Skip to main content

Skincare for Men: 6 Steps Every Man Needs to Add to His Grooming Regimen

By Katie Dickens Oct 4, 2017 9:00 AM

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

If your daily skincare routine is limited to washing your face, then you may be a bit worse for wear. You don’t even follow up with a moisturizer? You’re missing out on a vital step that can drastically change the state of your skin. You don’t need to dive into a labor intensive routine to achieve optimal skincare for men, but adding two or three of these targeted options will make a visible difference — and make the extra time spent in the bathroom worth it.

Kiehl’s Age Defender Cleanser, $28

Kiehl’s Age Defender Cleanser — Image used with permission by copyright holder

To add an exfoliating step without actually adding a step, you can substitute your regular cleanser for one with skin-sloughing ingredients, like this dual-purpose option that uses clay to purge pores of dirt and oil while clearing away dead skin.

Recommended Videos

Lab Series Solid Water Essence, $47

Lab Series Solid Water Essence — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is an upgraded version of the toners you may have used in your youth. Instead of angering and drying out skin, this gel-to-liquid essence, which you use post-cleansing and pre-serum, boosts hydration and energizes skin in an instant.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum, $46

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Serums are potent treatments targeting specific skin concerns, so they’ll provide results faster than a moisturizer. This one is packed with tiger grass to quickly soothe skin irritated by shaving, blemishes, or the sun.

Ursa Major Bright and Easy Flash Mask, $44

Don’t fear the mask. This enzymatic option works in a … well, a flash to dissolve dead skin cells, increase firmness, and clarify pores so you don’t have to sit around looking ridiculous.

Jack Black Eye Balm De-Puffing and Cooling Gel, $25

Because the first place on your face that shows aging, exhaustion, and over-indulgence is your eyes, you should give them special attention. This gel uses not only contains de-puffing ingredients, but also features a special stainless-steel applicator to massage the baggage away.

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream, $82

Pretty much every derm will recommend incorporating retinol into your routine to address aging or acne. The easiest and quickest way is to use a night cream packed with a powerful Vitamin A derivative.

Katie Dickens is a Manhattan-based beauty and grooming writer. She has held staff positions at Glamour, In Style, People… Read Full Bio

Topics

How The Beard Club Helped Me Grow a Beard

John Jones after beard growth

I was a failure … the facial hair equivalent of a 90-pound weakling. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t grow a beard; it was more that whatever facial hair I did grow felt like a Velcroed-on Brillo pad: super uncomfortable and leaving my skin itchy and broken out. As Movember and No-Shave November came and went, I made two separate attempts at beard growth … each ending with a sprint into the bathroom when I could stand it no more, trimmer in hand, welcoming back the clean-shaven face I know so well. It wasn’t the first time I’d given up on hirsute happiness.

When December rolled around, I decided to pay attention to an email I’d gotten for something called The Beard Club, a subscription service for beard care products. The Club’s premise was “helping first-timers as well as seasoned hirsute gentleman to up their grooming game.” I couldn’t resist and threw down the gauntlet. Could they help even me? After all, the site’s tag line is “Don’t Grow it Alone.”

The best-selling colognes for men (because some things are popular for a reason)

mens cologne on black satin

The way you smell is the message you send before you even open your mouth or shake a hand. When someone meets you for the first time, your style can give them a great first impression from a distance. But then your cologne will be the storyteller up close. Smelling good is one of the main points of men’s grooming. Soaps, shampoos, lotions, all fragrant and elevating your attractiveness, and ultimately, your memorability.

That is why popular men’s colognes become, well, popular. These are the scents that stand the test of time. The ones that linger on your shirt when you leave, and your girl wears it to bed. The kind that stays around in the office (subtly, not drifting throughout the office because you take a bath in it) after you have gone. And the kind that sparks memories of great dates in the past when she smells it on you before leaving the house. Of course, the best of the best sell like the best of the best. And these are the colognes that sell better than any other year in and year out.

The Manual’s Grooming Awards Are Open for Submissions

Head, Person, Face

For eight years, The Manual’s Grooming Awards have done one thing: told readers which products actually work. Not which ones arrived in the nicest box, not which brand bought the most media. Which ones survived months of daily use on our own faces, in our own showers, and were still worth reaching for at the end.

This year, we’re opening the awards to submissions.