To bring it back to the basics, the most important step in choosing a moisturizer is determining the type of skin you have. If you don’t know what type of moisturizer you need, we laid out a quick guide for you after the products. Check out our list of the 15 favorite moisturizers for men on the market.
Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer
- Key ingredients: 100% pure natural hemp seed oil
- Extras: Paraben, Gluten and THC free, 100% vegan
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Body Moisturizer
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid for moisture retention
- Extras: Fragrance and oil free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and non-irritating
Jack Black Cool Moisturizer Body Lotion
- Key Ingredients: Cooling ingredients, Jojoba oil
- Extras: Vitamin E and glycerin
NIVEA Men Maximum Hydration Nourishing Lotion
- Key ingredient: Glycerin and sea minerals
- Extras: Hydra –IQ technology
Alpha Skin Care Hydration Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Alpha hydroxy acid
- Extras: Free of parabens and fragrances
Vaseline Men Body and Face Lotion
- Key ingredient: Petroleum jelly
- Extras: Non-greasy, fantastic fragrance
Bull Dog Natural Skincare for Men Body Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Green tea leaf extract
- Extras: Without artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, or ingredients from animal sources
Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Alpha hydroxy
- Extras: Fragrance-free, won’t clog pores
Bath and Body Works Midnight For Men Body Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Shea butter, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin E
- Extras: Fast absorbing, non-greasy, great fragrance
Men Science Androceuticals Advanced Body Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Hyaluronic acid and glycerin
- Extras: Unscented and oil free
Gold Bond Men’s Everyday Essentials Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Aloe leaf juice
- Extras: Non-greasy, fast absorbing, light fresh scent
Lubriderm Men’s 3 in 1 Fragrance – Free Lotion
- Key Ingredient: Mineral oil, aloe vera leaf extract
- Extras: Fragrance free, light weight, non-greasy
Kiehl’s Crème de Corps Body Lotion
- Key Ingredients: Beta carotene, cocoa butter, sesame oil, squalane
- Extras: Light and natural fragrance
Vaseline for Men Moisture Cooling Lotion
- Key Ingredients: Menthol
- Extras: Fast absorbing, non greasy
Camille Beckman Basics for Men Ultimate Tough Skin Relief
- Key Ingredient: Sweet almond oil, Vitamin E, Cucumber
- Extras: Light weight, non
Skin types & tips
Sensitive Skin: For those who’s skin experiences times of redness or irritation, it is likely very sensitive. It is important to select a lotion that aims for sensitive skin, as it will be without ingredients that cause issues (heavy fragrance for example).
Oily Skin: If your skin tends to carry a shine and is anything but dry and cracking, you likely have oily skin. In this case, reaching for a thick cream is just going to accentuate the oils and likely clog your pores – leading to acne or other less than desirable reactions. Oily skin still needs love; check out a moisturizer that is light, non-greasy and doesn’t carry heavy ingredients like almond oil in it.
Dry Skin: If your skin is prone to cracking or random dry patches, you likely suffer from dry skin. Winter months can increase these symptoms without properly moisturizing. For skin that is on the drier side, a thicker and heavier body lotion that contains soothing and hydrating ingredients like Shea butter will add life back to your skin.
Normal Skin: If your skin sits somewhere in the middle of the last two, you likely have normal or combination skin. Just because it doesn’t take in either extreme doesn’t mean it should be neglected; finding a regular moisturizer with lighter ingredients and some moisturizing oils in it will keep your skin from the signs of aging.
What ingredients should you be looking for, and what ingredients should you be avoiding? In order for your skin to thrive, avoiding some harsher ingredients can be quite the game changer.
Say NO to parabens: In case you have been living under a rock, parabens are a group of compounds used as a preservative in many cosmetic products, and recently have been known to be a link to cancer. Parabens don’t offer anything great to your moisturizer, so avoiding them is a good idea in general.
Say YES to natural moisturizers: Natural is the way to go in order for your skin to maintain moisture. Shea butter, coconut or nut oils, aloe vera, and mineral oil all offer thorough moisturization.
Say NO to alcohols: Alcohol is a drying agent in lotions (and also completely counter-intuitive), and can lead to drying the skin out, causing bumps and irritation, and enlarging the pores
Say YES to sunscreen: Why not throw in some extra skin protection while you can? Many lotions are formulated with some kind of SPF value, giving you that extra shield against the outdoor extremities.
Say NO to thriethanolamine: Although it may just look like a complicated tongue twister, this ingredient is a huge skin and repertory irritant, and a big immune system toxicant. Although many cosmetics are created without it these days, it is always smart to check the label.
Say YES to silicone: Our skin’s elasticity is a product of collagen, and silicone based ingredients such as glyceryl stearate, jojoba oil, and other natural silicones will mimic collagen agents and will rebuild the skin’s elasticity. Say goodbye to wrinkles and dry spots!
So, what’s in it for you? Why will you take the extra 5 minutes after a shower to throw some moisturizer on? There are a lot of benefits to moisturize:
Smooths Calluses: If you’re the hands-on type of guy, you likely have calluses on your hands and feet. A quality moisturizer will soften these tough spots and can eventually break them down, keeping calluses at bay.
Anti-Aging: Wrinkles happen when the elasticity in our skin begins to fade. Our skin becomes prone to the signs of aging as we ourselves age; moisturizer can increase skin elasticity and keep the youthful appearance for a longer time.
Massage: If you have a special someone, moisturizing can become a relaxing thing by receiving a full body massage. No one will complain about that.
Protection: With exposure to extremities such as too much sun, high winds, extreme colds, and loads of pollution, an extra barrier to keep it all from affecting your skin is ideal. Lotion locks the moisture inside, and keeps the bad stuff at bay.
Sunscreen: Many lotions on the market include some type of built-in sunscreen; so doubling up the protection with only one application sounds incredibly ideal.