Within the last decade the public sentiment surrounding men’s skincare has changed.
Where once it was thought that skincare was only a woman’s game, now you’re playing catch-up if you don’t already have an established skincare routine.
If you want to maximize the efficacy of your skincare routine, you’ve likely heard of face serums but might not know what they are.
This article will guide you through the complex and wet world of face serums and recommend my top three picks for serums that will so radically transform your skin that your loved ones will no longer recognize you. In a good way.
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What Does Face Serum Do?
Before recommending specific products, let’s talk basics about what serums actually are.
In contrast to your typical moisturizer, which is usually cream-based, serums are thin-viscosity topical liquids with a high concentration of active ingredients.
Where creams are typically viscous, thick, and take time to absorb, serums are lightweight, absorb quickly, and penetrate deep into the skin’s layers to correct underlying ailments that moisturizers don’t have the reach or ability to correct.
What Are the Benefits of Face Serums?
- Face serums absorb quickly and deliver results fast.
- They contain a higher concentration of active, skin-healthy ingredients than typical moisturizers.
- Serums are designed to be used in tandem with moisturizers to get the best bang for your buck. After cleansing, face serum is applied to penetrate several layers of the skin and correct issues like fine lines and discoloration. Then, moisturizer can be applied on top to keep the skin hydrated.
- If you struggle with sensitive or oily skin, serums are gentle, non-greasy, and won’t further irritate your skin.
- Serums can help prevent UV damage and other signs of premature aging. Ingredients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and green tea keep skin healthy and protected from damaging environmental factors.
- Can provide more visible results than moisturizers due to the high concentration of active ingredients.
What are the Types of Face Serums?
There’s a plethora of face serum types that are all geared towards mitigating specific skin conditions. Here’s a few:
- Anti-aging serums: stimulate collagen production and skin renewal.
- Skin-brightening serums: these are typically packed with antioxidants and tone-correcting ingredients to make skin look brighter and more youthful.
- Eye serums: designed to combat dark under-eye circles and reduce puffiness.
- Hydrating serums: often contain high levels of hyaluronic acid, which physically binds water to skin molecules to make it plump, full, and hydrated.
- Free-radical fighting serums: free radicals are unstable atoms often found in UV light that can damage skin molecules. Ingredients like Vitamins C, A, and E help defend against free radicals.
In short, if you’re interested in convincing people that your skin is impervious to the slow decay of time, you should start using a face serum. For best results, use a face serum before moisturizing to maximize your skin’s health.
3 Best Face Serums for Men
Best Anti-Aging: Caldera + Lab’s The Good
Caldera + Lab is a men’s skincare brand based in Jackson, Wyoming. Their products are 100% plant based, toxin-free, botanical formulations developed in ECOCERT COSMOS-certified facilities and made with sustainable packaging.
This skincare company is equal parts science lab and botanical playground. Caldera + Lab’s chemists began with over 2000 natural ingredients and narrowed the list down to 27 of the most potent plants, which are now active ingredients in their face serum, The Good.
Of these 27 active ingredients, some notable inclusions are splinathes, fireweed, huang qi, and prickly pear. These ingredients and others combine for a one-two punch of healthy rejuvenation and nourishment, and protection from environmental factors and premature aging.
Also of note, The Good underwent an independent clinical trial and was found to provide statistically significant improvements in the appearance of wrinkles, discoloring, and other signs of premature aging. This is not a common practice in the skincare industry, but Caldera + Lab wanted rock solid proof that The Good is beneficial for the skin without question.
What I Like
Exclusively formulated with wild-harvested and organically-sourced ingredients.
Caldera + Lab is a certified B-Corporation, meaning it is legally committed to ethical business practices.
The Good is lightweight and absorbs quickly, doesn’t leave my face feeling greasy
No toxins in this serum means my skin is getting the best possible treatment.
VERY easy to use and helps address multiple skin issues – if you’re going to invest in one skincare product this should be it
Penetrates deep through the layers of skin to correct aging signs, give an even skin tone, and boost elasticity and fullness.
What I Don’t Like
Nothing!
What Other Reviewers Say
With over 500 five star reviews on their site, it’s safe to say that The Good is well-loved and effective. Many reviewers report quick results in the improvement of their fine lines and wrinkles, and just as many saw an improvement in the tone and brightness of their skin.
The most common complaint is regarding an oily feeling after applying the serum, but Caldera + Lab is clear in saying that your skin shouldn’t feel oily after application. These instances are caused by using too much serum, and Caldera + Lab conveniently provides a quick skincare quiz to determine how much of The Good you should be using and how often.
The Verdict
Caldera + Lab’s The Good is our overall top pick of best men’s serum for good reason. The sheer amount of beneficial, natural ingredients they jam into this serum is uncontested in the industry, let alone a natural serum that’s clinically-proven to be effective.
All of Caldera + Lab’s products are backed by meticulous scientific research and testing which is further reinforced by their loyal customer base.
If you’re looking to maximize the health and longevity of your skin, you can’t go wrong with The Good. This serum is toxin-free, responsibly produced, and doesn’t put unnecessary strain on the environment.
The Good leaves my skin feeling refreshed and full. My pores shrink, my skin looks vibrant, and there’s an even tone across my face. Best of all, my skin smells like an essential oil diffuser.
Best Eye Serum: Aesop’s Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Eye Serum
Aesop Skincare is a Melbourne, Australia based skincare brand founded in 1987. Their products are known for their natural ingredients, aesthetic packaging, fresh scents, and impressive results.
Over the last three decades, Aesop has developed a cult following and loyal customer base to the extent that new products they create are the result of needs expressed by clients. Their ingredients are sourced from the most reputable suppliers across the globe and they are staunch practitioners of proven scientific methods.
Their Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Eye Serum is made with Vitamin C and anti-oxidants to help hydrate and nourish the delicate skin around the eyes. The skin beneath our eyes is actually the thinnest skin on our body, making it most prone to discoloration and damage. Aesop’s Parsley Seed Serum helps to plump and protect this skin while correcting any discoloration.
What I Like
What I Don’t Like
The Verdict
The skin beneath our eyes is actually the thinnest skin on our body, making it most prone to discoloration and damage. Aesop’s Parsley Seed Serum helps to plump and protect this skin while correcting any discoloration.
Best for Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Kiehl’s Age Defender Power Serum
Kiehl’s was founded in 1851 as an old-world apothecary in New York City, and began making skincare products by 1921. They popularized the business practice of “try-before-you-buy” samples and greatly expanded their business with this method.
This apothecary skincare brand is nature-inspired, but doesn’t use wholly natural ingredients. Even so, they have a loyal following and proven products, showcased by the fact that the business has been successful for nearly 200 years.
Their Age Defender Power Serum is developed with the unique needs of men’s skin in mind. Men have thicker, more oily skin and this requires a more potent serum to treat, which is what Kiehl’s produced.
Despite being heavy-duty, the serum is still lightweight and absorbs easily. Ingredients like cypress extract and adenosine help to reduce fine lines and boost the firmness and elasticity of your skin, lending a younger appearance.
What I Like
What I Don’t Like
The Verdict
Despite being heavy-duty, the serum is still lightweight and absorbs easily. Ingredients like cypress extract and adenosine help to reduce fine lines and boost the firmness and elasticity of your skin, lending a younger appearance.
Can Face Serum Help with Dark Circles Under My Eyes?
Face serum can help with dark eye circles, but do your homework. Many of the face serums we’ve reviewed have given distinct instructions to avoid the eye area while applying their product, which obviously won’t help with your dark eye circles.
The reasons for this vary, but the general idea is that the skin beneath your eyes is the thinnest on your body, and therefore needs some delicate TLC. The good news is that there are serums distinctly meant for your eyes and dark eye circles, so don’t go throwing any old serum on there.
Before we recommend some eye serums with the ability to make your eye luggage disappear with the skill of a seasoned thief, let’s quickly understand why you get dark eye circles in the first place.
What Causes Dark Eye Circles?
Since the skin beneath your eyes is thin in sensitive, it’s most prone to discoloration and puffiness from a variety of sources, some of which are listed below:
- Allergies
- Eczema
- Lack of sleep and fatigue
- Diet
- Age
- Genetics
- Sun exposure
Many eye creams and serums merely attempt to mitigate the symptoms of dark eye circles rather than treating the deeper issue, which is most often discoloration or inflammation. Thus, it stands to reason that we’d seek out an eye serum with ingredients to correct the discoloration and reduce inflammation.
What are the Best Eye Serums?
Earlier in this article I covered Aesop’s Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Eye Serum, and I’ll recommend that again here. Parsley seed, Vitamin C, and anti-oxidants work to reduce inflammation in the skin and correct pigmentation, making this a valuable tool in the war against looking like a panda bear.
Kiehl’s also has a dedicated eye serum, the Powerful Vitamin C Eye Serum. While Vitamin C is obviously the star of the show for this Kiehl’s tincture, it’s also formulated with hyaluronic acid to gently soothe and moisturize those angry pits you call your eyes.
How to Get Rid of Dark Spots from Acne
Those of us who have struggled with acne likely know that the battle isn’t over after the pimple has popped. Acne scars, which are often referred to as dark spots and more scientifically, hyperpigmentation, leave the skin uneven in texture and tone.
If you’ve ever internally compared your face to the surface of the moon or the fur of a dalmatian, you’re in luck: face serums like Caldera + Lab’s The Good can help with hyperpigmentation as well.
The Good leaves my skin feeling refreshed and full. My pores shrink, my skin looks vibrant, and there’s an even tone across my face. Best of all, my skin smells like an essential oil diffuser.
What Causes Hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation develops during the healing process of a wound to the skin. A scrape, cut, or popped pimple are all applicable in this scenario. As the wound heals, the skin produces too much melanin, which darkens the pigmentation of the skin and can remain even after the wound has completely healed.
So, how do you correct this?
Serums.
The Best Serums for Correcting Hyperpigmentation
There are several ingredients to look for when considering a serum to combat your dark spots:
- Vitamin C: has been shown to correct dark spots and slow the production of melanin.
- Retinol: stimulates cell turnover to replace melanin-soaked skin with healthy new skin.
- Lactic acid: acts similarly to retinol and encourages skin turnover to accomplish a more even skin tone.
If your serum of choice has any of these ingredients included, you’re on your way to a more even skin tone and no more dark spots. Here’s a few serums we recommend:
- The Good from Caldera + Lab: chock-full of lactic acid and other beneficial skincare ingredients.
- CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum: powerful retinol serum that will bring new life to tired and pigmented skin.
- Skinceutical C E Ferulic: this serum is loaded with Vitamin C and other useful ingredients to correct your dark spots, but costs a pretty penny.
Get Your Serum On
If you have specific spot treatments that need attention, check out either Aesop’s Eye Serum or Kiehl’s.
I find The Good to be the most effective for a variety of skincare needs, like evening my skin tone, boosting elasticity, and smoothing wrinkles, and it gets our overall pick for best serum.
The Good leaves my skin feeling refreshed and full. My pores shrink, my skin looks vibrant, and there’s an even tone across my face. Best of all, my skin smells like an essential oil diffuser.
FAQs
Should men use face serums?
Men should use face serums as a regular part of their daily skincare routine. These potent products have high concentrations of Vitamin C, retinol, hyaluronic acid, and many other healthy ingredients that will keep your skin healthy and happy for years to come.
When should men use face serum?
Men should use face serum after cleansing their face and before moisturizing.
Do I need both serum and moisturizer?
It’s a good idea to use both serum and moisturizer in your skincare regimen. Serums are highly-concentrated with potent ingredients that penetrate deep through your skin’s layers to heal, correct, and nourish, but not necessarily moisturize. A moisturizer should be applied after the serum and will keep your skin hydrated and protected from further environmental damages.
