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Hi, Handsome!

Sometimes, I feel sorry for men: Too many of them have never experienced the particular joys of undereye concealer, mascara, or a proper, polish-free pedicure. They’re skeeved out by moisturizers. They’re squeamish about scent. They slap on sunscreen in the style of Mark Zuckerberg on a hydrofoil. To quote Cher, “Snap out of it!” There’s a whole world of pleasure beyond the land of Irish Spring. Oscar Wilde said, “One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art”—but that may be taking things a few steps too far. These are my favorite products for the handsome devil in your life.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images (Liberace)

Beau Domaine

$99

The Cream

Don’t hate this exceptional moisturizer just because Brad Pitt is behind it. Beau Domaine isn’t a typical celebrity brand. It comes from winemakers and scientists who isolated the polyphenols in their grape pomace to create a complex designed to protect skin cells.

HigherDOSE

$1,295

Infrared PEMF Go Mat

All you have to do is lie on this mat and let its infrared heat plus low-frequency electromagnetic pulses—known as PEMF—go to work on the body’s tissues. HigherDose claims it decreases inflammation, promotes blood flow, encourages cellular repair, and releases endorphins.

La Roche-Posay

$39.99

Anthelios UVDefense SPF 50

Men are notoriously bad at sunscreen. This one is lightweight, so it’s easy to wear, and it contains BEMT, a UV filter that until this summer was only available outside the U.S.

iS Clinical

$49

Cleansing Complex

It’s unusual for a cleanser to have a cult following, but this efficient, no-nonsense exfoliating wash has a broad appeal: it’s thorough without disturbing the skin barrier.

Doctor Rogers

$118

Day Preventive Treatment

I’m a broken record about my love for this vitamin C serum. It doesn’t sting or irritate skin like many similar products, and it has additional antioxidants that may help reduce the damage after sun exposure.

Avène

$31.99

Men Shaving Foam

Sure, you could make it easy and use Gillette whatever, but I suggest upping your game with this French shaving foam that’s designed for red or tight skin. Why not baby it with Avène’s famous thermal water?

Elysium Health

$65

Basis Supplement

This supplement comes from the brand co-founded by a researcher in aging at MIT. It contains a naturally occurring form of vitamin B3 that’s been shown to raise NAD+ levels, along with other polyphenols that may protect against cellular damage.

Costa Brazil

$48

Sabonete Líquido

If you’re not an aftershave person, but you are a shower person, consider this woody, citrusy body wash with hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and aloe leaf juice that aims to wash away everything except skin’s natural moisture.

Malin+Goetz

$20

Mandelic Acid Exfoliating Bar

For lovers of bar soap who like a good scrubbing, this one mixes volcanic pumice with mandelic and lactic acids to buff away dead skin cells. The eucalyptus scent is a refreshing, cooling eye-opener.

Nécessaire

$50

Rosemary Shampoo

An excellent daily shampoo with rosemary oil, which one small study suggests may fortify thinning hair. It combines the refreshing scent of the herb with ceramides to help prevent dryness.

Frama Herbarium

$45

Hand Cream

A hand cream from Denmark that smells like herbs and wood and moisturizes without creating a grease slick all over your keyboard.

My Neighbor’s Tallow

$64

Lavender on the Hudson

Maybe you drink raw milk and believe in the magic of tallow, which fans say helps with dry skin, dermatitis, psoriasis, and wound healing. This one smells like lavender rather than a strip steak.

Dr. Hauschka

$15

Lip Care Stick

When my sons borrow my lip balm, they always ask first whether it’s tinted or sparkly. Mistakes have happened. This one is a pure, unfussy, unflavored formula with no tint that gets the job done.

Embryolisse

$32

Lait-Crème Concentré

Makeup artists and models love this basic moisturizer for its subtle scent, lightweight texture, and reliability. Men like it for the same reasons, plus the price.

Marin

$34.99

Soothing Hydration Cream

Those with dry skin or eczema praise this soothing, hydrating, and repairing cream. It’s rich but not greasy and works well to spot-treat dry patches on the face, hands, and body.

STMNT Grooming Goods

$24.95

Matte Paste

If you like hair with a little extra oomph but aren’t a fan of the slick look—or vowels—this matte paste is just the thing. It won’t weigh down your hair or make you resemble Pete Hegseth.

Soft Services

$30

Buffing Bar

Smooth feet are so much nicer than sandpapery ones, and this bar embeds microcrystals and exfoliating acids in shea butter to help you get there. Keep it in the shower and give your feet a good scrub a few times a week.


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