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Men are experiencing a Golden Age of skincare, bolstered both by societal acceptance of taking care of yourself (you can moisturize in a public bathroom without being shamed) and the new male-focused grooming brands popping up every week (we’ve got the receipts in our inboxes). But there’s one big hurdle we have yet to climb: women’s skincare products, on the whole, are still much, much better.
Take The Ordinary, a sub-brand of beauty company Deciem. I recently discovered it the way I discover most of my favorite skincare products — by stealing test samples from my girlfriend’s half of our medicine cabinet. Now, I’m hooked. I even went to a brick-and-mortar Deciem by myself this weekend (please clap) to stock up on my new favorite moisturizer.
Basically, The Ordinary’s mission is to offer the active ingredients present in the skincare you currently use (aka your face goop, minus the filler) at unrivaled price points. But because it’s a little intimidating for a first-timer, or for those who don’t have a partner to talk them through the offerings, I’ve collected five of my favorites below.
Put down try-hard alpha-male branded skincare. Pick up these instead.
The Moisturizer: Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
This moisturizer does the unthinkable; not only is it not greasy, irritating or heavy, you can also hydrate your entire face (and neck!) with a quarter-sized dollop. I have sensitive skin, so I know what I’m talking about. You could buy the 30ml size for $5.80, but trust me, you’re going to love it, so go ahead and get the 100ml size for just $7.70.
The Sunscreen: Mineral UV Filters SPF 30 With Antioxidants
A daily mineral sunscreen (anyone who has tried to switch from synthetic knows these don’t normally come cheap), with added hydration and anti-irritation support.
The Face Wash: Squalane Cleanser
It’s classified as a “face cleanser and makeup remover,” but don’t let that second part deter you! Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you need a face wash with a dog, rhino or old-timey pugilist on the bottle. Sometimes you just need one that works, like this.
The Acne Spot Treatment: Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
Got a pimple you want gone by the morning? Dab a small bit of this on it. And if it still hasn’t gone away, don’t worry, unlike other brands this is gentle enough to use in the morning without worrying about inflammation.
The Hair Thickener: Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density
If you’re worried about losing your hair, or in the middle of that unenviable process, you’ve probably heard of or tried Argan oil (which The Ordinary also offers undiluted). This is a similar concept, but a new combination of extracts targeting thicker, denser and healthier hair.
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