These 42 Skincare Favorites for Men Make the Best Gifts

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Any well-rounded skin care routine consists of a few key steps: cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and, last but not least, a broad-spectrum sunscreen featuring SPF 30.

To delight your dad, grandfather, brother, uncle, or partner with a special surprise to take their routines to the next level, gifting some of the best skincare products for men—from serums and toners, to weekly treatments, and more—is an easy way to help enhance their basics. But with so many options on the market, it can sometimes be tricky to determine what's really worth the buy—which is why we've pulled together a short list of some of our favorite picks he's sure to love.

These top-rated essentials from popular brands like Le Labo, Kiehl's Since 1851, Dr. Dennis Gross, and others come highly recommended from editors, skinfluencers, and beauty enthusiasts alike (with some pulled directly from men's routines in our Go to Bed with Me series). Plus, now that the holidays are in full force, these coveted selects also happen to make an excellent surprise for both the man in your life with a 16-step routine, and the ultimate skincare minimalist. Here, the very best skincare products for men to shop now.

Related: The Best Colognes for Men, According to Bazaar Editors

Aloe Shave Gel

If he has sensitive skin and prefers a close shave, Clinique's aloe-based shaving gel might become his new holy-grail grooming staple. As it's both fragrance- and oil-free, there's low risk of irritation.

The Bright Set

The Ordinary is one of the buzziest skincare brands around, and for good reason: Its range of complexion essentials, including this set of brightening favorites offers the perfect balance of product effectiveness and budget-savvy. Since he'll find bottles of full-strength vitamin C and seven percent glycolic acid in this kit, we recommend gifting it to the man in your life with a more established routine.

Skinesis Pro Hydro-Mist Steamer

Even if the man in your life isn't one to frequent the spa, upgrade his skincare experience with this professional-level facial steamer. In addition to being supremely relaxing, the tool emits ionic particles to help unclog pores while brightening his complexion.

Luna 3 Facial Cleansing Brush for Men

He'll get a mini face lift and deep cleaning experience all-in-one with this silicone facial brush from the beauty tech experts at Foreo. It uses T-sonic vibrations and a range of touchpoint sizes to not only lift dirt and oil from pores, but also give his go-to serums and moisturizers a little extra oomph once he's done cleansing.

Barbiere Shaving Cream

After using this hydrating shaving cream, which features a blend of pomegranate seed and lemon oils, basil extract, and hyaluronic acid, he might be convinced to book the next flight to Italy.

Wandermist Hydrating Facial Spray

Here's a multi-functional facial spray that can help him stay awake through a string of Zoom meetings while keeping his skin refreshed. It uses a blend of rambutan peels, sage, and citrus to rejuvenate his complexion with just a few spritzes.

Balancing Toner

Treat his skin to this alcohol-free toner from Grown Alchemist that contains ginseng, chamomile and aloe vera to give his complexion a healthy glow.

The Cream

For the luxurious man in your life, this super rich cream from Le Domaine boasts olive oil, shea butter, and the brand's proprietary complex, which includes antioxidant-rich grapes, and leaves the skin feeling hydrated and plump. Plus, this cream is one of Brad Pitt's go-to products, so it's bound to impress him.

Triple Acid Signature Peel

If he knows his way around ingredients like glycolic and lactic acids, surprise him with this top-rated, two-step peel set from celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden. In addition to brightening and exfoliating skin, the peel is also ideal for clearing congestion while refining pores.

The Balm

Featuring a blend of ceramides and plumping hyaluronic acid, we're betting this rejuvenating balm from celebrity aesthetician Joanna Czech will become a mainstay in his daily routine.

DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro LED Light Therapy Device

He can combat wrinkles and firm skin in no more than three minutes a day using this popular face mask from Dr. Dennis Gross, which contains 100 LED lights in red mode (anti-aging), and 62 LED lights in blue mode (acne-fighting).

Phyto Corrective Essence Mist

Beauty shoppers in the know are raving about SkinCeuticals's hydrating and redness-reducing Phyto Corrective Essense Mist, which is perfect for the guy whose skin is easily irritated.

Immortelle Divine Eye Balm

This hydrating eye balm won't feel heavy on his skin, and helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while boosting under-eye brightness.

Cicapair Redness Rescue Kit

The guy in your life with super sensitive skin will deeply appreciate this soothing set featuring Dr. Jart's Cicapair Tiger Grass Serum, Cream, and Color-Corrector.

Charcoal Detox Mask

Nearly 500 Amazon shoppers are fans of Buttah.'s Charcoal Detox Mask, which also features Argan oil and shea butter to replenish his complexion as it draws out dirt and oil.

Goodnight Wrinkle Night Cream

If your dad is tired of staring at the years-worth of wrinkles on his face, this hyaluronic acid and caffeine-based anti-aging cream might be the routine essential he didn't know he needed.

After Shave Balm

Here's a soothing after shave balm from Le Labo to help his face heal after a shaving session. Its cooling formula is entirely plant-based, and features notes of bergamot, lavender, and tonka bean.

Damascan Rose Facial Treatment

He can apply this rose oil before his moisturizer for supreme hydration in colder months, and by itself as a lightweight moisturizer once the weather warms up.

Bro Mask: Korean Face Mask for Men (4-Pack)

It may seem a little on the nose, but gifting your actual brother with this set of four firming and brightening sheet masks with "bro" in the title is almost too thoughtful of a gift.

Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash (One Liter)

Help him feel more awake in the morning with this value-size version of Kiehl's culty and energizing Facial Fuel cleanser (which nicely happens to be 25 percent off right now).

Darker Skin Tones Discovery Kit

This five-piece skincare set from Dr. Barbara Sturm includes travel-friendly essentials like foam and enzyme cleansers, a hyaluronic acid serum, and more, each formulated especially for melanin-rich skin.

Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum

Aesthetician Sean Garrette loves incorporating this hyaluronic acid serum into his rotation while his skin is still damp. "I love PCA," he previously told BAZAAR.com. "I like this hydrating serum because it has ceramides and niacinamide, so it's really nourishing and helps strengthen the skin barrier, which is the protective layer of your skin. It just makes my skin super plump—I love this serum."

Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion

This best-selling vegan face lotion uses natural AHAs to exfoliate skin. It also contains ingredients like anti-inflammatory meadowfoam seed oil, oil-regulating niacinamide, plus hydrating snow mushroom and ceramides to keep his complexion in balance.

The Ultimate Soothing Cream

If your dad or partner has sensitive skin, consider gifting him this popular luxe and soothing moisturizer from the experts at Augustinus Bader. And if he happens to be eco-conscious, did we mention it's also refillable?

Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (Pack of 16)

Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton uses these cooling under-eye patches on a regular basis to de-puff and relax. And because they come in a 12-pack, they're the gift that keeps on giving.

Clean Bee Facial Cleanser

For those with sensitive skin, this gentle cleanser uses naturally derived ingredients like coconut and sugar to remove dirt and oil, plus chamomile, calendula, and aloe to soothe irritation.

UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

No skin care routine is complete without the addition of an effective sunscreen, which is why this dermatologist-recommended pick is one of our everyday go-tos (and beloved by more than 30,000 Amazon customers).

Kissu Lip Mask

"I like to finish off with a lip mask," celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin previously told BAZAAR.com of his skin care routine. "This one from Tatcha is incredible, it's the Kissu Lip Mask, and this is like a really hydrating lip jelly that's made out of peach nectar—I'm obsessed with this product. It doesn't really taste like anything, but it's really, really comfortable, and there's no weight to it."

GloFacial Hydro-Infusion Pore Cleansing and Blue LED Clarifying Tool

Here's a top-rated skincare tool that makes getting rid of blackheads a breeze: While sucking out dirt and oil like a vacuum, the LED device also infuses the complexion with salicylic and hyaluronic acids for plumper, clearer skin.

C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream

More than 1,500 Sephora customers love this brightening, vitamin C-based eye cream, which is gentle enough for both day- and nighttime, and also contains entirely vegan ingredients.

Healthy Skin Starter Set

If your friend or family member is a frequent flyer, gift them this thoughtful set of travel-sized skincare essentials from Malin and Goetz. It's perfect for the person who's always on-the-go and new to a complete skincare routine.

Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture

One of YouTube’s go-to doctors, Dr. Mike Varshavski, swears by this non-greasy, featherweight moisturizer from Murad for his nightly routine. It contains ingredients like hyaluronic acid and coconut extract to moisturize without being too heavy.

Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25

This popular lip balm comes in six signature flavor options, including natural mint and shea butter, pineapple mint, and grapefruit and ginger. Plus, it has broad-spectrum SPF 25 for sun protection.

Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40

If he prefers using a physical sunscreen rather than a chemical one, consider picking up a tube of this top-rated sunscreen from Supergoop! Because it's formulated with a blend of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and leaves behind a matte finish, he won't have to worry about any excess shine.

Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator

To keep his complexion as smooth as possible, Pharrell Williams uses this gentle exfoliator from his brand, Humanrace. It features a blend of chemical and physical ingredients like glycolic acid and rice particles to sweep away dead skin cells.

Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream

"My skin is more combo to dry, and sometimes it can be a little dehydrated, especially around my eye area," Garrette says. "So I love eye creams for morning and night now." To moisturize dry under-eyes, he reaches for this de-puffing cream from Sunday Riley, which feels lightweight on the skin. "You literally need the tiniest bit; I use my ring fingers and bring that all around my eye area," he adds.

Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask

Take his night routine to new heights with this luxe sleep mask from La Prairie that uses the brand's cellular complex and natural caviar extract to lift and firm skin overnight.

Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm

Garrette is also a fan of using this Paula's Choice balm to double cleanse, which he says is ideal to combat uneven texture and hyperpigmentation.

Magic Glow Wand

Not only does this tool from celebrity aesthetician Joanna Vargas feature a range of hot, cold, and massage settings, it's also designed with a titanium head that won't irritate sensitive skin.

Vitamin C Glow Moisturizer

Here's a vitamin-enriched moisturizer from Fresh that won't weigh his skin down and is ideal to even skin tone and texture while brightening dark spots.

Boy de Chanel Lip Balm

For a more elevated balm pick, consider this matte option from Chanel that aims to keep his lips moisturized for up to eight hours per wear.

Face + Scalp Invisible Daily SPF 30 Broad Spectrum

For bald (or balding) men, an exposed scalp is another area of the skin to keep protected. This SPF 30 sunscreen is formulated for both the scalp and face, and won't leave behind a ghostly white cast once it's rubbed in.

What products should I look for regarding men's skincare?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, those designated male at birth often have a thicker and tougher dermis layer than those designated female. This skin difference often causes deeper, more furrowed wrinkles from repeated muscle movement, with increased testosterone contributing to oilier skin.

In addition to these factors, it's important for men to determine their overall skin type—dry, oily, combination, or "normal"—to incorporate the right products for their overall skin needs. Keeping up a consistent regimen also plays a key factor in the effectiveness of one's daily skin care routine.

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For more than 150 years, Harper’s Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion and beauty resource for women at every age. We cover what’s new and what’s next in beauty by working with the world’s leading authorities in dermatology, plastic surgery, cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of beauty editors and industry experts.

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