion from Biologique Recherche is potent, powerful, and pretty much going to change your skin forever. Packed with a variety of skin-friendly acids, this exfoliating lotion gently purifies, tones, hydrates, and balances the pH of your skin. This is so active in fact, Biologique Recherche prefers you get “prescribed” the lotion by a professional of their suggestion, and the first week of use, you’re directed to dilute with a little water during application so that your skin will acclimate. Basically, this stuff is going to kick your skin’s ass into shape. Your face will sting a bit, and tingle slightly, but that’s completely normal. There’s a reason this is often touted as a facial in a bottle.
Royal Fern Phytoactive Hydra-Firm Intense Mask – $180
This mask not only provides instant hydration for severely dry skin, it also works to combat signs of aging. The innovative formula neutralizes free radicals to protect skin from harmful environmental pollutants, while powerful anti-aging phytoactive ingredients work to reduce chronic inflammation, prevent collagen reduction, and help retain elasticity. The Hydra-Firm Mask contains two times the amount of the patented Royal Fern Complex, a powerful combination of botanical actives that includes highly concentrated fern extract, African Voacanga tree seeds, sea buckthorn, and even mineral oxides that reflect UV light. Chlorophyll, which naturally gives the mask is light green color, acts as an anti-inflammatory, while avocado oil nourishes skin. Added hyaluronic acid provides deep hydration, and vitamin C acts as a natural brightening agent. All and all guys, this may be a new brand to you, but it’s age-old ingredients are long proven to provide results. If you’re not ready for the splurge, try one of these faces masks instead.
Tom Ford Shave Cream – $75
You don’t have to reserve luxury for producing collagen and reducing wrinkles. Sometimes, there are simple tasks in your life that could become daily indulgences. An example? Shaving. As men, we are expected to tend to our facial hair. Sure, a lot of guys are going full face bush these days, and there are plenty of ways to go top shelf in your beard maintenance. But what about those guys who shave daily? This whipped shave cream from Tom Ford is an absolute indulgence at the start of your day. After prepping stubble with a pre-shave oil, use a proper shave brush to whisk a rich lather. This lifts facial hair away from the skin allowing for a smooth, professional feeling shave, everyday, all while moisturizing and nourishing your skin. There is no need to stress out about the simple things in life — save all that for the boardroom later on.
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SK-II Facial Treatment Essence – $179
Award-winning and unchanged for almost 40 years, this simple yet powerful essence is a favorite among those with great skin. Used after your wash and shave, and before any moisturizer, this benefits skin by refining pore size, increasing firmness, boosting defense against wrinkles, and evening skin tone. From Japan, SK-II is long known for the power of their essences, and this, the original, should be a staple in your luxury grooming routine. Their trademarked bio-ingredient, Pitera, found across all products within the SK-II family, retains skin’s natural functions, improves barrier functionality, and soothes skin damage. If you haven’t used an essence yet, it’s the step you didn’t know you were missing.
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Sisley Sisleya L’Integral Eye and Lip Contour Cream – $210
You know it’s the good stuff when you need directions on how to use it. Sisley, a Parisian leader among luxury skincare, released their new eye and lip cream in 2017 and with it, a tool to aid in it’s absorption. The Ridoki tool included with the rich cream is used prior to application, and preps skin by increasing microcirculation, which should render the cream even more powerful. Packed with fancy age-fighting ingredients — fermented pomegranate extract, an antioxidant that takes action on blue and brown circles, soy peptide extract which firms and fights wrinkles, and caffeine to help reduce puffiness and dark circles — you’ll see effects immediately, as well as long lasting results that will make you realize it’s well worth the investment. Pro tip: Use the remaining cream from your eye application to pat around your lip area. This helps with fine lines that come from smoking, drinking through a straw, and kissing your boss’ ass, which you’ll likely need to do in order to keep affording this super-cream.
Perricone MD Cold Plasma + Face – $149
A little goes a long way when it comes to the industry-leading Cold Plasma from Perricone MD. This new iteration is stronger than ever before, and is presented in a serum concentrate which means it’s loaded with key ingredients to keep your looking it’s best. Antioxidant-loaded vitamin C Ester (more fat-soluble and therefore better absorbed than standard vitamin C) gives the appearance of collagen-rich skin by visibly smoothing, brightening, and minimizing discoloration. Copper tripeptide is a powerful, naturally occurring complex with three amino acids, that helps repair dry skin for a dramatically firmer, smoother, younger-looking complexion and protect against environmental aggressors. Omegas 3, 6, and 9 plump and increase skin tone by strengthening skin’s moisture barrier and improving its ability to retain water. These about cover what you want when looking for a superior skincare product.
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Susanne Kaufmann Enzyme Peel – $75
You can’t have a luxury skincare round up and not include a facial peel. But this is not the kind of peel you are expecting – it doesn’t have to rip your skin off and leave you red and raw to be worth a solid investment. Found and formulated in a small spa in the Alps, this gentle peel from the all-organic Susanne Kaufmann packs a one-two punch. Enzymes from apples, kiwis, and papayas remove dead skin cells while also calming and nourishing the skin. For those of you bold enough to try a peel that doesn’t feel like it’s removing the skin from your face, this is one of the best you’re going to find and worth every penny.
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Feature image courtesy of Perricone MD/Facebook.
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