The Best Beauty Products for Men to Put Your Best Face Forward

What’s the difference between the best beauty products for men and your everyday grooming gear? It may seem like a question of semantics, but I’d like to pose a meaningful distinction. If you want to look classically handsome, like, say, George Clooney or Michael B. Jordan, then call it a grooming product. But if you aren’t afraid to look or feel beautiful (your Harry Styleses and Cole Escolas), then don’t be afraid to call it a beauty product.

Because for as long as men have been buying skin care products, beauty brands have been taking women’s products, slapping a black label on them, marking down the price, and selling them to men. More recently, there’s been a boom in skin care brands just for men—the men’s “beauty” market has gotten so crowded that we’ve even seen brands rise and fall. (R.I.P. Disco!) But no matter what you call the category, these products are about more than vanity: They help you show the world the best, most confident version of yourself.

Personally, I aspire to be handsome, but I’ve tested hundreds (thousands?) of skin, hair, and grooming products in my career, including men’s cosmetic products. So, to get the lowdown on the top men’s beauty brands, I consulted a beautiful man (at least, according to People magazine) and my favorite dermatologist. Based on their input, my own first-hand testing, and GQ’s formidable archive of grooming reviews, I’ve put together a guide to beauty products for men. From the top luxury men’s skin care brands to drugstore finds, I’ve gathered everything a fella needs to look and feel beautiful. You’ll find hair care must-haves, skin care and anti-aging champs, essential shaving gear, and a few of our fragrance favorites.

The Best Men’s Beauty Products, According to GQ

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In This Guide

Hair

A few months ago, I had a nightmare that my hairline started to recede. It was the scariest dream I’ve had in years. Whether your hair is your best feature (guilty) or you’re clinging to every last strand, a good ‘do goes a long way toward making a good first impression. To help you revitalize your hair care routine, we’ve gathered the best shampoo, conditioner, and styling products for men. Don’t be afraid to go a step further and explore the best hair loss treatments, too.

Ouai

Fine Hair Shampoo

For fine-haired guys, Ouai’s award-winning shampoo strengthens and softens your hair, which shouldn’t be possible.

Moisturizing Shampoo

This comes as close to a two-in-one shampoo-conditioner without actually being one (Sachajuan, of course, has conditioners for the whole spectrum of hair needs, too); but this product gives any user what they need: a non-stripping and proactively nourishing rinse that helps even the most vulnerable or difficult of strands.

Baxter of California

Deep Clean Shampoo

Trying to cut back on your shampoo use? Baxter’s Deep Clean shampoo uses apple cider vinegar to cleanse your hair and scalp, leaving them fresh for days.

Prose

Custom Shampoo and Conditioner

In general, we think Prose’s custom hair care products are a better value for women, but if you have long hair, curly hair, or intesive hare care needs, then Prose’s custom formulas are worth the splurge.

Dyson

Supersonic Hair Dryer

It’s been well over a decade since Dyson introduced the Supersonic, and yet no other hair dryer comes close to matching it. Yes, it really is worth every penny—all 42,900 of them.

Mason Pearson

Handy Mixture Bristle Hair Brush

Yes, the famed hair brush with a century-long history and proud English lineage is worth the hype. It uses a combination of boar’s hair and nylon bristles to smooth out a variety of hair types. If you’re vegan (or if you already blew your beauty budget on the Dyson Supersonic), I’ve gotten great results from this $28 Amazon dupe.

Hims

Topical Minoxidil Serum

Hims is probably the most well-known name in hair growth products, and for good reason: This stuff works. The OTC serum utilizes minoxidil, a popular vasodilator, which we’ve personally experienced as giving people a fuller looking head of hair.

Blind Barber

101 Proof Classic Pomade

For a classic slicked look that’s easy to manage throughout the day, stock your bathroom shelf with Blind Barber’s 101 Proof pomade. This pomade has been the go-to pomade during the halcyon days of uppercuts of the mid-2010s, and has been in our arsenal ever since.

Skin Care & Anti-Aging

I believe both of these statements are true: A good skin care routine can take years off of your face; most skin care products are overpriced and unnecessary. So, how do you tell the difference between a must-have and a pointless splurge? My advice: Focus on ingredients over designer labels and big promises. For acne or dark spots, you want salicylic acid and other exfoliators. For moisturization, try hyaluronic acid or squalane. For collagen support, peptides and niacinamide. And when you need to call in backup, add a retinol to your skin care routine.

I spoke to Dr. Muneeb Shah, aka the “DermDoctor,” a board-certified dermatologist and founder of the new skin care brand Remedy. Dr. Shah said that a good skin care routine (a face wash, moisturizer, and SPF, at the minimum) is the foundation for lasting good looks as you age. But it’s also important to be realistic. We’ve all seen celebrities who seem impervious to aging, but the truth is, the Hollywood glitterati are regular visitors to plastic surgeons. Modern male celebs are using everything from steroids and veneers to laser treatments, Botox, and fillers, fillers, fillers.

“It all starts with good habits, right?” Shah says. “And then, we describe it as a plateau. Like, eventually, you’re going to max out the benefits from your peptides and your retinol, right? Once you do that, then it’s time to move on to some procedures…So, there are a lot of male celebrities who look great, look natural, that are getting these beauty treatments done. But it really all starts with a really good skin care routine, and then, you know, getting some laser treatments and maybe even a little bit of filler in the jaw, maybe a little bit of Botox in the forehead, around the eyes. Those are probably the most common things I’m seeing my male patients do.”

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