When it comes to skincare, knowing where to start can be difficult. This is why most men turn to a skincare brand that piques their interest, needs, and budget, rather than hunting down individual products to implement into their regimen.
Men’s skincare brands are certainly not all created equal, so we’ll be breaking down what facets to guide your search for the “best” men's skincare brand for you. We are believers that no singular skincare brand is better than the rest, rather that certain men's brands do a better job of ingredients, branding, accessibility, sustainability, and more. What’s important is to figure out which brand works for you, and that you’ll find the most success when it comes to improving your complexion and practicing a consistent skincare routine to take care of your skin.
What to Look For in a Skincare Brand
1. Determine your needs
The first place to start is to examine what your root skin problems are – if any – and what your skin needs. If you struggle with acne and are looking for products to clear up and reduce breakouts, you might focus your search on brands that target acne, and focus on clarifying and purifying the skin. If you are looking for standard, approachable products to implement a consistent skincare routine, you might look for a brand with a wide breadth of options. Other common needs or problems that plague the male skincare experience could be dry skin, razor burn, textured skin, wrinkles, rosacea, oily nose and skin, fine lines, or dark circles.
2. Know your skin type
One of the most important facets of determining the skincare brand that will work best for you is knowing your skin type. There are typically 5 skin types in men: Normal Skin, Dry Skin, Oily Skin, Combination Skin, and Sensitive Skin.
If you fall into the Normal Skin category, you likely don’t struggle with a certain skin problem or are easily irritated by new products. This means you can focus on other factors that are important to you when looking for a skincare brand.
If you have Dry Skin, search for brands that focus on moisturizing and nourishing ingredients like Coconut Oil, Macadamia Oil, Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid, and Vitamin E. On the other hand, if you have Oily Skin, you’ll want to source products that can manage excess oil production, like Bentonite Clay, Charcoal, Tea Tree Oil, and Horsetail.
If you have Combination Skin, your skin tends to be dry in some areas and oily in others. Search for products that are designed to balance the complexion, or ingredients like Niacinamide, Tripeptide, Vitamin C, and Phytic Acid. You’ll want to find exfoliating products as well, to shed dead skin cells to make room for new skin cell growth.
Last, if you struggle with Sensitive Skin, you’ll want to find a brand with clean, gentle ingredients that are all-natural and chemical-free. Look for sustainable, gentle ingredients like Aloe, Coconut Oil, Vitamin C, and Macadamia Oil.
3. Price Point
The price point is probably the first factor you might notice when comparing men’s skincare brands. While some brands market themselves as luxury and premium, that comes with a hefty price tag. Others can be much more approachable and affordable, but also contain less high-quality ingredients and maybe even chemical-filled products that can lead to more problems than solutions.
Start by narrowing down on your budget when it comes to skincare, and consider that there might be cheaper alternatives or dupes to luxury products OR a higher quality option of a product you already like.
4. Sustainability/sourcing clean ingredients
Using organic, all-natural ingredients and supporting sustainable brands is easier on the environment and your skin. If sustainability and organic products are important to you, your search might be a bit more limited when it comes to clean skincare brands.
5. Accessibility
There are so many skincare brands out there, and an important factor to consider is how accessible the products are. If you’re someone who strictly shops online, you’ll want to find a direct-to-consumer option or a third-party website to order your products from. If you want to be able to shop in person, you’ll have to find the retailers that carry the men’s skincare brand you’re looking for.
6. Travel-Friendly
The last factor to consider is how travel-friendly the skincare products are. As men, we want products that are easy, lightweight, and not too flashy to carry around with us.
If you’re someone who is constantly on the move or traveling, you’ll want to ensure that the skincare brand carries travel-friendly sizes. Furthermore, you’ll want to opt away from glass packaging that’s easily breakable.
Final Thoughts
If you’re comparing men’s skincare brands and looking for the best skin care line out there: the short answer is it might take multiple brands with a few products to achieve your dream skin. You’re much more likely to find a few products that work for your skin from one brand, a few from another brand, and maybe a random product from a completely different brand.
We’re clearly biased here at Disco – but we’d say our products are pretty darn good. But without naming names – we stand by and support any skincare brand that prioritizes clean, all-natural ingredients, and is cruelty-free, sulfate-free, plant-based, and organic (much like us)!
