Skincare Routine for Men:

6 Essential Skincare Tips for Men

If you have skin, then you need a skincare routine—no matter your gender. Having a skincare regimen is all about taking care of your skin and treating your specific skin concerns with the best skincare products — and that’s not limited to any one gender.

Today, we’re talking directly to men. We’ll walk you through exactly what a skincare routine for men can actually do for your skin and even recommend some products to get you started.

Why Is a Skincare Routine Important?

Skincare is by no means a new concept. For the last 6,000 years, people around the world have been looking to nature to clean and nourish their skin. Today, scientific discovery has advanced us past the rudimentary baths of milk and honey, but the purpose is still the same: to take care of your skin.

Like your other organs, your skin is able to regulate itself. Its many internal structures should make it a self-service and fully functional machine — the key word being should.

The reality is that, as the outer covering of your body, your skin has to deal with more irritants than your other organs that are protected by layers of tissue, muscle, and bone. This makes your skin more prone to different skin concerns caused by environmental factors.

That’s where skincare comes in.

Skincare is designed to combat these skin concerns directly, filling in the gaps that your skin can’t provide and supporting your skin health.

Another benefit of a skincare routine is that they’re completely customizable, meaning you can mix and match different products to suit your skin’s needs. This allows you to treat the skin concerns you have without weighing down your skin with a million products that you don’t actually need.

What Is a Good Skincare Routine for Men?

Skincare is for both men and women — but that doesn’t mean that everyone can have the same skincare routine. In the same way that oily skin and dry skin have different needs, men’s skin and women’s skin have different needs, too.

You can’t expect a skincare product for razor burn to help someone who doesn’t shave, and you can’t expect a skincare product for bare skin to help with facial hair. That’s why it’s important to craft a good skincare routine specifically for men.

Whether you’re a seasoned skincare pro or this is your first time moving beyond a bar of soap, we’ve put together a skin care regimen specifically designed for men.

1. Cleanse Regularly

The first step of any good skincare routine is starting with a good cleanser.

Throughout the day, your skin becomes weighed down with build-up — from dirt and pollutants in the air to sweat, excess oil produced by your skin, and even dead skin cells. If left unchecked, these impurities can become trapped within your pores, causing blemishes and breakouts that can disrupt the look of your skin and may even be painful.

When you wash your face, you wash away these impurities that would otherwise build up on your skin and cause all kinds of skin problems. It’s not only acne-prone skin that needs to be cleansed regularly — everyone benefits from unclogged pores.

If you’re looking for a gentle daily cleanser that targets these skin impurities but won’t cause additional irritation to your skin, we recommend M-61 Perfect Cleanse, a gentle, foaming cleanser that washes away dirt and impurities without stripping your skin.

2. Exfoliate

But a daily cleanser isn’t always enough to clear away all of those skin impurities. That’s why, in addition to face wash, you should wash away that excess dirt and oil by exfoliating your skin.

Exfoliation describes the process of removing dead skin cells and other debris from the surface of your skin through a skincare product or treatment.

Typically, your skin works to shed some of these cells on its own — between 30,000 and 4,000 per minute, in fact. But certain factors like sun damage and even your skin’s natural aging process can prevent your skin from shedding this outer layer on its own.

That’s where skin exfoliants come in. Scrubs, serums, and even chemical peels are all steps you can take to help your skin get rid of the dead skin cells it can’t shed on its own.

If you’re looking to try a face scrub that brightens your skin without causing dryness, we recommend Atwater Skin Armor Face Scrub. This scrub is formulated with salicylic acid to dive deep into your pores, dissolving buildup and impurities and leaving your skin rejuvenated.

3. Incorporate Treatments for Specific Concerns

Once you’ve rid your skin of any lingering debris and dead skin cells, you’re ready to start treating your skin concerns. The next step in a skincare routine for men (or anyone else) is whatever serums and treatments you’d like.

This is the part of your skincare routine that is the most customizable. There is no one serum or cream that you have to use at this step — so you can add what your skin needs, and leave behind what your skin doesn’t.

So, if you’re looking to brighten your skin’s tone, add a vitamin C serum. Or if you’re looking for something with a stronger anti-aging effect, opt for a skincare product with retinol.

If you’re looking for a treatment that supports your facial cleanser and further fights against breakouts, we recommend the SkinMedica Acne Clarifying Treatment, which is clinically proven to reduce acne, visible redness, and oiliness in just 24 hours. With 2% salicylic acid, niacinamide, bakuchiol, and botanicals, this formula gently targets discoloration while preserving your skin barrier.

4. Use a Moisturizer for Your Skin Type

After cleaning and treating your skin, the last step in your core basic skincare routine is to lock it all in without moisturizer.

The role of moisturizer in your skincare routine is to replenish your skin with all the healthy oils and moisture that you wash away during the cleansing step. While it might seem counterintuitive to take away oil from your skin only to add it back, keep in mind that it’s all about the right balance of oil. There’s a difference between hydrated and greasy.

But the right amount of hydration for your skin all depends on your skin type. That’s why, more than any other skincare product, the right moisturizer for you entirely depends on your skin.

To make sure you’re building the best skincare routine for you, we’ve gathered the best moisturizers for men’s skin care routines based on skin type:

Oily Skin: If you’re looking for an ultra-lightweight moisturizer that won’t leave behind even more excess oil on your acne-prone skin, we recommend the Jack Black Clean Break Oil Free Moisturizer.
Dry Skin: If you’re looking for a more nourishing moisturizer that will soothe those angry patches of dry skin, we recommend the Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream.
Sensitive Skin: If you’re looking to nourish and protect your skin but are worried about overwhelming your sensitive skin, we recommend the Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream Light.
Normal Skin: If you’re looking for a basic moisturizer to start off your skincare routine with, we recommend the SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture.

5. Wear SPF Every Day

But your skincare routine isn’t over just yet. After you lock in all those skincare products with moisturizer, you need to protect your skin from additional environmental threats — including UV rays.

Sunscreen is the best way to prevent sun damage and keep your skin safe from harmful UV rays that can leave behind dark spots, cause sunburns, and can even lead to skin cancer.

But it’s not just enough to put on sunscreen before a day beside the water or out on the field. For the ultimate protection for your skin, SPF should be a part of your everyday skincare routine.

If you’re looking to find your new go-to daily sunscreen that won’t leave behind a white cast (or clog your pores), we recommend the SkinMedica Essential Defense Everyday Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 47 Sunscreen, which protects you from UVA and UVB rays without clogging pores.

6. Use Post-Shave Lotions After Shaving

But remember that this is a men’s skincare routine, and your skin is different from your female counterparts. While there are many elements of a good skincare routine that are similar or the same between the genders, there is one big area where they diverge: facial hair.

Most women don’t shave their face, meaning that they don’t have to worry about a post-shave skincare routine — but a lot of men do.

There is a lot of overlap between shaving care and skincare, so why not add your post-shave routine to your skincare routine? You can use skincare products to help avoid razor burns or bumps after shaving.

If you’re looking for a fast-absorbing aftershave that soothes razor burns at the source, we recommend the Acqua di Parma Barbiere After Shave Emulsion, which is formulated with hyaluronic acid to hydrate and condition your skin.