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The 5 best clean skincare products for men

 

The 5 best clean skincare products for men

What exactly is ‘Clean Skincare’?

While there is no official definition, clean skincare can mean a lot of things or it can mean nothing other than words on a label. For this article, we’re looking at products that are safe, non-toxic, and have transparent labeling of ingredients.  Clean skin care products for men is a rapidly growing niche with more brands jumping on board as men define their self-care and rituals, with clean skincare products being a significant part of that journey.

My reluctant journey 

Long before my current role in the technology field, I had a 14-year run as a hairstylist and my wife had a longer run in the beauty and cosmetics field. I knew hair, she knew skin. Our evening pre-bedtime ritual was something like this: Her: “Here, put this moisturizer on. It’ll keep your skin looking younger and help hold off early wrinkling wrinkles”, Me: “No! I don’t want to look younger. I’m always mistaken for being younger than I am. Wrinkles aren’t that bad for men, I’ve earned them!” You can guess who eventually won that disagreement based on the title of this article. Now it’s an interesting journey exploring the landscape of men’s skincare products and I’m happy to take you along. Hope you find this informative.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I do or would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through links on this site at no additional cost to you.

The Products

  1. Jack Henry Super Face Oil 
A bottle  of Jack Henry's Super Face Oil from the JackHenry.co website
Jack Henry is a personal favorite of mine I discovered in my search for clean natural hair products that actually worked. The hair product list will be another article.  You might be concerned about putting oil on your face but this is a light compound that absorbs quickly and a little bit goes a long way. Staying true to their transparent labeling, the clean and natural ingredients for the Super Face Oil are organic prickly pear oil, organic camellia seed oil, organic baobab oil, organic cacay oil, organic açaí seed oil, organic red raspberry seed oil, organic sea kelp, organic gardenia oil, organic sandalwood oil, and organic vanilla oil.

The fragrance is light as is the product with a focus on hydration, firmness, and sun protection. Recommended for all skin types.

Pros: 

Lightweight, hydrating, sustainable glass packaging, non-shiny

Cons:

Pricey at $68  for a 1 oz bottle


  1. Dime Hyaluronic Acid Serum
A bottle of Dime's Hyaluronic Acid Serum from Dime's website dimebeauty.com.
I was a user of Dime H.A.S. before discovering Jack Henry’s Super Face Oil. I still use this in the evening. While not branded as a men’s product line Dime is neutral in fragrance and minimalist in its simple black bottle with clean text. 

What is Hyaluronic acid? Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in the fluids in the eyes and joints. It acts as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. It helps keep things hydrated. Hyaluronic acid is very good at retaining water and is used in moisturizing creams, lotions, ointments, and serums. It makes your skin flexible, helps skin stretch and flex, and reduces skin wrinkles and lines. 

A Little goes a long way with recommended usage of 3 to 4 drops twice a day, morning and evening. 

Pros: 

Lightweight, hydrating, sustainable glass packaging

Cons:

The darkness of the bottle can make it difficult to gauge how much is left.

Check it out here 

 $38 for a 1 oz bottle


  1. Atwater Eye Armor Eye Moisturizer
a tube of Atwater Eye Armor from the  Atwaterskin.com website.
Atwater is a new brand, launched in August 2022, focused solely on men’s skincare needs founded by Chris Salgardo, who spent 18 years as president of Kiehl’s. Atwater uses bold masculine naming conventions for their products with labels Heavy Armor for daily use on normal to dry skin or Smooth Target shaving cream and Oil Regulator for oily and combination skin. 

The Eye Armor cream highlights the use of caffeine, Niacinamide and yeast-added Rice extracts as well as being Dermatologist-tested. Clean. Vegan. Fragrance-free. Cruelty-free.

Pros

Caffeine helps depuff eyes ( and it is easier than a coffee mask)

Easy to dispense tube

Cons

The ingredient list is substantially longer than other products on this list.

$25 for a .5 oz tube


  1. Jack Henry Super Face Cream
A tube of Jack Henry's Super Face Cream from the Jackhenry.co website
If you prefer a cream instead of the oils mentioned above the Super Face Cream is highly moisturizing with a matte finish and medium + density. 

The ingredients list reads like something you could cook with containing organic olive oil, organic prickley pear oil, organic camellia oil, and organic jojoba oil as a partial list. NOTE: I’m not stating you can or should cook with this – Please don’t! 

Pros

Packaged super face cream in a fully recyclable, sustainable aluminum tube. lined with a non-BPA liner to prevent any leaching of the tube material into the product.

Fully transparent ingredient list

Cons

If you don’t get the top on just right and toss it in your suitcase you will end up hydrating everything in your dopp kit, but that may have been user error.

$48 for a 2oz tube


  1. Caldera + Lab The Deep Reviving Mask
a tube and packaging of The Deep Reviving Mask from the calderalab.com website
caldera + Lab The Deep Reviving Mask

Caldera + Lab The Deep is that great once-a-week deep clean. Note: If you have facial hair you’ll want to keep this product out of your mustache and /or beard. Just apply a thick layer of the mud to your face and leave on for about 20  minutes and wash it off with a gentle cleanser.  

While the mud dries you can either lace some cucumber slices over your eyes and sip some herbal tea or throw on camo and do your best Rambo in the river impersonation.

Pros

Fully transparent ingredient list.

Cons

Some users may not enjoy the tingling sensation. 

$42 for a 2.25 oz tube


Wrapping Up

The list of high-quality, natural, and clean men’s self-care products is growing rapidly. There are several others I didn’t touch on in the list that we’ll get to in another article. 



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