This article was produced in partnership with Blu Atlas

Men’s skincare has gotten a lot of hype this past year—as it should. Men’s skin and self-care are just as important as everyone else’s. That’s why the best men’s skincare brands of today are actually using ingredients and formulas catered to treating men’s skin and not just slapping some soap in a bottle and calling it a day.

But rest assured, a men’s skincare routine doesn’t have to be a complicated 12-step process. And thanks to great skincare brands like the ones we’ve featured below, you can find all of the products you need to craft your perfect routine (it can be as simple or elaborate as you want) from one brand or feel free to mix and match.

We’ve curated a list of our top 10 picks for the best men’s skincare brands of 2022, so whether you’re looking to upgrade your skincare routine or want to start one, you’ll be using the best of the best.

1. Blu Atlas

We love Blu Atlas because of its commitment to premium, 100 percent natural products that don’t harm the environment. Say goodbye to toxic additives, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates—and say hello to serious skincare results. This forward-thinking brand is currently offering a men’s skincare “Starter Kit,” which includes Blu Atlas’ volcanic face cleanser, body wash, moisturizing cream, and deodorant. These products are all packed with natural ingredients to take your skincare game to the next level.

What’s more, Blu Atlas has recently released a highly rated eau de parfum fragrance called Atlantis. With prominent masculine notes like bergamot, clary sage, and patchouli, this scent suits both office workers and rugged outdoorsmen alike. Atlantis EDP will change the way you carry yourself, and the best part, neither your skin nor the environment will disagree with it.

All things considered, Blu Atlas stands out from the crowd because of its special combination of excellent ingredients and effective products. As good for your body as they are for the environment, Blu Atlas’ products should be your next go-to. Blu Atlas backs all of its products with a satisfaction guarantee—now that’s a company that looks after its customers!

2. Hims

Hims is a brand all about personal wellness that’s accessible. They want to get rid of the stigma that men aren’t supposed to take care of themselves by making it easier and more affordable for men to talk about things like skin, hair, and mental health. When it comes to skincare, Hims uses scientifically backed, prescription-strength ingredients specifically targeted toward your skin goals and needs. Whether you’re interested in treating acne or supporting anti-aging treatments, Hims connects you with some of America’s best skincare providers and quality, doctor-trusted products so you can get started on what matters to you.

Did we mention that this is all done over the Internet? With Hims, you can skip the dermatologist office altogether. Just fill out their online questionnaire, get matched with a licensed medical provider who will customize a skincare treatment plan for you, and get your treatment delivered right to your door. Hims also offers some of their skincare basics, including an Everyday Moisturizer and Vitamin C Serum, that you can shop directly from their site.

3. Lumin

As one of the most popular men’s skincare brands this year, Lumin is a brand that seeks out the highest-quality, most-effective ingredients and best skincare advice from experts to create premium products for men. The brand recognizes that men’s skin is different from women’s (it’s thicker, for example), and their products are formulated with that information in mind.

What makes Lumin one of our top picks for the best men’s skincare brands of the year is that not only do they know men’s skin, but they’re also transparent about their ingredients, what they do, and where you can find them. So if there’s an ingredient you’re trying to avoid or, on the flip side, get more of in your routine, you can easily see which products feature that ingredient.

All of Lumin’s products, including curated skincare sets, are easy to shop from their website.

4. Naturium

Naturium is a high-performance skincare brand born out of the market’s need for clinically effective, skin-compatible, affordable skincare products. The brand combines the ancient power of plants with the advancements of science to create clean skincare formulas that actually do what they say they’ll do.

To develop high-performance skincare products for all skin types, Naturium utilizes the scientific concept of biocompatibility—or the relationship between skin and active formulation—to ensure that both skin and formulas are compatible.

Though this isn’t a skincare brand geared just toward men (it works for everyone!), it’s one of our top picks for men’s skincare brands this year, thanks to the dedication to skincare integrity and effectiveness. All of the products are pH tested to ensure all of the active ingredients are stable, effective, and optimized to work with the physiological processes of the skin. The brand is also dedicated to sharing skincare information with the masses, so you can learn all about the products’ ingredients, how to use them, and why you need them in your routine before you buy them.

We also love that the brand is affordable, with most products in the $15 to $20 range. You can shop Naturium products directly from their site or from larger retailers such as Target and Amazon.

5. Hawthorne

If you’re looking for easy-to-shop, premium skincare products that also happen to be sulfate-, paraben-, silicone-, phthalate-, and cruelty-free, look no further than Hawthorne. Focused on making it easier for men to be their best selves, Hawthorne creates beautiful, high-quality personal care products. They aren’t one of those brands that push out products with cheap ingredients and an outdated message—Hawthorne is a modern brand for the modern man.

Hawthorne has made it easy for you to have the best skin of your life through their personalized quiz, which runs through a developed algorithm that suggests products tailored to your skin needs and goals. You can also shop their complete collection of products whenever you like (no quiz required). Hawthorne has even curated sets targeting specific skin types like oily, sensitive, and dry, as well as skincare goals like brightening, just to make shopping for skincare that much easier. They also use their algorithm to predict when you’ll run out and send you auto-refills, so you’ll always have your favorite products on deck.

6. Apostrophe

If you’re looking to treat specific acne concerns (such as stubborn face or body breakouts) but don’t have the time or energy to make a trip to your local dermatologist, Apostrophe is the skincare brand you’ve been needing. Apostrophe knows that clear, healthy skin isn’t something that one week of washing your face can achieve, and sometimes you need the help of professionals to see results.

Apostrophe is a skincare brand that prefers science and evidence over hypes and trends. So if you’ve fallen for the Internet gimmicks and quick how-tos, you can feel comfortable knowing that Apostrophe isn’t going to take you on an emotional rollercoaster that has you and your skin feeling worse than when you started. Through a survey and quick Internet visit with your assigned board-certified dermatologist, you’ll get a customized treatment plan to target your concerns.

Apostrophe uses an inside and outside approach, meaning they might assign both a topical skincare treatment and an oral medication to fit your specific needs. After customizing your treatment, your Apostrophe treatment will be delivered directly to your door (no leaving your house necessary).

7. Disco

Frustrated by the lack of safe, ethical, and healthy skincare options for men on the market, founder Ben Smith created Disco—a clean skincare line formulated to be an effortless part of every man’s self-care routine. Smith teamed up with Yale-educated dermatologist Dr. Eva Simmons O’Brien to ensure each formula and its active ingredients would provide real results for men. And it worked. The brand features award-winning, five-star products such as their Rejuvenating Face Mask and Repairing Eye Stick.

The brand is also big on ingredient transparency and sustainability. Meaning they only use ingredients that serve a purpose, such as bentonite clay (to remove excess oil), apricot oil (to reduce inflammation), willow bark (to reduce redness and puffiness), and charcoal (to remove impurities), to name a few.

8. The INKEY List

Skincare doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective, and this year, The INKEY List proved just that. Backed by a belief that better information drives better decisions (and better skin), The INKEY List strives for tried, tested, and trustworthy products and ingredients known to benefit the skin. The brand also wants to keep people (including men) curious about their skin so they feel empowered to learn and make decisions that are right for them.

To be clear, The INKEY List isn’t a brand just for men; they’re for everyone. Using straightforward formulas that let one ingredient shine (such as salicylic acid or niacinamide), The INKEY List allows you to target and cater to your own skin concerns. Plus, their products are incredibly affordable, with individual products ranging from $4.99 to $14.99. So you can feel more comfortable playing with ingredients and products until you find what works best for you.

9. Geologie

Underwhelmed with the costs, ingredients, customer service, and efficacy of drugstore, “pretend” premium, and luxury skincare brands, the founders of Geologie strove to create something that wasn’t just different—but something that actually worked for men’s skin.

Geologie is a one-stop shop for all of men’s skincare needs. The brand is dedicated to providing highly effective formulas that skip out on the unnecessary fillers and just focus on simple ingredients and formulations scientifically shown to benefit the skin.

Geologie also allows you to personalize your routine so you can target those skin concerns most personal to you (dark under-eyes, skin texture, acne, you name it). You can also shop their selection of already curated routine sets and skincare necessities like cleansers, moisturizers, eye creams, and sunscreens.

10. Dr. Jart+

2021 was a big year for Korean skincare, and the hype is far from over. Enter Dr. Jart+, the best-selling Korean skincare brand that features trendsetting (yet effective) skincare products known to do wonders for the skin.

Though Dr. Jart+ isn’t a men-specific skincare brand (anyone and everyone can use it!), they are stacked with every type of product your skin could possibly need, from toners and serums to eye creams and face masks.

This year, Dr. Jart+ broke the Internet (you may or may not have seen this product on TikTok) with their Cicapair Color Correcting Treatment. This color correcting product features superstar ingredient Tiger Grass (also known as Centella asiatica or cica) which melts instantly into the skin to neutralize redness and even skin tone. Which is ideal for those with excess redness from rosacea, acne, or post-inflammatory acne scars.

But don’t just take our word on this must-shop brand—you’re going to want to explore their site for yourself.

Honorable Mention: Maapilim

We couldn’t help ourselves from putting one more skincare brand on the list. So say hello to Maapilim, the self-care brand inspired by the Great Sea. Utilizing ingredients that have been used in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years, Maapilim combines history with the modern age by using innovative technologies that blend the best of the past and present.

Maapilim’s premium skincare products are every bit as luxurious as they are effective, utilizing trusted ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, colloidal oats, vitamin C, and quinoa extract known to benefit the skin. The brand features curated skincare sets as well as individual products, so you can easily create a routine tailored to your skin.

Should Guys Take Care of Their Skin?

The short answer is yes! Just as men take time to care for their physical health, they should place importance on taking care of their skin, if for no other reason than our skin is our largest organ and is necessary for our overall health and longevity.

Because the skin is our only organ on the body’s exterior, it functions as our first line of defense against germs, bacteria, and pollutants. So taking care of our skin (by maintaining a healthy skin barrier) means that we keep our body protected against infection and external toxins.

And, no matter their age, men should also take care of their skin for anti-aging reasons, such as wearing sunscreen and moisturizer to help prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation down the line.

What Should You Look for in a Men’s Skincare Brand?

When looking for a men’s skincare brand to shop from, there are a few things you want to be on the lookout for.

Ingredients
Ingredients are one of the most important components of a skincare product, let alone a skincare brand. What ingredients a brand chooses to formulate with and whether or not they have science to back their efficacy is something you want to look for.

What you don’t want in a skincare product is a ton of fillers and additives that aren’t really doing much for your skin. Look for a brand that is transparent about what ingredients they use in their formulations (such as Naturium, Lumin, and Disco) and what benefits you can expect by using those ingredients.

Formulation
Formulation in skincare is essentially the products’ recipe. There is a lot of science that goes behind formulating skincare products. Chemists have to be concerned about what the ingredient measurements are, what the order of ingredients should be, or whether two ingredients work well together. So when looking for a skincare brand, be on the lookout for one who pays special attention to the formulation and whether or not there is scientific knowledge to back it up.

Proof of Effectiveness
Nobody wants to waste their hard-earned money on skincare products that don’t do anything for their skin (despite all of the brand’s claims!). So before you add any product to your shopping cart, look for some proof of effectiveness first. Of course, you can’t fully know if a product will work for you until you try it, but there are a couple of things that can help you on your search.

First, you can look to see if the brand has partnered with any dermatologists or cosmetic chemists. This verifies that the brand wants to ensure its products are effective and non-irritating for most skin types.

Next, you’ll want to see if the brand has any reviews or testimonials from real customers. Trusted reviews and testimonials can give you insight into whether or not a skincare brand or product is effective or might work for you.

Suitable for Your Skin
The tricky thing about skincare is that what works for one person (or many people) may not work for you. When looking for a skincare brand, keep in mind what your skin type, concerns, and goals are. Are you looking to target oily, acne-prone skin? Or do you have dry skin that you want to moisturize and brighten? You’ll want to choose your products based on what your skin needs.

If you’re not sure what products will work best for you, it’s always a good idea to choose a skincare brand that offers an informational quiz, consultation, or personalized routine so you can cater to your specific skin needs.

Price
Skincare products range in price from extremely affordable to high-end luxury, with most products falling somewhere in-between. Don’t get caught up in the idea that you have to splurge on skincare products in order for them to be effective. Sometimes, the price of luxury skincare products is more about the brand image and less about the ingredients inside.

When searching for skincare products or a new skincare brand to try, make sure you feel comfortable with the brand’s pricing and whether or not it’s worth it to you. If you’re new to skincare and prefer to check out more affordable products first, brands like The INKEY List and Naturium are a great place to start.

What Are the Benefits of a Skincare Routine for Men?

There are many benefits men can experience from having a skincare routine. Here are five we think are most important:

1. It’s a Feel-Good Routine

Routines are part of our everyday life. They help us to feel grounded and secure, even when the outside world is rough and chaotic.

Incorporating a skincare routine into your day is no different than taking daily showers or making your morning coffee—it’s a routine that makes you feel good (and look good, too). And, contrary to popular belief, a skincare routine doesn’t have to be a big hassle. It can be as simple as washing your face for 30 seconds morning and night and moisturizing with an SPF during the day and a night cream in the evening.

2. It Protects Your Skin From Signs of Aging

Men aren’t immune from the signs of aging. And no matter how much you want to avoid those fine lines and wrinkles, they will appear the older you get. The good news is that by incorporating certain skincare products (like moisturizers and sunscreen) and ingredients (like antioxidants) into your everyday routine, you can drastically improve your skin’s defense against collagen and DNA damage.

3. It Prevents and Improves Acne

Acne is one of the most common reasons men start a skincare routine in the first place. Having a well-established skincare routine that uses proven acne-fighting ingredients to treat whiteheads, blackheads, and the like can significantly help clear up one’s skin.

But even if you don’t have acne, having a skincare routine can help you prevent it from occurring in the first place. Some acne is the result of dirt and excess oil that gets trapped in pores and later becomes inflamed. By taking the time each day to properly cleanse your skin, use any treatments, and moisturize, you’re much less likely to experience those pesky breakouts.

4. It Helps You Look and Feel Your Best

It’s no lie that the way our skin looks affects our confidence. So if you want to make sure you are always putting your best skin forward, incorporating a simple skincare routine into your everyday life can help make sure your skin is bright, clear, and confident for whatever life throws your way.

5. It Protects Your Skin From Harmful Sun Exposure

Sunlight, while good in small doses (hello vitamin D!), can cause significant damage to the skin. Over years of sun exposure, the UVA and UVB sun rays can cause pigmentation, dark spots, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. But by moisturizing regularly and wearing sunscreen daily, you can protect your skin from harmful sun exposure that can cause damage down the line.

What Is a Good Daily Skincare Routine for Men?

A men’s skincare routine doesn’t have to be a 10-step regimen filled with loads of different products. If you are wanting to build a skincare routine from the ground up, there are three main steps:

1. Cleansing: Washing your face
2. Moisturizing: Nourishing the skin
3. Sunscreen: Protecting the skin

Cleanse

The first step of a good daily skincare routine for men (or anyone for that matter) is to wash your face using a facial cleanser. This most basic skincare step is essential for removing any dirt, oil, and pollutants that we encounter during the day. This is a step you’ll want to do day and night, but if you have to choose only one time—wash your face at night.

Moisturize

The second step of any man’s daily skincare routine is moisturizing. A moisturizer’s role is to keep skin hydrated and moistened to prevent water loss and skin barrier damage. Regardless of your skin type, you need to be using a moisturizer (yes, even you with oily skin!). The type of moisturizer you choose will differ depending on your skin type and needs.

For those with dry skin, you might want a thicker and creamier moisturizer. While those with oily skin might prefer a water-based gel moisturizer that absorbs quickly into the skin. Men with normal to combination skin should opt for the classic moisturizing lotion since it’s thicker than a gel but not as heavy as a cream.

SPF

The third step of a basic skincare routine for men is protecting your skin with SPF. If you’ve only previously associated sunscreen with a day at the beach, then this might come as a shock to you. But the truth is that sunscreen is perhaps the most necessary skincare product you use in your routine, and it’s something that you need every day of the year. You can apply your sunscreen in the morning after cleansing and moisturizing to protect your skin from any sun exposure you get from the day.

Sunscreen will always be the last step in your skincare routine. But if you want to really simplify your routine, you can use a moisturizer with a built-in broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30 after cleansing. Just make sure you have a separate moisturizer for your nighttime routine since you don’t want to apply sunscreen at night (ya know, since the sun isn’t out).

Treat (Optional)

If you are ready to take it up a notch and add a fourth step to your daily skincare routine, let us introduce you to skin treatments. Skin treatments come in many different forms, with some of the most popular being toners, exfoliators, and serums.

Skin treatments are a great option to add to your skincare routine if you think your skin needs more than just the basics. Treatments such as exfoliating acids (AHAs and BHAs) or hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid can help target different skin issues such as texture, acne, or dehydration.

Take it slow when adding a skin treatment into your routine, and use it once a week to start. You’ll apply right after cleansing either morning or night (depending on the directions) and follow with moisturizer and SPF if it’s during the day.

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