These products belong in your gym bag.
Until recently, female-focused skincare brands would release capsule collections with fragrances and packaging designed to attract men, but with very similar formulas to the women's range, says Kate Roach, Equinox's New York City–based regional spa manager and retail development lead. But men do need something different: they tend to have larger pores and coarser facial hair than their female counterparts, and generally produce more sebum (and thus oil) as well.
Here, six of the best new mens skincare brands, all of which were founded in the last two years.
Caldera + Lab
Launched by former pro-wrestler and actress Stacey Keibler and her husband in January 2019, this Jackson Hole–based brand prioritizes local, entirely non-toxic ingredients and high-altitude skin needs. As of now, they sell just one product, a face serum called The Good, which is made from 27 botanicals harvested in Wyoming’s Teton Mountains. Meant to be used after cleansing, it's a one-step routine that purports to moisturize and reduce lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. It's sold in a one-ounce container—ideal for using in the locker room.
Doers of London
Started in 2019, this U.K. brand was designed with the athlete in mind. The seven items include a sebum-balancing face cleanser and a hydrating cream that purports to combat inflammation, UV damage, and collagen breakdown. U.S. shipping is available here.
Huron
Direct-to-consumer brand Huron embraces clean-living standards with products that feature 100 percent vegan ingredients. In addition to its core offerings—face wash and lotion—the collection extends beyond the purely utilitarian, offering an eye stick infused with plankton and aloe.
Jaxon Lane
Jaxon Lane is heavily inspired by Korean beauty—in fact, their breakout product, the Bro Mask, is produced in South Korea. The mask boasts redness-reducing vitamin B3, collagen, and botanical extracts. They also sell sunscreen that goes on clear and Shake and Wake, a powdered, exfoliating face wash with popular K-beauty ingredients like papaya and pineapple enzymes.
Koa
The founders of this company both have family ties to Hawaii, which inspired their commitment to the environment: Koa donates one percent of its proceeds to ocean conservation and uses recycled and recyclable materials in every product. Among the eco-conscious, eco-derived formulae are concentrated, yuzu-infused cleansers and sunscreen (available tinted or invisible) designed to meet high SPF standards and fight free radicals.
THE GREY
THE GREY's vitamin-enriched skincare purports to target dullness on a cellular level. The company's regimen consists of topical and ingestible products: Complementing the main line (think: charcoal face wash and antioxidant serums) is a daily eight-pill cocktail that features açai and omega-3 powders.
Photo: Dimitris Theocharis / BLAUBLUT-EDITION.COM