10 Men’s Skincare Brands Worth Knowing, From Marlowe to Medik8

For a grooming routine that earns its shelf space, start with what your skin needs and how a formula feels in daily use. The men’s skincare category now stretches from straightforward cleansers to targeted serums and high-end creams, but a longer product list doesn’t guarantee a better routine. These ten brands make the search easier by doing particular things well, from gentle options for dry or sensitive skin to products designed with shaving irritation or excess oil in mind.

The recommendations here draw on a grooming editor’s testing of products from more than 50 brands, input from fellow Men’s Health editors, product ratings from trusted shopping sites and brands that have appeared consistently in skincare roundups. The range includes face and body care, shave-adjacent products, and everyday essentials. The useful takeaway: choose by formula, skin needs and budget, rather than expecting any one brand to cover every category equally well.

Marlowe: straightforward care and dependable staples

Marlowe’s appeal is its uncomplicated approach. Its creams feel smooth and lasting without a heavy finish, while its soaps create a generous lather and its deodorants are described as providing all-day protection. The brand uses natural ingredients and avoids parabens and phthalates, a consideration for the editor, whose skin is sensitive to some products. Some packaging is also made with recycled materials: the soap wrappers use 100 percent recycled materials.

The Marlowe No. 102 Body Scrub Soaps pair green tea, shea butter and olive oil with scents including santal and oud wood. Their strong lather is another draw, and the editor finds the bars last for weeks. For face care, the No. 128 Daily Face Lotion with SPF 50 is singled out for its nourishing feel and hydration as well as its sun protection. A simpler cleanser is the No. 121 Facial Cleanser, priced at $14 and described as suitable for all skin types.

Baxter of California: a long-running choice for sensitive skin

Founded in 1965, Baxter of California has had decades to develop a broad grooming range. The editor points to its fragrance-free or lightly scented skincare as a particular strength. The Oil-Free Moisturizer and Daily Face Wash are fragrance-free; the Exfoliating Body Wash has a restrained oak moss and cedar scent that lingers gently.

The facial scrub uses walnut shell powder and avocado oil. The source describes the walnut shell powder as helping absorb oil and the avocado oil as contributing moisture, for a mild-feeling exfoliation. It costs just over $20, and a dime-sized amount is enough for the face, making it a practical option for anyone who prefers a scrub used sparingly.

La Roche-Posay: moisture-minded formulas for dry skin

For skin that often feels dry or flaky, La Roche-Posay is a strong place to look. The brand’s formulas feature ingredients such as niacinamide, glycerin and ceramides, and many are fragrance-free. The editor highlights the gentle feel of its creams and notes that the brand has numerous products accepted by the National Eczema Association.

The Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer is made for dry skin, with shea butter and glycerin alongside ceramide-3 and niacinamide. The editor uses it twice daily, particularly during colder months, and says it absorbs faster than other body lotions they have tried. For face care, the Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum is listed at $40. Its place in the range reflects a more specialized formula and a higher price than basic moisturizers.

Medik8: a focused approach to vitamin A and vitamin C

This UK-based skincare brand develops products in its own labs and centers its range on sun protection, vitamin C and retinol. Notable products include the Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye Cream, C-Tetra Vitamin C Serum and Advanced Night Ceramide Cream.

The editor’s pick is the Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye. Retinal is a vitamin A derivative, as is retinol, but the source describes retinal as the more potent of the two. That makes a measured approach especially relevant for someone new to the ingredient: using too much can leave skin dry or irritated. The brand also offers higher-priced options, including the C-Tetra Day Cream and the Advanced Night Ceramide, listed at $78.

Horace: a curated routine across face, beard and hair

Paris-born Horace brings a pared-back French sensibility to products made with modern natural ingredients. Its range has grown from face care into beard oils, body lotion and hair products, including solid shampoo. The Mattifying Face Moisturizer and Anti-Dark Circle Cleanser are among the face-care options highlighted in the source.

Horace sorts products for different skin types and concerns, and its site offers a consultation quiz to help shoppers build a tailored selection. For a three-step routine, the Balanced Skin Set combines Purifying Face Cleanser, Hyaluronic Acid and Panthenol Serum, and Mattifying Face Moisturizer. The cleanser is described as gently removing excess oil; the serum adds moisture, and the moisturizer finishes the routine without a greasy residue. The editor, who reports easily irritated skin and redness, says this set has worked well for them.

Bevel: shave-aware products and accessible prices

Bevel began with a razor designed to help minimize ingrown hairs and has expanded into grooming products for the face, beard and body. The brand was created with men of color in mind, though the source says its products can be used by people of all skin colors and types. Face and beard wash with aloe vera and coconut water, plus a moisturizing body wash, are among its wider offerings; the source says products rarely cost more than $15.

The exfoliating toner pads connect directly to the brand’s shaving roots. They contain green tea and 10 percent glycolic acid. The source describes them as a way to exfoliate and clear lingering buildup, with the added aim of minimizing ingrown hairs. They’re best understood as a targeted step for people who want exfoliation in a ready-to-use pad, rather than a reason to add several new products at once.

Aesop: scent and design are part of the experience

Aesop has built a recognizable identity around natural ingredients, elevated packaging and distinctive scents. Its products span skincare, hair and body care, with fragrance a signature feature: the Moroccan Neroli Post-Shave Lotion has an earthy sandalwood blend, while the Bitter Orange Astringent Toner is citrus-scented.

For a first purchase, the editor suggests choosing a bundle assembled for a particular skin type or need. Two standouts are the Parsley Seed AntiOxidant Intense Serum, presented as a versatile daily serum, and the Coriander Seed Body Cleanser, praised for its scent. The Amazing Face Cleanser is another option for shoppers who want a more distinctive fragrance in their routine; it costs $36.

Atwater: a concise range for oily skin

Developed by Chris Salgardo, a former president of Kiehl’s, Atwater focuses on products that are simple to understand and use. The range is divided into three skin categories: normal or combination, dry, and oily. The editor considers its oily-skin options particularly well judged.

The Oil Regulator Facial Cleansing Bar and Oil Regulator Facial Moisturizer are the key picks. The moisturizer has a lightweight gel texture and is designed to leave little residue. The cleansing bar combines charcoal, which the source identifies as an ingredient for targeting excess oil, with glycerin to support moisture. That pairing makes the bar a more considered choice for shoppers who want to cleanse without a tight, stripped feeling.

For an eye product, Atwater’s Eye Armor costs $32. The source positions it as a hydrating and nourishing option for concerns such as puffiness and wrinkles, and notes that its price sits above many lower-cost eye creams.

Harry’s: budget-friendly face care beyond shaving

Known for razors and shaving products, Harry’s has broadened its range to include face, body and beard care. The brand’s accessible, easy-to-use positioning carries through to its skincare picks. Its black lip balm, which contains meadowfoam, received a 2025 Men’s Health Grooming Award.

The Exfoliating Face Wash and Daily Face Lotion are the editor’s budget-friendly face-care choices. The wash uses volcanic rock to remove dead skin cells, and the source recommends it as a useful option around shaving for people concerned about irritation or ingrown hairs. Pairing it with the daily lotion keeps the routine simple.

Bravo Sierra: durable daily essentials

Bravo Sierra launched in 2018 with a focus on high-performance personal care made without parabens, sulfates or silicones. Its range includes bar soap, body wash and deodorant, with scents such as orris and santal, and bergamot and musk. The brand also has a military-inspired origin and, according to cofounder Benjamin Bernet, has donated more than $500,000 to veterans’ organizations since it began.

The editor’s deodorant pick is available scented or unscented. The products go on clear and contain probiotics, which the source says help control bacteria. The editor has worn the bergamot and musk version on a rainy 10k trail run and reports that the scent lasted after the event. Bravo Sierra’s cleansing bar soap is also highlighted as a multipurpose option for face, hair and body.

Finding the right fit at different price points

Price varies widely by product type and how specialized the formula is. Marlowe’s No. 128 Daily Face Lotion with SPF 50 is listed at about $20, while Medik8’s C-Tetra Day Cream is priced above $50. A higher price doesn’t automatically make a product the better choice for a particular person; it can reflect a more targeted formula, but fit, preferences and budget still matter.

Lower-cost basics can work across a range of needs. Marlowe’s No. 121 Facial Cleanser costs $14 and is described as suitable for all skin types. By comparison, Aesop’s Amazing Face Cleanser is $36 and is suggested for someone who wants a more specifically scented option. At the middle of the range, La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5 serum is $40, while Atwater’s Eye Armor is $32. At the higher end, Medik8 Advanced Night Ceramide costs $78.

Think of those prices as a set of choices rather than a ranking of results. A straightforward cleanser may be enough for a simple routine; a targeted eye product or night cream may appeal if its texture and ingredients fit what you’re looking for. There’s no need to buy a full range from a single label. The editor’s advice is to identify the brands that excel in a particular category—Bevel for shave-related care, La Roche-Posay for gentle-feeling products aimed at dry skin, or Atwater for oily-skin options—and build from there.

What informed the selections

The editor tested moisturizers, serums, night creams, eye creams, soaps, body washes and other essentials from more than 50 brands. The evaluation considered ingredient choices, how formulas felt on application, whether they tended to irritate, and how well products performed over time. Fellow editors Christian Gollayan, Style and Reviews Director, and Joseph Cheatham, Style and Reviews Editor, also shared the products and brands they prioritize. The selection drew on trusted shopping-site ratings and brands that repeatedly appeared in other skincare roundups.

For readers refining a routine, the accompanying guides cover moisturizers for oily skin, moisturizers for sensitive skin, moisturizers with SPF, moisturizers for combination skin, moisturizers for dry skin, body lotions, night creams, foot creams and eye creams. There are also roundups for body washes for dry skin, bar soaps, natural soaps, biodegradable soaps, face washes, moisturizing body washes and deodorants.

Sean Zucker is Grooming and Reviews Editor at Men’s Health, where he covers grooming, wellness and lifestyle. Christian Gollayan is Style and Reviews Director at Men’s Health and Women’s Health; his earlier editorial roles include work at Vogue, Tatler Asia and The Manual.