Best Skincare Products for Men: What to Buy and Why

It’s not exactly about gender here, as there are only small differences between men’s and women’s skin. Your barrier function, your skin type, your concerns, how often you shave and whether your skin feels tight an hour after washing are all far more useful guides than gender when it comes to finding the best skincare for men.

That's why we don't treat men's skincare as a separate science at ELEMIS. It's the same rigorous testing and the same clinically proven actives behind our full anti-ageing range, simply applied to your skin. Our Men's Skincare range is built on innovative formulas that are chosen for how they perform.

Cleanse, hydrate, protect. These three products cover the basics your skin needs day to day: a cleanser to clear away the day's build-up without disrupting your skin barrier; a moisturiser to keep that barrier working and skin comfortable; and a broad-spectrum SPF to guard against the single biggest driver of visible ageing. Here's what each one does, what to look for, and which ELEMIS formula fits.

Cleanser

A cleanser removes sweat, sebum, sunscreen and daily grime so everything you apply afterwards can actually absorb. What it shouldn't do is leave your face feeling tight – this can indicate a facewash that’s too harsh, which can strip moisture-holding lipids from your skin barrier along with the dirt.

This matters even more on oily skin: a stripped barrier can become more reactive, and rather than reducing oil, skin often overcompensates by producing more. So the best face wash for men is simply a gentle, skin-kind wash, used morning and evening. We'd recommend:

• Our Superfood Facial Wash – a balancing daily gel cleanser powered by nutrient-rich superfoods including broccoli, wheatgrass and kale, with an active prebiotic plus nourishing avocado and pumpkin seed oil, so it cleanses without leaving skin feeling parched.
• If your concern is congestion, blackheads or uneven texture rather than daily dirt, an exfoliating wash is a good choice. Our Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash uses our patented Tri-Enzyme Technology to gently exfoliate without compromising the skin's delicate moisture barrier..

Explore our full range of cleansers for more options matched to different skin types.

Moisturiser

Everyone needs a moisturiser – even oily skin types. A good moisturiser helps maintain hydration, support the skin barrier and (most importantly) keep your skin feeling comfortable all day.

Texture is key. Look for something lightweight and fast-absorbing, with ingredients known to draw water into the upper layers. This matters even more if you shave, because shaving can remove a layer of the skin barrier along with the hair, and freshly shaved skin can lose water more readily.

Our Daily Moisture Boost is a great starting point for a simple skincare regimen,, and probably our best face moisturiser for men who want a straightforward daily lotion. Specially formulated for men's skin, it combines Polynesian green tamanu oil with chestnut and bamboo milks to nourish, hydrate and soothe post-shave skin, without leaving any greasy residue behind.

If you're looking to layer in more targeted anti-ageing performance, Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for Men is worth the step up. Power-charged with our signature padina pavonica algae for hydration, and ginkgo biloba and abyssine to soothe and protect the skin barrier,, it's clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in 14 days,* and 98% of users agreed it left skin feeling hydrated and moisturised.**

See all moisturisers for a wider range of options.

*Independent Clinical Trial 2021. Results based on 36 people over 4 weeks. **Independent User Trials 2021. Results based on 120 people over 4 weeks.

Sunscreen

Daily broad-spectrum SPF is one of the most effective steps in any routine, and yet it's the one most often skipped. UVB reaches the outer layer of skin and is the main cause of sunburn. While UVA rays contribute less to burning, they reach deeper into the dermis and play a bigger role in visible skin ageing. Broad-spectrum means the formula filters both.

How much you apply matters as much as the SPF number on the bottle. Most people don't apply enough sunscreen, and applying it too thinly reduces the protection it gives. Reapplication matters too, particularly if you're outdoors for long stretches, swimming or sweating. As a guide, use around half a teaspoon to cover the face and neck, applied as the final step of your routine.

Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 combines our iconic daily moisturiser and sun protection in one lightweight gel-cream, delivering broad-spectrum UVA and UVB SPF 30 alongside our moisture-boosting algae padina pavonica. Treat it as your daily moisturiser with a small layer of SPF built in, rather than your standalone sun protection. For more thorough daily defence (and one worth wearing year-round, indoors included, since UVA rays pass through window glass and contribute to ageing even without direct sun exposure), we'd recommend pairing it with Pro-Collagen Skin Protection Fluid SPF 50, a broad-spectrum SPF 50 PA++++ fluid with an ultra-lightweight, satin-like finish that layers over your moisturiser with no white cast. Together, that's the strongest daily defence in the range.

Explore SPF and suncare for the full range.

Four common skin types, and where to start with each:

• Oily or congestion-prone. Shine returns quickly, pores look enlarged, texture is uneven. Start with Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash and keep the moisturiser light: Daily Moisture Boost is the ideal men’s skincare solution for oily skin. Don't compensate by washing more often – over-cleansing can disrupt the skin’s moisture balance and leave it feeling both tight and oily.
• Dry or feeling tight. Skin feels tight after cleansing and looks dull. Opt for a gentler wash, and layer hydration rather than reaching for one heavy cream. Try our Pro-Collagen Marine Moisture Essence for an added hydration boost, followed by Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for Men – clinically proven to improve moisture levels over 24 hours*, leaving skin looking and feeling firmer.
• Sensitive or affected by shaving. Redness, stinging, bumps along the jaw and neck. Reduce the number of active ingredients, avoid alcohol-heavy aftershaves, and pay close attention to your shaving technique itself (see below). Our range of products for sensitive skin is worth exploring here too.
• Fine lines, loss of firmness or uneven texture. This can start to show from your mid-30s onwards, and is often a concern in skincare for men over 40. A serum can be a really useful addition. Pro-Collagen Future Restore Serum is formulated around our exclusive Opal Skin Algae Complex and targets the effects of collagen decline, improving firmness by up to +46% in just 4 days.**

*Independent Clinical Trials 2021. Results based on 36 people over 4 weeks. **Independent Clinical Trials 2024. Results based on 30 people over 4 weeks.

Everything that touches your face straight after a shave should soothe, not sting. Because shaving can remove a thin layer of skin along with the hair, freshly shaved skin can feel more reactive, tight, and sensitive, especially to any products containing alcohol.

Before you shave, cleanse first with a targeted ELEMIS cleanser. Warm, clean, damp skin helps create a closer shave, reducing the need for pressure on the blade, which is what causes most irritation. Then, you’ll want to reach for a proper shaving product – not soap!

We recommend:

• Ice-Cool Foaming Shave Gel – the all-rounder. A high-performance foam infused with aloe vera, witch hazel and English oak bark, naturally fragranced with invigorating menthol, which also softens facial hair for a closer pass. In independent user trials, 92% agreed it helped reduce the appearance of razor burn.*
• Skin Soothe Shave Gel – the choice for more reactive skin. A gel formula with arnica, jojoba oil and chamomile for sensitive and delicate skin.

In a nutshell: foam for comfort and closeness, clear gel for precision and calm.

After shaving, rinse, pat dry rather than rub, and moisturise while skin is still slightly damp, and keep an eye out for recurring irritation (it's often a sign to simplify the rest of your routine, not just the shave step).

*Independent User Trials 2021. Results based on 109 people over 2 weeks.

In what order should you apply men's skincare products?

Thinnest to thickest. Cleanse first, then any serum, then moisturiser, then SPF as the final step each morning. Drop the SPF at night. If you shave, do it straight after cleansing and before you moisturise, so you're not dragging a blade over other products.

How long does it take to see results from a skincare routine?

Hydration and comfort usually improve within days. Texture, tone and congestion typically take a few weeks. Changes in firmness and fine lines can take longer still, so give any new routine a good amount of time before judging it.

Do men need serums and eye creams?

Cleanser, moisturiser and SPF cover the fundamentals – but serums and eye creams are worth adding if you have a specific concern your moisturiser isn't addressing, such as loss of firmness or uneven tone. That’s exactly where our Pro-Collagen Future Restore Serum and Pro-Collagen Future Restore Eye Serum come in – offering advanced ingredients and targeted support to boost firmness and improve tone.

Start with the three that do the work: a cleanser that suits your skin, a lightweight moisturiser, and daily broad-spectrum SPF.

Shop our men's skincare today. And if you'd rather gift or buy a whole routine than build it piece by piece, our mens skincare sets bundle the essentials together.