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The top 5 skincare products men should be using this summer
This is your IndyBest-approved guide to perfecting your bathroom shelf line-up
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Your support makes all the difference.As temperatures rise, your summer skincare routine may need small tweaks to get the best out of your products. Humidity and heat can leave your skin feeling greasy, so lighter layers are key, as well as ensuring you’re applying sunscreen daily to protect from UV damage.
If you’re unsure where to start with a summer skin regime, we’ve got you covered with our guide to the top five products worth a spot on your bathroom shelf.
Spanning cleansers, serums, moisturisers and more, each one has been tried and tested by our team of experts here at IndyBest, no matter if blemishes, oiliness, dry skin or dehydration is your concern.
We’ve also considered budget, so if you’re keen not to spend a fortune in the pursuit of a healthy, hydrated and blemish-free complexion, you’ll find affordable options here, too.
1. Cleanser
The start of any skincare routine is cleansing, first thing in the morning and evening. Not only is this hygienic for keeping skin clean and fresh, but it’s also important for removing every scrap of sweat, grime and SPF from your day, which will help the rest of the products you use work much more efficiently.
In our review of the best cleansers, our tester loved The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser (£14.90, Lookfantastic.com), and not just for its low price tag for a 150ml tube.
It’s a balm-based cleanser but leaves behind no greasy residue, is free from common irritants such as fragrance and alcohol, and is non-comedogenic so won’t clog pores, which can often lead to breakouts.
”After applying a small amount in your hands, you rub them together until the colour changes from a white cream to a clear oil. The product felt thick and moisturising on the skin, giving a nice creamy feeling,” they said.
2. Hyaluronic acid serum
The benefits of hyaluronic acid are well known, but for the uninitiated, allow us to explain. It’s a humectant, whose purpose is to hydrate, smoothe and soothe skin. This includes reducing redness, improving dullness and boosting elasticity.
It works by attracting, and retaining, moisture, which not only softens the skin but delivers a plumping effect, too. Hyaluronic acid molecules can attract up to 1,000 times their own weight in water, keeping skin feeling smooth and dewy throughout the day.
In our guide to the best hyaluronic acid serums, our writer saw results in days with the Perricone MD high potency hyaluronic intensive serum (£66, Lookfantastic.com). Describing it as “instantly hydrating without being too rich”, it was our top pick if fine lines are your concern.
”We noticed a brighter and more moisturised complexion within just a few days of regular use in the mornings and evenings. It’s great for those looking to minimise the appearance of fine lines and to create a more supple look, too. It also contains niacinamide (aka vitamin B3), which will add an extra brightening effect and stop you having to use a different B serum if that’s a product you like to incorporate into your routine,” they said.
3. Vitamin C serum
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has a multitude of benefits for the skin, including reducing wrinkles, scarring and dark spots, increasing collagen production and preventing sun damage - making it perfect for your summer skincare routine. It’s designed to be applied in the morning after cleansing but before moisturising.
While expensive, the Aesop lucent facial concentrate (£95, Lookfantastic.com) won the title of best all-rounder in our guide to the best vitamin C serums. It has a semi-matte finish to keep excess shine at bay and a silky texture that’s fast absorbing.
It’s an impressive ingredients list, too: “Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is the vitamin C of choice here and being the most stable option it won’t oxidise, so there’s much less worry about spending this much money on a product that could quickly go off,” said our tester. They added that “niacinamide, hydrogenated castor oil, boswellia carterii oil, fusanus spicatus wood oil and rosa damascena flower oil closely follow in the ingredient list providing a blend of moisturising, conditioning and nourishing ingredients that really are worth their weight in gold.”
4. Moisturiser
A staple in any skincare routine is a moisturiser, which can address many concerns, from dryness and flaking to excess oil production, and the latter can often be exacerbated in a balmy summer climate.
In a nutshell, moisturisers protect the skin barrier, prevent water loss and keep dehydration at bay. Typically, most are a blend of humectants and emollients, while others also contain active ingredients such as niacinamide for brightening and smoothing texture, SPF for extra sun protection, or salicylic acid for fighting blemishes.
Our grooming experts have tried and tested many, and in our guide to the best anti-ageing creams, the Bulldog age defence moisturiser (£9, Lookfantastic.com) won over our writer for its value for money, eco credentials and hardworking vegan formula.
“Designed for mature skin, Bulldog’s age defence moisturiser helps keep dry skin hydrated, while an antioxidant complex of rosemary, echinacea and vitamin E should protect against the ageing process,” they said. The “moisturiser doesn’t have a sunscreen, but it still makes a brilliant everyday anti-ageing essential – and all for less than a tenner.”
5. SPF
It goes without saying that wearing suncream is essential for skin health. Not only does it protect from UV rays and reduce your risk of skin cancer, sunburn and pigmentation, but too much sun is also responsible for accelerating the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
In recent years, the skincare industry has come a long way from the greasy, thick, sticky sun creams you may have hated wearing as a child, with plenty of lightweight formulas now available that leave no white cast, excessive shine or cause breakouts on acne-prone skin.
In our guide to the best sunscreens for your face, our top pick was the fuss-free Garnier Ambre Solair ultra-light sensitive sun protection face fluid SPF50+ (£13, Lookfantastic.com)
Not only is the pocket-size bottle perfect for stashing in a carry-on bag for travel, or in a beach bag for regular top-ups throughout the day, but the lightweight lotion is fast-absorbing and a bargain.
“It instantly absorbs into the skin, while hyaluronic acid and vitamin E give that hit of hydration. The smell is certainly your typical sunscreen, but it all but disappears after a couple of minutes once fully absorbed into the face with no greasy, shiny residue,” said our tester.
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Looking for a new moisturiser? Read our guide to the best anti-ageing creams for men that will help you achieve noticeable results