As the mercury begins rising and the warmer season gets into full swing, our skincare, self-care and beauty routines take on new significance and call for renewed attention.
It’s fair to say that men’s skincare has experienced a period of unprecedented and explosive growth in the past few years. While we can remember the men’s beauty section of even the more well-heeled department stores being little more than the corner of a shelf somewhere near the back, there’s now a hefty plethora of products, serums, creams, treatments, ointments and unguents to choose from.
What’s more – and as you’ll see from this seasonal rundown – many of the most esteemed new brands on the market have done away with gender divisions altogether, refreshingly focusing on gender-neutral skincare that works wonders on everybody.
With such tyranny of choice to serve a relatively basic need – we just want to look healthier, younger and altogether more radiant than we were perhaps feeling on the chilly winter mornings of the start of the year – a little curation and discernment is called for. As ever, we’ve got your back. Here are our essential picks for men’s skincare and beauty products for the second quarter of the year, sure to leave you exuding effortless confidence and looking your best.
Evenswiss Regenerating Plasma
We all need a bit of renewal and rejuvenation when the first flash of warm weather rolls around, and regeneration is the name of the game for this remarkable ‘super skin supporter’ from leading Swiss skincare brand, Evenswiss.
It’s a solid daily all-rounder for men’s skin, and would be a particularly savvy addition to take along on an end-of-season alpine trip – the 5X concentration of dermatopoietin peptide complex (Evenswiss’ unique signature formula for boosting elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid within the dermis) would work wonders after exposure to the elements, tightening the skin for a youthful and refreshed appearance.
Fjör Hydrolytic Serum
It’s no secret I’m a longtime aficionado of Scandi innovations, and fjör hydrolytic serum – the first hydrolytic serum in the world, or so I’m told – perfectly encapsulates that essence of nordic simplicity of which I’m so fond. In fact, for much of the past month, my skincare routine has consisted of pretty much nothing but a daily application of this serum; it’s designed as a one-step skincare routine for every skin type, making it ideal for men with little time to ritualise their morning ablutions.
The fact that fjör have made an all-in-one serum for all skin types – rough, dry, sensitive, oily, acne prone or rather boringly normal, like mine – is fairly astonishing in itself, and comes down to the serum’s hydrolytic enzyme formula that targets damaged cells while providing a balanced microbiome for the skin. Anti-aging, profound hydration, gentle exfoliation and pollution protection; fjör removes the need for a bag full of moisturisers, retinols and toners, making it ideal for travelling light and looking fantastic.
Grown Alchemist Giving Me Time Set
We’re no strangers to the wonderful items produced by Grown Alchemist here at The Review, but it’s time to give the brand real credit for their applaudable gender-neutral product range and design credentials, alongside formulas that work with a wide array of men’s and women’s skin types.
This is perfectly showcased in the Giving Me Time Gift Set; a sophisticated array of daily essentials for men (or women) in need of Grown Alchemist’s brilliant creations, each containing a kaleidoscopic spectrum of wondrous botanical ingredients optimised for transformative skincare and enduring revitalisation. A gentle gel facial cleanser (featuring the winning Mediterranean garden combo of extracts from geranium, bergamot and rosebud), a hydrating day cream, my new all-time favourite exfoliant and a smoothing serum – it’s a one-way ticket to brighter, more youthful and visibly healthier skin.
Advanced Nutrition Programme: Skin Ultimate
I’ve got to be honest, I’d never even considered taking supplements as part of my skincare regimen before. My diet is good, I get plenty of fresh air and exercise… could a few pills each day really make a difference?
The fact of the matter is, yes – they probably can. I’m at the age where not only is my body less capable of producing or metabolising some of the essential components needed by my skin (and ongoing quest to stay looking at least reasonably youthful), but I’m also at the age wherein it’s really starting to show. The ‘Skin Ultimate’ supplements by the Advanced Nutrition Programme feature plenty of goodness which the human body can’t produce by itself, including a huge whack of vitamin A and D and Omegas 3 and 6 (for overall skin health, a host of seven antioxidants for free radical neutralisation, astaxanthin plus biotin for nourishment and a daily dose of CoQ10, everyone’s favourite 21st century skincare discovery for rejuvenation and repair.
There’s also something brilliantly quick and simple about popping a few pills with lunch, and seeing them achieve fairly impressive results within a week or two. I’m a convert.
Environ Youth EssentiA Vita Peptide Eye Gel
If there’s one part of my face I wish I’d started taking care of sooner, it’s the skin around my eyes. The combination of late nights, early mornings, rather too many intoxicants and a laissez-faire approach to overall health throughout my twenties and early thirties meant that now – as I’m facing forty – the more delicate skin around my eyes tell an occasionally tragic tale entirely of their own.
I was introduced to the Environ Youth EssentiA Vita Peptide Eye Gel during a trip to Environ’s HQ on Southwark Bridge, where I was informed about the importance of vitamin A for skincare and how it underpins all of Environ’s world-conquering product range. The eye gel is no exception, combining copious vitamin A with three scientifically-proven peptides for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, as well as enhanced moisturisation to revitalise and rejuvenate the eye area. If, like me, you’re a man whose eyes say more about your nocturnal habits than you’d perhaps like to give away, it’s definitely one to add to your basket.
