Essential Skincare For Men

Working best in the morning and evening on exfoliated skin, Clinique For Men Moisturising Lotion is an all-purpose moisturiser with a silky high-end feel. Another moisturiser with a bland scent to avoid irritation, Clinique’s offering is the only moisturiser on this list to make a conscious effort at a sleek packaging design to match its premium men’s market. The lotion is a slightly thicker consistency than your average lightweight moisturiser, also beige in colour in contrast to your typical crystal white. If price isn’t an issue this moisturiser is a fantastic starting point for the premium end of the market, covering a wide range of application with a smart design and hydrating feel. £26 (100ml) Clinique, stockists regionwide

I struggled for a long time with finding a facial moisturiser that was scent free, not harsh, and actually worked for very dry skin – until E45’s daily moisturising lotion. The beauty of this product is that not only is it effective quickly (it relieves redness and itchiness immediately with long-term skin repair in roughly two weeks) it can also be used everywhere. Hands, neck, face, arms, full body rehydration without the need for constantly switching bottles. Great skincare doesn’t always mean emptying your wallet for the biggest brands either, with E45’s Daily Moisturiser coming in at around £5 per 400ml – this is a must have for any man who values looking after the daily health of his skin. £5.49 (400 ml) Boots, branches regionwide

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream sits at the upperpremium end of the moisturiser spectrum, delivering a lightweight cream that, despite its thin composition, creates a very strong protective skin barrier. Best applied after bathing or as you get in from work, Kiehl’s is an all-purpose cream, good for dry to very dry skin, and leaves surprisingly little greasiness (as long as you don’t put too much on). Kiehl’s feels fantastic – soft, nurturing and incredibly rehydrating. As a more expensive cream, I’d advise investing in the smaller 50ml tub first before taking the dive into the much bigger 125ml tub. No matter how good a moisturiser is, skin can react differently to certain products. Trialling many moisturisers until you find one that is perfect for you is always the best approach. £28 (50ml) kiehls.co.uk

A luxurious scented hand cream which doesn’t smell too overpowering, or absorb too slowly is quite difficult to come by. If you want something that will fit nicely in a jacket pocket, smell subtly fragrant and soften your hands nicely,  The Body Shop’s Shea Hand Cream is the perfect addition to your bag. While technically a unisex product, the smell of this Shea Cream is so well balanced that it actually takes on a very masculine character, slightly reminiscent of freshly waxed car leather. This product is best kept close by to combat dryness left by sanitising your hands with alcoholic gel (a problem which is increasingly more difficult to manage thanks to Covid). Make sure to rub into your hands generously and evenly, massaging the cream into your palms and the webbing between your fingers (an area of irritating dryness if left unmanaged or forgotten about, especially if you wear rings). £5.50 (30ml) The Body Shop, branches regionwide