The Best Products for Men with Sensitive Skin
Skin care for sensitive skin is as much about “what to avoid” as it is “what to seek out”. Read these universal rules that make living with sensitive skin fairly easy.
July 08, 2024
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Skin care for sensitive skin can feel tricky to navigate; maybe you also have acne, or oily skin, or dry skin, and you need to treat any of those concerns while simultaneously seeking out gentle, non-inflammatory ingredients. With any sensitivities to consider, you probably have to “spot test” a new product on a small patch of skin before applying it uniformly. And on top of that, you have to temper certain habits and behaviors to accommodate these same sensitivities.
But at the same time, you’re the most aware of how each product interacts with your body; I wish more of us had that kind of vigilance over what we applied to our skin (and this is coming from the guy who loves aluminum-based antiperspirant). I just think many of us use a product because it’s what’s available in our hotel or the girlfriend’s vanity or because it’s inexpensive… and not because it actually works better than other alternatives. You sensitive-skinned individuals set a good example.
If you have been experiencing any redness, itching, flaking, or similar agonies from your skincare products, then it’s probably smart to do an audit—and consider switching out a couple products or changing some habits. Have a look below at the specific things that sensitive-skinned folks should avoid, as well as the best ingredients for them to pursue. I’ll give you a general regimen for sensitive-skinned types, too, if you want something more direct like that.
The Best Products for Sensitive Skin
These are some of the sensitive skin products that appear throughout the article.
- The Best Face Wash for Sensitive Skin: Jackfir Classic Daily Facial Cleanser
- The Best Toner for Sensitive Skin: Thayers Unscented Alcohol-Free Toner with Aloe Vera
- The Best Exfoliant for Sensitive Skin: The INKEY List PHA Gentle Exfoliating Toner
- The Best Retinoid Alternative for Sensitive Skin: Sephora BAK 1% Bakuchiol Targeted Anti-Aging Serum
- The Best Nourishing Serum for Sensitive Skin: Neutrogena Hydro Boost + 10% Niacinamide Fragrance-Free Serum
- The Best Soothing Serum for Sensitive Skin: Prequel Redness Reform Treatment Serum
- The Best Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin: PrettyBoy Revival Recovery Gel Moisturizer
- The Best Night Cream for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
- The Best Skincare Brands for Sensitive Skin: Prequel, Jackfir, and Cetaphil
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A Quick Cheat Code for Finding the Best Sensitive Skin Products
As a general rule of thumb, I like to tell people with sensitive skin to just shop from the list of products that have the Eczema Seal of Acceptance (many of the below products pass this filter, though I promise they all satisfy sensitive skin regardless). It’s not expensive for these brands to get the testing and clearance that the seal requires—but it is a high bar to clear since the org won’t recommend anything potentially inflammatory.
So, by framing your product search within this Eczema Seal of Acceptance, it helps you zero in on products that will absolutely, definitely not irritate. And that’s regardless of whether you have eczema; but if something is kind and soothing for an inflammatory condition like eczema, then it’s certainly good for you. Not all of the products I recommend below have this seal—and yet they’re still perfect for sensitive skin. Rather, it’s just one approach to take if you want “to be certain”.
Also, one way to ensure you have a sensitive-friendly product: Use a product targeted towards babies. Seriously. If you want a gentle body lotion, shampoo, soap, or sunscreen, just shop the baby aisle. If it’s too weird to have “baby body wash” in your shower caddy, just transfer it to a different vessel.
Things to Avoid with Sensitive Skin
Here are the three most important things to avoid if you have sensitive skin—or to look out for if your existing regimen is giving you grief.
Avoid: Added/artificial fragrance
Fragrance or “parfum” is the main thing dermatologists will tell you to cut out of your skincare diet. There is competing data about how many of us have a contact allergy to fragrance, but the number waffles between 2-11%. In short, it could lead to dry skin and undo any of the nourishing benefits that the product promises. As lovely as some scented products may smell, it’s kind of silly that a serum or hand cream needs to reek of vetiver or roses. (That’s just my own opinion.)
On that note, not all scented products have this problematic artificial/added fragrance problem. Many will use essential oils (peppermint, lavender, citrus, etc). And while essential oils can also be irritating, trusted brands won’t drown out their formulas with these ingredients. So, the main thing to look for on ingredient labels (and avoid) is “Parfum” or “Fragrance” or “Artificial/Added Fragrance”.
Avoid: Alcohol-based skincare products
While you probably already know that “alcohol dries out your skin”, there’s more nuance to the matter: Not all alcohols in skincare are bad in this way. Some of the ingredients with “alcohol” in their name (or “-yl” as a suffix) are good alcohols. They might be fatty alcohols which stabilize any products using both water and oil, plus they can soften skin and boost the skin barrier.
As for the ones to avoid, they are usually listed higher up in the ingredients list and can severely dry out skin. Primary offenders include denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, ethanol, propanol, benzyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol. Now, these aren’t necessarily bad for all skin types, especially in small concentrations, but anything with a prominent alcohol base is a red flag. And anyone with sensitive skin should consider products that cut these ingredients out entirely.
Avoid: Harsh exfoliants
This will come as no surprise: Exfoliants—physical and chemical—are quite uniformly high risk for sensitive skin. You should just nix all physical scrubs entirely. As for the chemical exfoliants, you should consider cutting glycolic acid and salicylic acid out, although it pains me to tell anyone to avoid salicylic acid, especially if they have oily or acne-prone skin.
Try low-grade salicylic acid serum
So, maybe just look for more gentle salicylic acid formulas, in the range of 0.5-1% as opposed to 2% concentrations. Paula’s Choice sensitive skin exfoliating lotion uses 1% salicylic acid as well as soothing allantoin.
Try gentle polyhydroxy acids solutions
There are gentler ways to get your exfoliation needs met, though: Lactic acid is a gentler surface-smoother compared to glycolic acid, and polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) are the gentlest yet. PHAs have much larger molecules so they really just interact with the most superficial cells on your skin. The INKEY List’s PHA toner exfoliates gently with PHAs, soothes with aloe and niacinamide, plus balances your skin’s pH levels—a nice pair of benefits for sensitive skin.
Try bakuchiol instead of retinoids
Chances are, you might also experience sensitivity from retinoids, which are also exfoliants. They regulate cellular turnover and keep your skin smoother while preventing blemishes. I love retinoids because it acts like a super exfoliant to improve cellular turnover, prevent acne, and give you the smoothest skin ever (even reducing existing signs of aging). However, for sensitive skinned folks, I suggest you work with a dermatologist to find a retinoid solution that satisfies your sensitive skin, like a light OTC retinol remedy. You might even be able to “graduate” from a low-grade option to a higher grade over many months or years, as your skin acclimates to the ingredient.
Regardless, start slow, and with low-grade retinoids. Better yet, consider bakuchiol—a terrific natural alternative to retinol that agrees with sensitive skin types much more readily. I’ll mention it later in the article, too, but Sephora’s bakuchiol serum is an affordable way to incorporate this step into your regimen.
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Optimal Ingredients in Skincare for Sensitive Skin
As for the ingredients that sensitive-skinned people will most benefit from, here’s the shortlist. Consider this more of a general awareness effort, since few products or regimens will incorporate every last one of these.
- Hyaluronic acid: Sensitive skin often has a tougher time attracting and retaining moisture, but hyaluronic acid is excellent at both of these functions.
- Anti-inflammatories: Anything that soothes, calms, and cools is imperative for sensitive skin. Think aloe vera, chamomile, colloidal oatmeal, cactus extract, witch hazel, allantoin, calendula… all of the common ingredients you’d find in shave creams or aftershaves.
- Niacinamide: Among this B-Vitamin’s many benefits, its ability to reinforce skin barrier functions and reduce inflammation make it a must for sensitive skin. Niacinamide is arguably the best thing to give your skin in terms of its long list of benefits, and it agrees with almost everything else you’re applying to the skin.
- Ceramides: Ceramides will also reinforce the skin barrier to trap moisture and improve healing functions. And a stronger barrier means less aggravation from the environment, from other products, etc.
- Azelaic acid: Another anti-inflammatory agent, azelaic acid is especially beneficial for reducing redness and swelling associated with rosacea and acne. I find it useful for the common redness I get around my nose and across my cheeks.
Sensitive Skin Care Regimen Considerations
Here is an example core regimen that people with sensitive skin could consider. In addition to the roster of products, I’d suggest keeping your showers shorter and more mild (in terms of temperature), and humidifying your bedroom—all of which will prevent dehydration in the skin.
1. A hydrating, nourishing face wash
Go with a micellar water cleanser or a face wash with a creamy/milky base to cleanse without stripping skin of any moisture. Especially if you wash your skin more than twice a day; you need to be extra gentle here. Many oil-based cleansers also work if your skin tends to be dry, too. Burt’s Bees Gentle Cream Cleanser is chock full of aloe, and holds the Eczema Seal of Acceptance.
I’ll mention this brand again below, but everything from Jackfir is formulated specifically for sensitive skin. You can trust them across the board, starting with this fabulously dense cream cleanser.
2. A balancing toner
While toner is not part of a baseline skincare regimen, you might benefit from a pH-balancing toner that “centers” your skin’s chemistry to prevent it from feeling too dry or irritated. Make sure it’s got witch hazel and is alcohol free. I always endorse Thayers’ witch hazel splashes when it comes to toners, so for sensitive skin, stick with their unscented aloe vera-packed toner. Use toner after cleansing, before any other products.
3. A gentle exfoliant
We already went over why you should avoid harsh exfoliants. Instead, use a PHA cleanser for ultra gentle surface cleansing, and a bakuchiol cream at night for improved cellular turnover. (The bakuchiol is in place of retinol, until you find a solution with your dermatologist.)
For the minimalists out there, The INKEY List’s aforementioned PHA toner is both a toner and an exfoliant. And keep Sephora’s aforementioned bakuchiol serum in mind, as a low-cost way to improve cellular turnover without relying on harsh retinoids.
If you are acne-prone, try to incorporate a gentle salicylic acid treatment into the mix, too, with a ~1% concentration. Try this allantoin-packed lotion with 1% salicylic acid, which was mentioned earlier, too:
4. A hydrating and nourishing serum
Serums are like little topical nutrient supplements for your skin. Here’s your chance to juice up on hyaluronic acid, or better yet, you could find a serum that combines HA with niacinamide. Try the fragrance-free Hydro Boost hyaluronic acid and 10% niacinamide fragrance-free serum from Neutrogena—in my opinion, this is one of the absolute best “bang for your buck” serums, for its inclusion of those two imperative ingredients (and specifically that high dosage of niacinamide for much-needed skin barrier support).
5. A soothing skin treatment
A “treatment” product can be anything (often a serum or cream) that targets a specific problem—in this case, an anti-inflammatory treatment that proactively prevents any redness, itching, or dryness. There are few products as fantastic as Prequel’s Redness Reform Treatment in this field; it combines arnica, aloe, oat extract, bisabolol, and more in a formula endorsed by both the National Eczema Association and the National Rosacea Society.
6. A mild-mannered moisturizer (and/or mineral SPF moisturizer)
As for your daytime moisturizer, choose a lotion or cream base since they can help reinforce the skin barrier. One of my all-time favorite moisturizers, Pretty Boy’s gel cream moisturizer has the Eczema Seal of Acceptance but also wears so light and pillowy. (We gave it a GQ grooming award in its first year on the market—it’s that good.)
By daytime, I suggest using an SPF moisturizer, too, and specifically one with mineral sunscreen ingredients. Tons of chemical sunscreens will be just fine for you, but mineral picks are much likelier to be gentle on your sensitive skin.
La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios HA SPF 30 moisturizer runs laps around the competition here, plus it has hyaluronic acid for added hydration retention. This one has a terrifically low-risk “2” rating from the EWG, which translates to “very good for sensitive skin”. Your dermo probably loves it, too.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios HA 100% Mineral SPF 30 Moisturizer
buy on:
7. A replenishing night cream
Find a night cream with active ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to fortify your skin barrier while you sleep. (And even better yet, pair it with the bakuchiol mentioned above, too.) Soothing ingredients like aloe and colloidal oatmeal are a big plus, too. Oooh, wouldn’t you know that CeraVe’s PM Facial Lotion has niacinamide, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid?
The Best Skin Care Brands for Sensitive Skin
Now’s a great chance to call out a few brands who offer large assortments for sensitive skin. These brands consider sensitivities foremost with their formulas, and omit all of the most common culprits for inflammation, itching, redness, dryness, and so forth. So, if you want a new brand to pledge your allegiance to—look no further than this roster.
(However, still take it one step at a time with any new product; do a spot test on a small patch of skin, and see how you react.)
Prequel
Prequel’s entire assortment focuses on the reinforcement of skin’s barrier functions—which means having formulas that honor the most sensitive skin conditions all the while (like eczema and rosacea). Board-certified dermatologist Sam Ellis is the brand’s founder, and I have to add that her social media content is also as soothing as the brand’s formulas; she does a terrific job of providing doctorly wisdom while speaking like the rest of us. You’re in great hands with Prequel.
Jackfir
So many brands throw around their “clean” formulas, because it’s a buzzy word—but their overuse of the term has really diluted things. But then there are brands like Jackfir that actually honor what this word means: Plant-powered, EWG-certified, allergy tested, Leaping Bunny certified (cruelty free), and GMO free, too. The brand’s founder Charlie Razook built the brand while going through leukemia, and instilled these values so that Jackfir’s formulas would respect the most sensitive needs of its consumers.
Cetaphil
Your doctor loves this brand, I promise you—and so does your wallet. Every one of Cetaphil’s formulas is made for sensitive skin, and better yet, you can even dive further into their assortments targeting other skin concerns, from oiliness, to dryness, to acne (as well as normal/combination skin, too). Their products cover you from head to toe, too. And on top of all that, Cetaphil has muscle by way of research funds, so they can back up their claims with over 600 clinical studies (on over 35,000 individuals, no less).
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