How to Choose a Moisturiser That Suits Your Skin
Choose a moisturiser for men by skin type first and marketing last. Oily skin wants a light gel or lotion labelled non-comedogenic. Dry skin wants a cream with something to hold water in (glycerin, hyaluronic acid) and something to seal it (ceramides, shea, squalane). Sensitive skin wants the shortest, fragrance-free ingredient list you can find. For daytime, a moisturiser with SPF 30 saves a step. The “for men” label is mostly packaging; men’s skin is a little thicker and oilier on average, but the same rules apply. Expect to test for two to three weeks before judging.
Work out your skin type in one afternoon
Most men guess and guess wrong, usually because they wash with bar soap and conclude their skin is dry when it is just stripped. Try this on a normal day:
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, pat dry and put nothing on it.
- Wait about an hour, doing whatever you would normally do indoors.
- Look in good light and press a clean tissue to your forehead, nose and cheeks.
- Shiny everywhere, oil on the tissue: oily.
- Shine on the forehead and nose only, cheeks comfortable or tight: combination, which is most men.
- Tight, dull or slightly flaky, nothing on the tissue: dry.
- Stings, flushes or itches easily with products or shaving: sensitive, which can sit on top of any of the above.
Your type shifts with the seasons. Combination skin in July can behave like dry skin in a heated office in January, which is why many men end up with two moisturisers.
Texture: the decision that matters most
| Texture | Feels like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gel | Watery, vanishes in seconds, no residue | Oily skin, hot weather, men who hate the feel of cream |
| Lotion / fluid | Light, spreads easily from a pump | Normal and combination skin, under SPF |
| Cream | Thicker, slight cushion on the skin | Dry skin, winter, night-time |
| Balm / ointment | Heavy, stays on top | Very dry patches, windburn, overnight repair |
If a product feels unpleasant you will stop using it within a fortnight, however good the ingredients are. Pick the lightest texture that keeps your skin comfortable until the evening.
Ingredients worth looking for
You do not need to read the whole list. Scan for a few names that do known, useful jobs:
- Glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Humectants: they draw water into the outer layer of skin. Useful for every type.
- Ceramides. Fats that are a natural part of the skin barrier. Good for dry, sensitive or over-washed skin.
- Squalane, shea butter, dimethicone. Emollients and occlusives that smooth the surface and slow water loss. More of these as you move from oily to dry.
- Niacinamide. A well-tolerated vitamin B3 derivative that many people with oily or combination skin find helps with shine and redness.
- SPF 30 or above in a daytime product, with a UVA rating. The NHS sun safety advice sets out what to look for on the label.
What to avoid, and when
- Added fragrance and essential oils if your skin is sensitive or you get red after shaving. “Unscented” is not always the same as “fragrance-free”; look for the latter.
- High alcohol content near the top of the ingredients list, especially in aftershave-style “moisturisers”. The cool, tight feeling is your skin drying out.
- Heavy oils and butters on oily or spot-prone skin. Look for “non-comedogenic” on the label as a starting point, not a guarantee.
- Stacking actives. A moisturiser with retinol, plus an exfoliating toner, plus a daily shave is a lot of irritation for one face. Introduce one at a time.
How to test a new moisturiser without wasting money
- Buy the small size or ask for a sample if the shop offers one.
- Patch test first if you react easily: a little on the side of the neck or inner arm for a couple of days.
- Change one thing at a time. If you also switch cleanser and razor that week, you will not know what caused what.
- Give it two to three weeks, using it every day. The first few days tell you about feel; the later ones tell you about breakouts and dryness.
- Judge at 4pm, not 8am. The question is whether your skin is still comfortable, and not shiny or tight, by the end of a working day.
How and when to apply it
Put moisturiser on slightly damp skin within a few minutes of washing or shaving; it locks in more water that way. A pea-sized amount covers the face, a little more if you include the neck, which most men forget and which is where shaving irritation tends to sit. Warm it between your fingertips and press it in rather than scrubbing. In the morning, use your SPF product last. At night, a slightly richer cream is fine if you are dry.
If you shave, moisturiser does double duty as an aftershave balm, so long as it is fragrance-free. Our guide to a simple skincare routine for men shows where it fits with cleanser and SPF, and the post on oily skin goes further for men who shine by midday.
Beards, stubble and moisturiser
A beard does not remove the need for moisturiser. The skin underneath is still skin, and dryness there shows up as flakes on a dark jumper. With stubble, a light lotion works through easily. With a fuller beard, a beard oil worked down to the skin often does the job better than a face cream. When you come in to Highgate Cuts for beard work, the visit starts with an assessment, so it is a good moment to ask the team whether the irritation you are seeing is dryness, product build-up or a shaving issue.
A hot towel shave, which takes 20 to 30 minutes, is a useful way to see how your skin responds when it has been properly prepared for a blade. Details are on our barber page.
If you have persistent redness, scaling or itching that no moisturiser improves, see a pharmacist or your GP: conditions such as eczema, rosacea or seborrhoeic dermatitis need more than a change of cream.
Questions we get asked
Do men need a men’s moisturiser?
No. Choose by skin type, texture and ingredients. Many unisex or “women’s” products are identical in function and sometimes better value; the main difference is often fragrance.
Will moisturiser make oily skin worse?
Not if you choose a light, non-comedogenic gel or lotion. Skipping moisturiser and washing more often tends to leave oily skin feeling tight and looking shinier by the afternoon.
Morning or night?
Both if your skin is dry. If it is oily, a light SPF moisturiser in the morning may be all you need.
How long does a tub last?
Used daily, a standard 50ml tub typically lasts a couple of months. If it lasts six, you are probably using too little or skipping days.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready for a proper cut? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
Visit The Highgate House · The barbers
The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
