Best Moisturizers for Men

Rain or shine, day or night, the most basic thing a man can do for his face — after washing it of course — is putting on a little moisturizer. However, it is literally the least used skin care product in most men’s grooming arsenals. Online data research site Statista estimates that only 39% of men actually use face lotion at all. Guys (or at least 61% of you) it’s time to get with the program. Face moisturizer has many benefits, but simply put, face moisturizers treat dry skin. (Yes, we’re citing the Mayo Clinic here just in case you don’t want to take our word for it). Additionally, they can prevent dry skin, protect sensitive skin, and improve overall skin texture. RELATED: Best Hair Removal Cream for Men What to Look for in a Moisturizer There are many, many good face lotions out there for that facial skin of yours, but the best all contain ingredients that draw water into the skin and others that smooth the skin. These are called humectants and emollients respectively. Basically you can think of it like this: humectants increase moisture and emollients lock it in. Below are some ingredients to look out for. Common Humectants in Lotion Glycerin. Also called Glycerol is colorless, odorless liquid and is generally obtained from plant and animal sources, although the movement to plant-only sources is being made by many brands (which we recommend). Aloe vera. A plant with seemingly endless benefits to skin health. Lactic acid. At low concentrations this can pull hydration to the outer skin layer. In higher concentrations, this is great for exfoliating away dead skin cells. Hyaluronic acid. Found naturally in skin, it’s known capacity to attract and hold onto 1000 times its weight in moisture. Sodium hyaluronate. This is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid. It's abundant in young skin, but declines with age causing skin to look older. Common Emollients in Lotion Lanolin. A wax ester that is a by-product of wool production and therefore is not suitable for vegans. Squalene. This sebum-mimicking lipid was originally obtained primarily from shark liver oil, however the vast majority used today is plant-derived. Shea butter. A waxy fat that's extracted from the nuts of the West African shea tree. Cocoa butter. Fat from cocoa beans. Coconut, jojoba, olive, marula, and jojoba oil and other plant oils: Ancient skin care routines relied on oils, but oil options of today are far more complex than most people realize. Now that we have some basics down, here are some of our favorite face moisturizers for men right now.  Best Face Moisturizers for Men's Skin Ursa Major Fortifying Gel Moisturizer Ursa Major makes a solid selection of cruelty-free and vegan products that work, and work well. This lightweight, fast-absorbing, fortifying gel moisturizer is packed with potent natural active ingredients to calm, nourish, and hydrate skin — from normal skin, to dry skin, to oily skin, to combination skin — any skin type can use this lotion. The simple, serum-like formula is being loaded with aloe, willow bark, birch sap, and olive leaf. $40 at UrsaMajorVT.com Bulldog Original Moisturizer Loaded with good stuff for your face, at a price that’s great for your wallet, this vegan, cruelty-free face moisturizer for normal skin from eco-conscious Bulldog stands leaps and bounds above others in its price category. Aloe vera hydrates and soothes stressed skin cells, green tea fights free radicals, and camelina, rich in vitamin E and omega oils, helps improve skin tone and prevent further environmental damage. If that’s not enough, the entire Bulldog brand has moved to sugarcane plastic, instead of plastic made from fossil fuels, which is a renewable source that needs little more than natural rainfall to grow. This is saying a lot for a moisturizer that won’t even set you back $10. $9.99 at Amazon.com Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel-Cream Neutrogena has lang established itself as one of the leading skin care brands when it comes to what’s what in the drugstore aisle. Dermatologists have loved and endorsed it for years, and this lightweight, hard working normal skin face moisturizer is just one more reason why. Loaded with hyaluronic acid to plump up those fine lines, this is all bang for just a few bucks. $22.99 at Amazon.com Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer It’s a fact that men’s skin is thicker and more oily than women's. So a lot of men find themselves wanting a facial moisturizer that helps to curb the pending oil slick that is in their future. Kiehl’s has long been satisfying that need, and it’s been doing it well. This particular formula uses micronized amino acids and glycoproteins to hydrate skin and minimize the appearance of pores, leaving your skin both hydrated and feeling fresh. $67 at Amazon.com Dr. Jart+ Teatreement Moisturizer This lightweight moisturizer is loaded with tea tree leaf extract — 81.5% to be exact — that works overtime to balance skin's pH and moisture levels without irritating and drying out surrounding unconcerned areas. The cooling sensation paired with the herbaceous scent of tea tree are the telltale signs it’s working but since the blend found in Dr. Jart’s Teatreement is a natural alternative to benzoyl peroxide, it works with your skin in harmony. $35 at Amazon.com Embryolisse Filaderme Emulsion Face Moisturizer Embryolisse Filaderme Emulsion Face Moisturizer is a mattifying moisturizer that tones and balances your skin's oil glands as it delivers plenty of hydration without any grease. What makes it so good? A spare and all-natural ingredient list, including shea butter, aloe vera, beeswax and soy proteins, working in tandem to soothe, soften and nourish your skin, not only in the immediate aftermath of application but over the long term as well. $30 at Amazon.com RELATED: Best Hand Lotion for Men Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion for Face Even guys with super dry skin don't want to slather on thick, greasy lotion. For those guys, and all the others suffering from their own personal dryness, allow us to introduce you to Cetaphil, more specifically, its daily face lotion. This lightweight, oil-free moisturizer provides instant facial hydration and locks in moisture. Formulated with a double dose of hyaluronic acid  and a combination of powerful moisturizing agents such as glycerin, sodium PCA, and hydroxyethyl urea, this powerful hydrator still manages to be gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. $14.97 at Amazon.com CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Cream If you suffer from incredibly sensitive skin, or have had a skin treatment that has compromised your skin’s barrier, CeraVe is about as good as it gets when it comes to keeping the most sensitive skin happy and irritation-free. This classic formulation is a lightweight, oil-free, moisturizer that provides instant hydration from tip-to-tail thanks to the generous helping of hyaluronic acid. It absorbs quickly, it’s fragrance-free, and dermatologist and clinically tested to be gentle, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic on just about every type of sensitive skin. $19.49 at Amazon.com Brickell Daily Essential Face Moisturizer Brickell products are built to be used by anyone and everyone, no matter his age — including those with sensitive skin. That’s because Brickell leaves harsh irritants behind in favor of 100% natural, 81% organic, cruelty-free, vegan ingredients.Ingredients such as aloe, jojoba oil, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and green tea. Both simple and sophisticated, the face that is face moisturizer is also all natural — each and every ingredient is a natural ingredient — just makes it one of the best out there for men. $35 at Amazon.com MARLOWE No. 123 Facial Moisturizer As big fans of Marlowe (it’s an AskMen Grooming Award winner after all) this face lotion delivers well beyond its affordable price tag. Formulated with a unique blend of passionflower fruit, green tea, and willow bark extracts, the fresh scent of this water-based doesn’t feel heavy, even on the oiliest of skin types. What’s more? It’s made in the U.S.A., paraben-, phthalate-, and cruelty-free — all important, impressive traits if you ask us. $16.99 at Amazon.com Jack Black Double Duty Face Moisturizer with SPF Face moisturizer and SPF? Double duty indeed. This best selling facial moisturizer from Jack Black provides superior healing and hydrating benefits thanks to vitamin E-rich blue algae extract, vitamin C and A from sea parsley, plus rosemary and phospholipids to support the natural skin barrier. To further help keep men’s skin at peak performance, the broad spectrum SPF 20 sun protection fends off damaging UV rays. Not enough? Don’t worry, it still gets better. This gentle SPF is fragrance-free, paraben-free, colorant-free, cruelty-free, and vegan. You’re welcome. $32 at Amazon.com Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Anti-Aging Moisturizer Plant derived ferulic acid (a potent vitamin C antioxidant) works to boost the effects of other antioxidants in skin cells while retinol (a vitamin A derivative and the gold standard in anti-aging) promotes skin cell turnover, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, reversing skin damage and dark spots (hello sun damage), and improving skin elasticity. In just the right balance, the two work together with the ECG Complex to further reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, all without the typical skin irritation that can come from retinol. Dr. Dennis Gross has formulated this retinol product, often to be put to work strictly at night, to be worn day and night, making it one the best all around anti-aging hydrators you can buy. Just always remember to wear your SPF when using a retinol product. $77 at Amazon.com Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer with SPF We have been using this for years, and until we find a better tinted moisturizer then we are just going to keep on singing its praises. What makes it stand out from any other tinted moisturizer for men that we’ve tried is that it is literally undetectable. The addition of titanium dioxide SPF sun protection renders this not only a tinted moisturizer worthy of Instagram, but also a broad spectrum SPF 30 worthy of sun exposure. Alpha lipoic acid, a powerful plant-based antioxidant, reduces the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and the look of enlarged pores over time. All that and  it’s cruelty-free and 100% vegan. $76 at Amazon.com  Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream Replenishing Moisturizer This antioxidant-rich formula is on the more expensive side, but trust us when we say the results are commensurate with the expense. Drunk Elephant uses six different African oils together with a plant ceramide complex to reinforce the skin barrier, repairing damage from environmental stressors and making your delicate facial skin more resilient against the signs of aging.  $53 at Amazon.com  Now that you are well educated in Men's Facial Moisturizer 101, you have quite a few new skincare products to beef up your skin care routine. But, be patient. You may have to play around with different skincare products to see which antioxidants work for your skin type, which SPF face moisturizer works for your oily skin, or even if you just want to rub some jojoba oil on your fine lines and call it a day. Keep reading AskMen for more skincare recommendations.  You Might Also Dig: Best Exfoliating Face Scrubs Best Skin Care Tips for Men Best Charcoal Face Masks for Men