Skincare longevity starts with a simple daily (and nightly) application of face cream. Get in the habit with one or two of these top men’s moisturizers.
The best moisturizer for men does so much more than just moisturize the skin. I prefer to think of moisturizers as a defensive product rather than a proactive one. That’s because they sit atop the surface of your skin (the epidermis) and trap existing moisture inside the deeper layers. This is especially important in dry seasons, climates, or air-conditioned rooms for keeping skin soft, and continued use of moisturizers has long-term anti-aging benefits because of this daily retention.
If you’re more keen on the word ‘longevity’ than ‘anti-aging’, then take note: daily moisturizer use is how you ensure longevity in skin suppleness, brightness, smoothness, etc. Moisturizers also act like an extra shield for your skin against toxins/pollutants in the air, which would otherwise compromise your skin’s elasticity and visibly “age” you faster.
Because of this, you can be less picky about the daytime moisturizer you choose; don’t busy yourself with finding one with a dozen active ingredients—at least not for a.m. use. What’s most important is that you wear one at all. So, find one that you’ll use routinely. One that matches your skin type, your environment, your budget… so that you keep using it and replenishing it. And with that, you’ll be set up for longterm success.
JUMP TO the Product Picks + Details
Or, if you’re short on time…
The Best Men’s Moisturizers
- Best Daytime Moisturizer for Men, All Skin Types (no SPF): Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
- Best Daytime Moisturizer for Men, All Skin Types (SPF): Cardon SPF 30 Moisturizer
- Best Night Cream for Men, Dry Skin / Dry Air: Kiehl’s Midnight Cloud Recovery Cream
- Best Night Cream for Men, Oily Skin / Humid Air: Cardon 3-in-1 Hydro Boost Gel
- Best Day & Night Moisturizer Set for Men: Cardon AM & PM Bundle
- Best Moisturizer for Day & Night: Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream
- Best Upgrade: Jackfir The Classic Daily Facial Moisturizer
- Best Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin: Cetaphil Mattifying Acne Moisturizer (0.5% Salicylic Acid)
- Best Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin: Physiogel Redness Relieving Facial Cream
How to Choose the Right Moisturizer
Find a moisturizer that matches your skin type (extra hefty for dry skin, extra light for oily skin; SPF in the daytime, replenishing at night—yes, it’s smart to have separate ones for daytime and bedtime). Many brands have products that work for a range of skin types too—most of my picks in this article are universal—though your needs may even change with the season, based on how sweaty you get in summer or how dry you get in the winter.
Most important though, is to choose one that feels comfortable and that becomes easy to build a habit around. You want to use this product every day, and the night cream you should use every night. The ones on my list should “feel” lightweight unless they’re designed to be hefty and extra defensive and extra nourishing.
I also like to remind people that, while sleeping, your skin is still exposed to elements—like cool dry air, or drying heat, depending on the season. So having a dense, defensive shield over skin can be the difference between waking up with refreshed skin, or with dry, dull skin. (Never hurts to have a good humidifier going…)
There are three ways you can approach building a moisturizing regimen, and they all work around the idea that you need SPF daily as the best anti-aging defense. Those 3 options are:
- Use a daytime moisturizer with SPF, and a separate night cream at bedtime, OR
- Use one non-SPF moisturizer both morning and night, and layer a facial SPF over top during the day, OR
- Use a daytime moisturizer (without SPF), a separate night cream, and then layer a facial SPF over top the moisturizer by day
I typically choose the first route for myself, since I like that it saves me from adding a standalone SPF application during the day, and allows me to have a dedicated and denser night cream for bedtime (which I especially appreciate in those dryer seasons and environments). It also means the daytime one can be lightweight and never feels suffocating for my pores, which I appreciate as a sweaty person.
When to Apply Moisturizer
Apply your moisturizer as the last step in your skincare regimen, after cleansing, and after any possible exfoliators or serums. If you apply SPF as a separate step, it can go on after the moisturizer.
The Best Moisturizers for Men
Best Daytime Moisturizer for Men, All Skin Types (no SPF): Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
GET IT: AMAZON
Why I Chose It: This is the global, guaranteed option—the one you can find anywhere, at any time, and trust to deliver. I bought mine in Portugal, knowing full well it would give me the same hydrating bennies as the ones I bought anywhere else. Ever reliable.
It’s also one of the easiest moisturizers to recommend because it sits right down the middle: lightweight, non-irritating, and deeply hydrating without ever feeling greasy. I say it’s for all skin types; but the brand targets Normal to Oily with it. So, consider these OTHER VARIANTS: Normal to Dry // Normal to Extra Dry // Night Time Pressed Serum.
I also like this gel cream as a “do-it-all” backup. Meaning, I can substitute it into any part of my regimen, if I’m using different moisturizers or testing various products. It’s great as a night cream, great lightweight day recovery cream, great in dry hotel rooms, great on flights, even great for your hands or knuckles when things get parched. Maybe it’s safer to say, if you want an all-in-one moisturizer, this is the pick (though it lacks SPF, and while there is a Hydro Boost option with SPF, I think my next pick satisfies that criteria best).
But yeah… Neutrogena, as un-inventive a pick as it may be for an editor who tests everything… the product proves one main thing: Skincare really can be this easy, and this budget friendly.
GET IT: AMAZON
Also clutch are their cleansing gel (in 16 oz. // 7.8 oz.) and hyaluronic acid serum. Basically, you’ll have soft, healthy, hydrated skin every second of the day.
Best Daytime Moisturizer for Men, All Skin Types (SPF): Cardon SPF 30 Moisturizer
Why I Chose It: I said it up top, but here it goes again: if you’re going to do one thing right in your skincare routine, make it daily SPF application. And if you want to save a step in your morning regimen, you should combine your moisturizer and SPF into one.
Cardon builds all of its hero products around soothing cactus extracts, which give this formula a calming, skin-friendly baseline. It’s a chemical sunscreen that absorbs quickly, feels weightless, and doesn’t mess with your beard: no residue, no discoloration, no stiffness. The brand’s Korean roots show here as well, since they have high-performance formulas, thoughtful ingredients, and accessible pricing.
A little goes a long way, too. You’ll get weeks of daily use out of one compact tube (which itself can tuck into your pocket), and it disappears into the skin almost instantly. That makes it an ideal “one-step” morning product: moisturizer plus SPF, done. And if you’ve ever compared it to actual Korean sunscreens (known for their “elegant” absorption and wear) you won’t notice a difference. Cardon is seriously so good. I have them on this list multiple times for good reason—and they’re top of my best cleansers article too, for their Blue Ribbon-winning clay cleanser.
Best Night Cream for Men, Dry Skin / Dry Air: Kiehl’s Midnight Cloud Recovery Cream
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Why I Chose It: This is my all-time favorite night cream, as dense as it may be. I find its texture extremely comforting, kind of like a calming and cushioning bedtime application that helps ease me to sleep.
Again, it’s on the heavier side, which makes it ideal for dry skin, colder months, or sleeping in air-conditioned rooms. But despite that density, it doesn’t wear like a mask. It melts into the skin, cushions everything underneath, and creates a soft, protective layer that feels breathable and—here’s the key, I think—has me waking up looking extremely refreshed (and without any transfer to my pillow).
It bears repeating: Kiehl’s Midnight Cloud Recovery Cream is plush, soft, and incredibly satisfying to apply. That said, it’s not for every situation. If you run oily or you’re dealing with peak summer humidity, it can feel like too much. But if you sleep in an extremely dry, air-conditioned room, maybe it is equally important in summer. Basically, in the right conditions, this night cream is as good as it gets.
GET IT: SEPHORA
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Best Night Cream for Men, Oily Skin / Humid Air: Cardon 3-in-1 Hydro Boost Gel
Why I Chose It: yes, here is the second Cardon mention on this list. Think of this as the more advanced, ingredient-forward version of a classic water gel (like a slight upgrade on the Neutrogena I placed in the top spot; I’d still keep my list as is, since I think the cost of Neutrogena will appeal to tons of guys worldwide). Still, Cardon’s delivers the same lightweight hydration, but with a bit more intent behind it. The formula leans on ingredients like niacinamide to help balance oil and support the skin barrier, while that signature cactus extract keeps everything calm and hydrated.
This gel works just as well for oily skin at night as it does for dry skin during the day. A true one-size-fits-all, should you want that. It’s light enough that it won’t suffocate pores or transfer to your pillow, but still effective enough that you wake up looking rested instead of dull or dehydrated. For oily or combination skin types, this is exactly the kind of nighttime layer you want: breathable, fast-absorbing, and quietly effective. You can also double it up in the daytime if you’re especially dry—layer it under SPF for extra insurance. But for me, it’s the perfect counterbalance to a daytime SPF moisturizer.
And so, with both of these Cardon products on my roster, it will make sense why I have them bundled in the next pick, too.
Best Day & Night Moisturizer Set for Men: Cardon AM & PM Bundle
GET IT: AMAZON
GET IT with CLAY CLEANSER: AMAZON // CARDON
Why I Chose Them: Maybe you saw this coming, or were piecing it together as you read through my roster. Cardon is a great simplified, streamlined skincare line, and these two hydrators can be your day/night duo, or even a double-layered combo for dry skin or cold weather.
The bundle pairs the SPF 30 moisturizer for daytime with the Hydro Boost gel for nighttime, covering the two most important bases: daily UV defense and breathable overnight moisture retention. So, in the name of keeping things easy (and still quite affordable), consider this duo, and maybe even add Cardon’s Blue Ribbon-winning clay cleanser to your basket, too.
GET IT: AMAZON
GET IT with CLAY CLEANSER: AMAZON // CARDON
Best Moisturizer for Day & Night: Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream
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Why I Chose It: Aestura is one of those brands more guys should know. In my head, it’s like the Korean version of Cetaphil or CeraVe: Extremely dependable, extremely skin-safe, and built around barrier repair first. It is chock full of ceramide beads that melt into your mitts as you transfer the product to your face. Those ceramides fortify your skin’s ability to trap in moisture, block out environmental offenses, and ultimately keep skin looking supple and strong.
This cream is about as foolproof as it gets. It’s incredibly cushioning, deeply hydrating, and especially good if your skin leans dry or sensitive. It’s also a great option if you want to keep things simple and use one moisturizer morning and night. This can easily carry that load. You still need SPF during the day, but in terms of pure hydration and barrier support, Atobarrier cream handles everything else. (That 365 in its name also promises to be just as good in summer as in winter.)
GET IT: AMAZON
Best Upgrade: Jackfir The Classic Daily Facial Moisturizer
Why I Chose It: Jackfir is the brand I point to when someone wants something clean, thoughtful, and ingredient-driven without getting gimmicky about it. They build everything around safety, sustainability, and skin compatibility, and you can feel that genuine ethos and restraint in the formula.
Most brands tlak about active formulas, and somehow Jackfir’s feels even more active. Let’s call it proactive: You’ve got squalane for lightweight hydration, snow mushroom for deep water retention, and moringa seed oil to help defend against environmental stressors. Together, they help keep skin looking brighter, smoother, and less fatigued over time. It still does the baseline job of locking in moisture, but it also gives you more in return. It’s a step up in terms of formulation without jumping into anything aggressive or complicated.
In fact, if you’ve got sensitive skin, peek at their entire assortment, across skincare and shave essentials—with that same eco-friendly ethos evident throughout.
Best Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin: Cetaphil Mattifying Acne Moisturizer (0.5% Salicylic Acid)
GET IT: AMAZON
Why I Chose It: For daytime oil control and light acne defense, Cetaphil’s matte moisturizer does the job really well. In general, I don’t tell people to rely on their moisturizer as their acne treatment. You’re better off using targeted actives separately and making sure your moisturizer is simply not clogging pores or overloading the skin. Let a moisturizer be a moisturizer… usually.
That said, if you want something that does both (without being too aggressive of a treatment), then this is a viable option. It uses a low dose of salicylic acid at 0.5 percent, which helps keep pores clear and oil levels in check without being overly aggressive. It’s also mattifying (which I think is its best benefit, for anyone with oily skin, too). So it cuts down shine throughout the day, which makes it especially useful as a daytime moisturizer.
To me, it’s more of a daytime product since you mostly want mattifying products for public appearances. This one helps prevent buildup and keeps things balanced. Then at night, you can layer in stronger acne treatments if needed, whether that’s a higher concentration of salicylic acid or a retinoid.
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Best Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin: Physiogel Redness Relieving Facial Cream
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Why I Chose It: Physiogel’s hefty hydrator is a reset button for irritated skin. If you’re dealing with redness, post-shave irritation, or even just general sensitivity, this is the kind of product that brings everything back to baseline. It’s dense and protective… so, while it’s not something I’d reach for in hot, humid conditions, it’s so profoundly effective in the right setting.
You’ll notice the calming effect almost immediately. It visibly reduces redness while also making the skin feel more comfortable and less reactive. The formula backs that up: Lecithin helps reinforce the skin barrier, squalane restores moisture without clogging pores, and palmitamide MEA works to calm inflammation and reduce sensitivity over time. It’s all geared toward repair and resilience.
It also has the National Eczema Association seal, which tells you exactly who this is for: Sure, people with Eczema, but moreover, if it’s good enough for the people with the toughest skin conditions, then you really know it’ll work on things like general sensitivities, redness, and post-shave woes. If your skin is easily triggered, this is a very safe place to land—and a terrific night cream if you use harsh active treatments before bed, too. (Like retinoids, acne treatments, peptides etc… layer this on top for a cushioning rebound, to wake up looking a-ok.)
GET IT: AMAZON
See Also: The Best Facial Cleansers for Men
