The Best Skincare Products for Men, According to a Celebrity Facialist
The Best Skincare Products for Men, According to a Celebrity Facialist
At a Glance
- Men's skin needs three things: a good cleanser, a moisturizer that does not clog pores, and a weekly reset treatment
- The right cleanser prevents the oiliness and congestion that builds up from daily shaving and environmental exposure
- A lightweight moisturizer with antioxidants and skin-replenishing ingredients is essential, even for oily skin
- A face mask used two to three times a week extends the results of professional treatment at home
- All four products below are available at joannavargas.com
Do Men Really Need a Skincare Routine?
The honest answer is no, not a routine in the traditional sense. You do not need 10 steps, a shelf full of bottles, or a color-coded schedule. What you do need are the right products for what your skin is actually dealing with every day.
As Joanna Vargas writes in her book Glow From Within: "Setting up a great skincare routine starts with the fundamentals." For men, those fundamentals are cleansing, moisturizing, and a weekly reset. That is it. Three steps. Two minutes in the morning, two minutes at night, and one mask a few times a week.
The products below are the ones Joanna recommends for men's skin specifically, built around the concerns she sees most often: shaving irritation, congestion, oiliness, and skin that looks tired before the day is even over.
What Skincare Products Do Men Actually Need?
Step 1: The Right Face Wash for Men
Why does cleanser matter so much for men's skin?
Joanna is direct about this in Glow From Within: "Along with sun protection and moisturizing, cleansing is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine." For men, daily shaving is a form of exfoliation that leaves the skin surface sensitized and reactive. Add the buildup of environmental pollutants, sebum, and daily stress, and the case for a proper cleanser becomes clear.
One critical warning from the book: "You shouldn't feel squeaky clean after you wash your face. If you do, it means your cleanser is too acidic, so your skin will overcompensate by producing too much sebum, soon becoming oily." This is the most common mistake men make: using a harsh, stripping cleanser and wondering why their skin stays oily. The answer is the cleanser itself.
Joanna also notes that products should go on within one minute of cleansing because "moist skin absorbs products more quickly, so you can get more bang for your buck if you act fast."
Joanna Vargas Vitamin C Face Wash ($40)
The Joanna Vargas Vitamin C Face Wash is a non-drying brightening cleanser formulated with grapefruit, acai, goji berry, and galactoarabinan, a natural exfoliant from the larch tree that boosts cell turnover more effectively than glycolic acid. It instantly brightens, keeps pores clean, removes daily pollutants, and leaves skin clean without stripping it. For men with oily or congested skin, the grapefruit provides natural salicylic acid to gently exfoliate while the antioxidant-rich acai and goji berry fight the free-radical damage that accumulates from sun and environmental exposure. Use morning and night.
- Instantly brightens
- Non-drying formula
- Keeps pores clean
- Nourishes with Vitamin C
What Moisturizer Should Men Use?
Do men need moisturizer if their skin is oily?
Joanna addresses this directly in Glow From Within: "If you have combination skin, not using the right moisturizer is going to cause the dry parts of your skin to become drier while the oily parts produce more sebum in an effort to compensate for the dryness. Suddenly, you become stuck in a cycle in which your skin never evens out."
The solution is not to skip moisturizer. The solution is to use the right one. For men, that means something lightweight with antioxidants, skin-replenishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, and emollients that prevent water loss without feeling heavy.
Joanna Vargas Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer ($90)
The Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer is a lightweight hydrating moisturizer powered by ginkgo biloba extract, a potent soothing antioxidant, and plant-based stem cells sourced from Swiss apples. Macadamia seed oil provides nourishing fatty acids without heaviness. Ceramides support the skin barrier. The formula soothes and plumps on contact, addressing the dryness and post-shave sensitivity that accumulates over time without leaving a greasy residue. Use morning and night after cleansing.
- Addresses full-spectrum signs of aging
- Hydrates and plumps on contact
- Minimizes the appearance of uneven skin tone
- Ideal for all skin types including stressed and inflamed skin
What Is the Best Face Mask for Men?
Do men need to use a face mask?
In Glow From Within, Joanna writes: "I love masks. They're the perfect combination of pampering and skin rejuvenation, providing a host of ways to improve your skin's tone, texture, level of hydration, and more." For men specifically, a mask used two to three times a week fills the gap between professional facial appointments, addressing the dullness, dryness, and fine lines that accumulate between visits.
Joanna also recommends clay-based masks for men with oily or congested skin to follow up after cleansing, particularly to keep pores clear between professional extractions. The key is consistency over intensity. Two to three uses a week is more effective than one aggressive treatment.
Joanna Vargas Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask ($25)
The Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask is the most versatile mask in the Joanna Vargas line for men's skin. It hydrates, regenerates, repairs, soothes, and brightens in a single application, addressing the five conditions that build up on men's skin between professional appointments: fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, loss of elasticity, and dullness. Apply after shaving to calm post-shave irritation, or use once a week on clean skin as a standalone reset treatment. Leave on for ten minutes and remove.
- Hydrates and soothes immediately on application
- Regenerates and repairs between professional appointments
- Ideal post-shave treatment for irritated skin
- Brightens dull, tired-looking skin
The Complete Two-Minute Men's Skincare Routine
This is the full system. Everything else is optional.
- Morning: Vitamin C Face Wash, then Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer. Apply moisturizer within one minute of cleansing.
- Night: Vitamin C Face Wash, then Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer.
- After shaving: Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask for ten minutes, then Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer.
- Once a week: Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask as a standalone reset on clean skin.
- Monthly: The Gentleman's Facial at Joanna Vargas to clear what accumulates below the surface.
Two products daily. One mask a few times a week. One professional appointment a month. That is the complete system.
Frequently Asked Questions: Men's Skincare Products
What skincare products do men actually need?
A non-stripping cleanser, a lightweight moisturizer with antioxidants and skin-replenishing ingredients, and a face mask used two to three times a week. These three products address the core concerns of men's skin: congestion from shaving and environmental exposure, oiliness caused by sebum overproduction, and dullness from accumulated buildup.
Should men wash their face morning and night?
Joanna recommends cleansing at night without exception: "Never, ever skip nighttime cleansing. If you fall into bed with your makeup on and sleep in it overnight, your skin cells won't be able to rejuvenate." For men with oily or congested skin, cleansing both morning and night is the right approach. For drier skin types, once at night is sufficient.
Is the Vitamin C Face Wash good for oily skin?
Yes. The grapefruit in the formula provides natural salicylic acid, which is the preferred exfoliant for oily and congested skin. The galactoarabinan boosts cell turnover without stripping the skin. The result is a cleanser that keeps pores clear without triggering the overproduction of sebum that harsh cleansers cause.
Can men use the Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer if they have oily skin?
Yes. The Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer is a lightweight formula that soothes and plumps without heaviness. For men with combination or oily skin, lightweight moisturizers with antioxidants and skin-replenishing ingredients are the right choice, as Joanna notes in Glow From Within. Skipping moisturizer entirely causes the skin to produce more sebum to compensate for dryness, which makes oiliness worse, not better.
How often should men use a face mask?
Two to three times a week. The Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask can be used after shaving as a post-shave calming treatment, or once a week as a standalone skin reset. Consistency is more important than frequency: two to three uses a week over time produces better cumulative results than occasional intensive use.
What is the best skincare routine for men who shave daily?
Cleanse with the Vitamin C Face Wash morning and night. After shaving, apply the Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask for ten minutes to soothe, hydrate, and repair the micro-irritation shaving creates. Follow with the Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer to lock in hydration. Book The Gentleman's Facial once a month to clear the deeper congestion that daily shaving contributes to over time.
Where can I buy Joanna Vargas skincare products for men?
All products are available at joannavargas.com. The Gentleman's Facial is available at Joanna Vargas spa locations in Midtown New York, Brooklyn, and West Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Ready to Start?
The Vitamin C Face Wash, Eden Hydrating Pro Moisturizer, and Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask are available now at joannavargas.com. Pair them with a monthly Gentleman's Facial for the complete men's skincare system.
