Anti-Aging Skincare Set by Cardon
Skincare for Men in Their 20s, 30s, 40s, and Beyond
A grooming routine is essential for men of every age. Similar to how your body can benefit by exercising with the best workouts, your skin can only benefit the earlier you start taking care of it. By building healthy habits, you’ll keep your skin — the largest organ in your body — looking and feeling its best for a lifetime.
You can’t stop time, but with a solid skincare routine, you can make your skin look younger and healthier. To help you establish a grooming routine, we’ve curated a list of the best skincare products for the three prime decades of your life, your 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. With a little research, preparation, and dedication, your skin will be looking its best at every stage in your life.
What’s the Best Skincare Routine for Men?
As you age, so does your skin, which is why a man’s skincare routine should change with the times. Your routine should contain these three essentials: A cleanser, a moisturizer, and an SPF sunscreen. These three products should be the building blocks of your routine, with everything else just an optional benefit.
In your 20s, your goal should be preservation and protection. At around age 25 (or earlier if you’re a smoker), your body naturally stops producing collagen. Hence, you may start seeing signs of aging, like wrinkles, once you hit 30. By your 30’s, your objective is to delay the aging process. At age 40 and beyond, your goal should be to maintain the skin you’ve been diligently taking care of for the last two decades.
Skincare for Men in Their 20s
How often should a man wash his face? As often as you take a shower, which should be at least once a day. If you skip a morning shower, at least throw some water on your face to clean the sleep out of your eyes and wake you up.
Men in their 20s might not be thinking about skincare as something they should be focusing on, but by adopting a long-game mindset, those small steps you make every day will pay off in a big way exactly when you need them to. At this age, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get those long-term gains you’re after, which is great if your career is just getting off the ground and all your income is just going toward the basics. Taking care of yourself and your skin should be on that list, along with all the other things that go along with a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to look 21 forever, or at least get compliments on how good you look for years to come, these five basic steps (and corresponding products) will help you get on the right track.
Gentle Cleanser
Guys, you need to wash your face every day. You can wash once (at night) or preferably twice (morning and night), but ridding your skin of grit, grime, and gross stuff on a daily basis is a must since it allows for your skin to perform at its peak. This gentle face wash is great for acne-prone and sensitive skin, which many men in their 20s experience on and off. It contains salicylic acid, which helps remove dead skin cells and improve your skin’s overall texture. If you also suffer from back or body acne, this cleanser is great to use in the shower all over your body. It’s affordable, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, and enriched with vitamin D for extra antioxidant protection.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
Read more: Best Face Wash for Men
Acid Toner
Don’t let the word “acid” freak you out. This is not the same as battery acid, and it’s nothing like the acid used in Breaking Bad. Acids in skincare serve as a chemical exfoliant, which can help clear breakouts and give you smooth, soft skin without any harsh scrubbing. Use this exfoliator every night after washing your face by applying it onto a cotton pad and wiping it across your face. In less than two weeks, you’ll notice an improvement in your skin’s texture and appearance. It helps calm redness and reduces inflammation from active pimples and spots. Great for clearing blackheads, this liquid exfoliant is a men’s skincare secret weapon.
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Hydrating Moisturizer
Zoolander said it best: “Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.” Hydration is the key to healthy, balanced skin, but it doesn’t need to be too complicated. This facial cream, which contains squalane, avocado oil, and apricot kernel oil, goes on thick but sinks in immediately, so you don’t go to bed with that greasy feeling. It’s nourishing, gentle on sensitive skin, and can soothe parched, dehydrated skin in no time.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream
Read more: Best Face Moisturizers for Men
Everyday SPF
If you invest in one thing — and only one thing — to ensure good skin as you age, it should be a facial moisturizer with SPF. This is nonnegotiable. You can put all the lotions and potions you want on that mug, but if you are getting too much sun, you’re just throwing money away. Yes, other products will do wonders in helping you fend off Father Time, but using sunscreen isn’t just good for your face — it’s good for your health. Skin cancer can be deadly, so to keep your body’s largest organ in tiptop shape, get in the habit of wearing SPF every day.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Read more: Best Moisturizers with SPF
Acne Spot Treatment
For most guys, zits don’t magically go away the minute you leave your teens. You’ll still experience the odd pimple here and there, which somehow know exactly when you have an important presentation at work or an event to go to and always manage to pop up mere days beforehand. These spot treatment acne patches work like Band-Aids on your pimples. Their work is twofold: To prevent you from picking and popping your pimples while delivering a medicated treatment that helps your pimples heal faster. Wear them overnight and take them off before you leave the house, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well they work in such little time.
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Original Acne Patches
Read more: Best Acne Spot Treatments
Aging out of your 20s? You better take a look at how to take care of your skin once you hit your 30s.
Skincare for Men in Their 30s
By now, you should have gotten the memo that taking care of your skin is pretty much a must if you want to age well. If not, refer to our advice on beginning a good men’s skincare regime in your 20s. That’s a great place to start — and it’s never too late to start.
Those of you who are graduating into your 30s, congratulations! We trust that, by now, you have established a good foundation of washing, hydrating, and protecting your skin, so it’s time to dive in a little deeper into keeping that skin looking better, longer.
As we get older, our skin loses its ability to bounce back. Much like how our metabolism slows, our eyesight fades, and our hair falls out (and that calls for a hair tonic), our skin changes quite a bit as we age. After we hit 20, 1% less collagen is produced in the dermis each year, and the skin’s natural exfoliation process decreases by almost 30%. Once we hit our 30s, fat cells shrink due to moisture transfer slowing down between the layers of the skin. And this is just the stuff you can’t avoid. Things like a skincare routine, diet, and, most of all, sun exposure can speed all this up faster than you can say Botox.
So what are you going to do about it? For starters, using products that contain higher doses of antioxidants and vitamin A derivatives like retinol, as well as regular chemical exfoliation, will help you keep your skin soft and supple, allowing you to age a little more like George Clooney and a little less like Keith Richards. These five basic steps (and corresponding products) will help you get on the right track.
Hydrating Cleanser
As you get older, your skin loses elasticity and crucial oils that give it that youthful glow. Incorporating more hydrating products into every step of your routine is the key if you want to hold onto your skin’s precious natural oils and protect the outermost layer of your skin from water loss that can make your skin look dry and flaky. This cleanser from the French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay is great for people with sensitive skin as well as people with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The cleanser contains ceramides, which help to prevent moisture loss and restore the skin’s moisture barrier. It also contains niacinamide, which works wonders as an anti-aging, oil-reducing, pore-smoothing, and brightening ingredient.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
Chemical Exfoliant
This potent skin tonic is packed with alpha-hydroxy acids like lactic acid, azelaic acid, and salicin to keep the skin in peak condition. It’s gentle enough to use daily (we prefer it as an aftershave with an added kick), and swiping this over your face not only helps prevent breakouts as any good post-wash tonic should do, but it also gently exfoliates the skin, therefore helping to keep wrinkles at bay. With regular use, this daily chemical exfoliant will smooth the texture of your skin, reduce the size of your pores, and give you a glowing complexion that will shave years off your real age.
REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic
Retinol Serum
How should a man take care of his face? The fastest and most effective way for a man to take care of his skin in his 30s is to use retinol. Retinol is the hero when it comes to fighting off wrinkles. It’s one of the many derivative forms of vitamin A, and it increases cell turnover, which can help to actually reverse the damage. There isn’t really another product you just go out and buy that does that. Our pick, for those of you just getting started with retinol, is the Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum. It is mild retinol to ease you into using this powerful ingredient. Vitamin A products like this can be drying or irritating, but if you start slow, and early, it will become your skin’s best friend.
Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum
Read more: Best Retinol for Men
Peptide Moisturizer
After chemically exfoliating to smooth your skin’s texture and slathering on retinol serum to reduce the look of wrinkles, your skin needs a tall glass of water in the form of a moisturizer, preferably one with peptides, like this one from Drunk Elephant. Peptides are a small form of amino acids, and if you’re a fitness fanatic, you know how important peptides are to your body’s overall health. This nurturing yet fast-absorbing daily moisturizer is formulated with nine signal peptides, which help bind moisture to the skin, visibly plumping, firming, and restoring bounce. It also contains pygmy waterlily stem cell extract, which is an excellent source of antioxidants and is effective in supporting youthful, healthy-looking skin. It all sounds very complex, but it’s really a simple moisturizer with an anti-aging kick.
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer
Eye Cream
The skin underneath your eyes is some of the thinnest skin on your body, which is why it’s one of the first areas to show age. Wrinkles and dark circles are a near certainty once you hit your 30s as a result of stress combined with the natural aging process, but there are certain products you can use to help prevent the appearance of these fine lines by boosting hydration. This eye cream from First Aid Beauty contains peptides, seaweed extract, and red algae extract, which help hydrate, firm, and reduce wrinkles underneath and around the eyes. Use morning and night to ward off dark circles, even after a not-so-great night of sleep.
First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy
Skincare for Men in Their 40s (and Beyond)
If you’ve been smart enough to take good care of your skin while in your 20s and 30s, then your 40s should only require a few moderate additions. If you haven’t, and you’re starting to see those fine lines turn into straight-up wrinkles, you may want to take a more drastic approach and investigate dermatological procedures like Botox and fillers. There’s no shame in wanting to look your best because when you look better, you feel better, right?
What’s really going on with your skin once you start going over that hill? Well, for starters: Gravity. Yep, you’ve been fighting gravity for decades, and it really starts to win once you hit 40. What else? Your body’s collagen (what keeps your skin “plump”) and elasticity (what lets it bounce back from the natural aging process) have been on the decline over the last decade, but that deterioration really starts to pick up the pace.
To fend off future wrinkles (or at least slow them down), you need to up your defense against these three offenders. Below are some of our favorite men’s skincare products to add to your good skin regime that will help fight back against this aggregate of aging. For those of you behind in the good skin game, it’s OK. Pick these up now, and you’ll certainly see some results sooner than you can say “40 is the new 30.”
Soothing Cleanser
How should a man clean his face? Gently, surprisingly. If you’ve noticed, this guide to men’s skincare doesn’t contain any of those harsh scrubs. That’s because those scrubs can irritate the skin and cause inflammation. Inflammation is the root of many skin concerns, which is what makes this cleanser featuring soothing ingredients like turmeric and licorice root a great pick for men over 40. If you’re dealing with redness, the occasional breakout, and general dullness, the Scotch Porter Restoring Face Wash is a gentle, soothing, and calming way to begin a men’s skincare routine. Your skin will feel clean, smooth, and ready for the next step in your routine.
Scotch Porter Restoring Face Wash
Moisturizer
If it’s not clear already, allow me to repeat it for the final time: Proper hydration is the key to great skin. This lightweight moisturizer from Sunday Riley delivers intense hydration with two forms of hyaluronic acid and tamarind extract. According to the brand, it increases your skin’s hydration by up to 68% in as little as 15 minutes, for up to 24 hours of continuous moisture. It gives you an instant shot of soft, supple skin without feeling heavy or greasy. Use it in the morning and at night if you have super dehydrated skin, or skip the moisturizer in the morning and go straight to SPF if you have combination or oily skin.
Sunday Riley TIDAL Brightening Enzyme Water Cream
SPF
Anyone who knows anything about skincare for men swears by EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad-Spectrum. Why? Because it’s just that good, plain and simple. Once you’re over 40, you don’t want to spend time trying the latest and greatest products that might or might not work for you. This sunscreen is a favorite of dermatologists, facialists, and moms everywhere. It’s not greasy, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free, but it also contains antioxidants that help protect against skin-damaging free radicals. There are plenty of other reasons why this sunscreen is so good, like the addition of niacinamide and lactic acid, but it’s the combination of all these elements that creates the perfect SPF protection.
EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad-Spectrum
Vitamin C
Have you ever looked at your face on what would otherwise be considered a “good skin day” and just felt it was lacking … something? That something is brightness, and it’s another one of those things that dull as you age. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and aids in your skin’s natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells. The result is brighter, glowing skin that will make you look at least 10 years younger. The Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Serum by L’Oreal is a great drugstore find formulated with 10% vitamin C to reduce wrinkles and leave skin looking brighter and feeling softer. Apply it in the morning before your SPF, as vitamin C can actually help your SPF work better in protecting your skin against the sun’s harmful rays.
L’Oreal Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Serum
Retinol
If you started using retinol in your 30s, you’re ahead of the curveball, and your skin is better for it. If you’re in your 40s, it’s not too late to start incorporating this wrinkle-reducing miracle ingredient in your skincare routine. This retinol from Skinceuticals is consistently hailed as one of the best, and at 1% strength, it’s incredibly powerful. If you’re new to retinol, use it once a week as the last step in your routine. Apply a tiny amount where you get wrinkles, like on your forehead and around your smile lines, and use sparingly everywhere else. After a month or two, you should see visible brightening, refining, and tightening results that will make you believe in the anti-aging power of a great men’s skincare routine.
Skinceuticals Retinol 1.0
Editors' Recommendations
What is the Best Anti-Aging Cream for Men?
WHAT IS THE BEST ANTI AGING CREAM FOR MEN
What is the Best Anti-Aging Cream for Men?
Showing signs of aging isn’t something anyone really wants. That being said, despite eating healthy and monitoring your health, wrinkles and other signs of aging are inevitable. At Biotherm we understand your frustration which is why we have developed a ton of amazing anti-aging products that can help give you younger looking skin including the best face cream for men and the best eye cream for men! Men’s face care wrinkles routine is quite similar to other skincare routines, you just want to ensure you’re using anti aging products. Since dry skin shows wrinkles more, it is important to keep your skin hydrated with the best moisturizer for men. Hydrated skin looks plumper which means wrinkles are far less visible. Whether you’re just starting to show signs of aging or already have been for quite some time, we have the best face moisturizer for men to give you a more youthful complexion!
What is the Best Face Cream for Men Who Want Younger Looking Skin?
If your skin is just starting to show the first signs of aging, our Age Fitness Collection is perfect for you! Our Age Fitness Advanced Day Moisturizer is the best face cream for men for first signs of aging, as it protects your skin from the urban aggressors such as pollution, dust, and smoke that cause your skin to age prematurely. Our Age Fitness Advanced Night Moisturizer contains blue and green micro-algae extracts to give your skin a fresh looking tone when you wake up. This moisturizer for men also protects your skin from urban aggressors and gives your skin serious hydration and a youthful complexion! Since your eyes are the first spot to show signs of aging, it is important to treat them which is why we created our Age Fitness Eye Advanced Eye Care. This is the best eye cream for men and is also formulated with green and blue micro-algae extracts to smooth out persistent signs of fatigue to give your complexion a more alert and refreshed appearance!
If your skin has shown signs of aging for a while now and needs a bit more care, our Force Supreme Collection is what you need in your men’s face care wrinkles skincare routine! First step, our Force Supreme Life Essence works to reduce major signs of aging to give your skin a younger looking appearance. In just 5 days, it visibly shrinks enlarged pores and smooths age-altered texture so that your skin looks smooth and refined! Then our Force Supreme Lotion is perfect if you’re concerned with wrinkles and aging. This is the perfect step to prep your skin for the anti-aging treatments that are to follow as it helps make those other products absorb better and work faster. The lotion leaves your skin looking plumped and radiant. For day cream, you’ll want to try out our Force Supreme Youth Architect Cream as it is the best moisturizer for men. It is specifically designed to act on visible signs of aging. This cream helps reshape your skin layer by layer to restore strength and gives your skin a more youthful appearance. And, for your night cream, we have developed our Force Supreme Black Regenerating Care. This is the best face moisturizer for men as it contains the recharging power of dark activated algae extract in a black fusion transforming gelée to boost your skin cells’ energy at night. This moisturizer also maximizes your skin’s resilience when you wake up! This duo of moisturizers is the best anti aging cream for men!
Anti-Aging Skincare Set by Cardon
full ingredients
Active Ingredients: (Reef-safe) Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octyl Salicylate We chose not to use a Zinc-based formula because it left a white residue and felt thick on the skin, which often deter people from using sun protection every day. We are still working to innovate in the sunscreen space and develop a mineral sunscreen that has the same lightweight texture as our current chemical one. We do not use Oxybenzone or Octinoxate, which are known to harm coral reef.
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodiumacryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Behenyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodiumacryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Isohexadecane, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem (Prickly Pear Cactus) Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Oxygen
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