Best Face Washes and Moisturizers for Men’s Skin

Men’s skin isn’t fundamentally different from women’s skin in structure, but daily shaving, generally thicker skin, and larger pores do change what a routine needs to accomplish. A lot of guys still wash their face with bar soap or whatever is in the shower, which tends to strip natural oils and leave skin tight, flaky, or prone to breakouts. The fix doesn’t require a ten-step routine — just two consistent products used correctly.

Best Overall Cleanser: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

CeraVe built its reputation on ceramides — lipids that are naturally part of your skin barrier — and its Foaming Facial Cleanser is formulated with three essential ceramides plus niacinamide, making it effective at removing oil and sweat without leaving skin feeling stripped. It’s developed with dermatologists, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic, which makes it a safe default for most skin types, including skin prone to post-shave irritation.

Best for Dry or Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

If your skin tends to feel tight or flaky after washing, the Hydrating (non-foaming) version from the same line is the better call. It uses the same ceramide base but skips the foaming surfactants that can be drying for some skin types, instead relying on hyaluronic acid to help the skin retain moisture during cleansing.

Best Dedicated Men’s Cleanser: Jack Black Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser

Jack Black built its line specifically around men’s skin and grooming habits, and the Pure Clean cleanser is formulated to be gentle enough for daily use while still cutting through the oil and grime that builds up over a work day. It’s a solid pick if you specifically want a men’s-branded product, though functionally it competes directly with CeraVe’s lineup.

Best for Acne-Prone or Reactive Skin: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

If CeraVe still leaves your skin reacting — redness, small breakouts, or that tight feeling even with the hydrating formula — La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane line is worth trying next. It’s built around the brand’s prebiotic thermal spring water along with niacinamide and ceramides, and it’s one of the more frequently recommended options by dermatologists for skin that reacts to fragrance or harsher surfactants. It’s a cream-gel texture rather than a true foam, so it cleanses gently without the squeaky-clean, stripped feeling that can actually trigger more oil production and breakouts afterward.

Best Overall Moisturizer: Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisturizer

Kiehl’s Facial Fuel has stayed a top pick in men’s grooming guides for years, and it’s formulated with caffeine and vitamin C for an energizing, slightly cooling finish — a nice option for mornings. It’s lightweight enough to wear under sunscreen and doesn’t leave the greasy residue some men associate with face moisturizer, which is often the real reason guys skip this step.

Best Value Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

CeraVe’s original Moisturizing Cream remains one of the best value picks in all of skincare, not just men’s. It’s fragrance-free, carries the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance, and combines ceramides with hyaluronic acid to lock in hydration — all at a price point that makes it easy to actually use it consistently, which matters more than any single ingredient.

Best for Oily or Combination Skin: Baxter of California Oil Free Moisturizer

Guys with oilier skin often avoid moisturizer altogether, worried it’ll make shine worse. Baxter of California’s oil-free formula is built to address that specifically — it hydrates without adding extra oil to skin that’s already producing plenty, which also helps reduce the midday shine that heavier creams can cause.

Building a Simple Two-Step Routine

Wash your face once or twice a day — morning and after a workout is plenty for most guys; washing more than that can actually irritate skin further. Pat dry rather than rubbing, then apply moisturizer while skin is still slightly damp, which helps lock in hydration. If you shave, moisturizing right after is doubly useful since it also soothes freshly shaved skin.

How you layer additional products matters as much as which products you buy. If you’re also using sunscreen, apply it after moisturizer once the moisturizer has mostly absorbed — layering a thick moisturizer over sunscreen instead can dilute the SPF coverage. And if you’re trying a new cleanser or moisturizer for the first time, give it one to two weeks before judging whether it’s working; skin genuinely adjusting to a gentler routine can look slightly worse for a few days (sometimes called a short “purging” phase with active ingredients) before it improves, and bailing too early just means restarting the adjustment period with a different product.

Bottom Line

CeraVe’s cleanser and moisturizing cream combination is the easiest, most affordable way to build a real skincare routine with zero guesswork. If you want something marketed specifically to men or prefer a lighter, more “energizing” feel in the morning, Kiehl’s Facial Fuel is worth the step up in price, and if your skin still reacts after trying CeraVe, La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane cleanser is the next logical step up in gentleness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need a separate moisturizer if my cleanser already feels hydrating?

Yes. Even a hydrating, non-foaming cleanser is still designed primarily to lift away oil, sweat, and dirt, not to leave a lasting moisture barrier on your skin afterward. A separate moisturizer is formulated to sit on the skin and slow water loss over hours, which a cleanser — rinsed off within a minute of application — simply can’t do.

Should I use a different moisturizer for day versus night?

Not necessarily, especially if you’re just starting a routine — one good moisturizer used consistently beats two mediocre ones used inconsistently. The main reason to split day and night is sunscreen: if your daytime moisturizer doesn’t include SPF, apply a separate sunscreen over it in the morning, and skip that step at night. Guys with oilier skin sometimes prefer a lighter gel moisturizer by day and a slightly richer cream at night, but it’s a refinement, not a requirement.