A simple scroll through our grooming section and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the grooming world has gone a bit mad. Suddenly, creams are cropping up loaded with diamonds, serums are infused with silver and the technology behind some treatments is so exclusive it makes TOM FORD’s latest perfume look mass-market. When so many great products exist in more available categories, what warrants the price of steep skincare?

Often, the price comes down to the ingredients. “Premier natural ingredients are often difficult to grow, cultivate or harvest due to their rarity. Alternatively, synthetic ingredients you find in luxury skincare are equally hard to produce in laboratories, requiring specialised technology, unique blends and even rare bacteria,” explains skincare expert and aesthetic specialist Dr Wassim Taktouk. “These are often patented as well, creating an exclusivity that just might justify the price point.”

Nobody needs to be told that an expensive price tag doesn’t necessarily equal a superior grooming product. But when you find something worth investing in, it can actually be an economical choice. “Often ‘luxury’ products are so potent or precise that they become multitasking solutions, eliminating the need for additional sources of nourishment,” says Dr Taktouk. “Instead of buying an eye cream, day cream, night cream and facial oil, you only need to purchase the one complexion corrector, thus rendering the splurge a saving.” Think of it like shoes; spend the extra pennies on a great-quality utilitarian pair that will last for ages and that you can wear to a variety of occasions, and it’ll be worth it in the long run.

And this is your face we’re talking about, which, if anything, is one of your most important features. To help you out, then, we’ve broken down the extreme epidermal investments that don’t just work towards better skin – they pretty much guarantee it.

The best products on the market contain hardcore research-based formulas that promise to change your complexion. Augustinus Bader, an eponymous brand founded three years ago by skincare expert Professor Augustinus Bader, is a perfect example of this, and has the cult following to prove it. The simply named The Cream is a full-bodied moisturiser loaded with the brand’s signature trigger complex, a blend of amino acids, vitamins and synthesised molecules that stimulate the skin’s natural processes of rejuvenation. It’s a product known for its high price point as well as its efficacy, but even the 50ml bottle should last over six weeks. Two pumps each time should be plenty. Apply after cleansing, massaging into skin in circular motions.

Serums, while perhaps sometimes seen as an extraneous addition to a grooming kit, are really the bread and butter of any great skincare routine. Serums are traditionally where active ingredients (meaning the ingredients that change the tone, texture and general appearance of your complexion) are packed in at a greater quantity. In Sisley’s case, it’s a botanical blend that stimulates cell activity and triggers your skin to correct itself. Plumped and brightened, it gives skin a smooth and hydrated appearance without being greasy. To really make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck, pat a pea-sized amount of the serum onto the face and leave it to absorb for the next few minutes without diluting it via a moisturiser or eye cream.

Emulsions are essentially lightweight moisturisers, and they work great on men with slightly oily skin. They are also useful in summer, when sebaceous glands kick into overdrive and we risk looking greasy. Perhaps king of the category is the 111SKIN’s Black Diamond Emulsion, which utilises diamond particles (hence the price) to deliver powerful active ingredients that encourage production of collagen and elastin. One would normally roll their eyes at the use of diamonds in skincare, but when it comes from an esteemed plastic surgeon – Dr Yannis Alexandrides, the brand’s founder – there’s real substance to that science; the diamond particles penetrate deep into the epidermis, allowing the serum to be absorbed into skin much more than your average product.

We’ll call it how we see it; there are certain products that will make skin look expensive. Smoothly textured (without visible pores), clear complexion (free from pigment or blemishes) and a plump face (with few fine lines). For the latter, you want a targeted treatment designed to hydrate, tone and tighten the skin. Formulated with micro-needles to create micro-injuries within the skin (and subsequently incite repair processes), the Natura Bissé patches are loaded with copper, collagen and clever complexes that add volume to ageing areas. Apply the patch to the affected region (anything from crows’ feet, under eyes, nasolabial folds and temples) to see a 20-minute transformation. Consider them topical fillers.

While visiting a salon or clinic for laser treatments and facials is becoming more popular for men, you can easily bring home some salon-grade tech with The Light Salon’s LED mask. The lightweight, portable silicone mask might look like a prop from a 1990s horror movie, but it’ll do wonders for your skin. Using near-infrared wavelengths that are absorbed by the skin and subsequently reduce inflammation, it also encourages collagen production and revs up circulation, which means skin looks brighter, healthier and fresher. Over time (and it does require you to invest a few 10-minute sessions into your weekly routine) you can shift pigmentation, acne and even visible capillaries, too.