From SPF day lotions to overnight masks: skincare in the 21st century explained.

It used to be that even using a moisturiser once a week meant laying the very essence of your masculinity on the line. No longer. These days, everyone’s at it. But how to do it properly?

Getting to grips with grooming can sometimes feel like studying for a PhD while reading a gothic fantasy novel. Fifty-seven-step Korean beauty routines? Facials that incorporate your own blood? Hyaluronic acid and Arctic cranberry seed? It doesn’t have to be this way. The market for male grooming products may be predicted to reach $60.7bn by 2020 and there might be more products than ever, but the process of making yourself look good shouldn’t be too taxing.

To help you out, we’ve distilled the new thinking in male grooming into five bite-sized categories. From organic products that balance your skin to luxury anti-ageing products that have been tested in space, all will become clear below.

Restorative skincare is an oft-missed component of a grooming routine, but it’s also one of the most effective. Whether it’s a face mask, an eye gel or a tub of supplements (Bear does some great Restore ones that will perk you up by improving circulation and supporting bone health), a little maintenance is worth it in the long run. Just think of it as DIY upkeep, or regrouting the bathroom tiles once in a while.

Allies of Skin 1A Overnight Mask is a great go-to for long-haul flights, but we see no reason why you can’t introduce it into a standard skincare routine. Packed with collagen- and elastin-stimulating ingredients – most notably a subtle, non-irritant form of age-defying vitamin retinol – it’ll plump up skin and give you a glow from within. The best thing about this, though, is that all you have to do is go to sleep. Apply a thin layer before bedtime and wake up a new man. Make sure to use a little SPF the morning after.

Unless you live under a rock, you’ll know by now that sun damage is the number-one cause of ageing. In which case, living under a rock is almost preferable. But it is also rather dull, especially now that spring has sprung, so sort yourself out with something that will protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays – brands such as Hampton Sun, Erno Laszlo and Aesop all do great SPF cosmetics – and you’ll be laughing all the way to the beach.

NYDG Skincare SPF30 Chem-Free Active Defense is perfect if you want all the adventure of the great outdoors without suffering from what we’ll refer to as leather-handbag face. This product is particularly great because it continues to work even when you’re swimming or sweating. It’s non-sticky, too, and will blend into skin naturally. A weathered appearance of course can make you look like a beacon of experience (see Mr WH Auden), but unless you too have a particularly illustrious literary career under your belt, you’re better off taking precautions.

With an increasing number and variety of products that promise to banish crow’s feet, frown lines and marionette lines (we didn’t make that one up – they run from the corners of your mouth and make you look like a ventriloquist’s dummy), there’s a glimmer of hope that we aren’t doomed to look ancient before our time. Serums and night creams are the order of the day. A little here and there and, while you might not achieve the linoleum-like complexion of a 20-year-old, you will at least look good for your age.

Eyes 27 – Bio Restructuring Cell Repair Eye Cream from M.E. Skin Lab might have a serious name, but that’s because it’s a serious product. A trifecta of detoxifying, soothing and repairing action, the cream will nourish the fragile skin around the eyes and minimise those telling signs of ageing and fatigue. Apply a small amount and gently massage it into the area around your eyes, towards the eyelids themselves and using the upper and lower orbit as a guide.

You may not think twice about parting with a few hundred notes on a beautifully crafted jacket, but it’s easy to talk yourself out of dropping a similar amount on a grooming product. The fact is, though, while someone may or may not notice your jacket, they definitely will notice your face. And seeing as you wear your face all day, why scrimp?

111Skin was developed by the Harley Street cosmetic surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides, and the brand’s Celestial Back Diamond Serum is a heavy-hitter when it comes to skincare. Think of it as an investment product that will protect skin from the stress and pollution of city living and keep fine lines from the door. It practically melts into the skin and, applied twice a day after cleansing, will lift its appearance instantly. But how do we know it works? Here’s the real selling point: ingredients in the product’s patented NAC Y2 formula have been tested by astonauts in space, where the ageing process is accelerated. Beam us up, doc.

Wellness has blown up over the past few years and, as well as knowing exactly what we’re putting into our bodies, lots of us also want to know what we’re putting onto them. There are a growing number of brands, such as Haeckels, The Lost Explorer and Dr. Jackson’s, that know and understand this, and have become more transparent about how their products are made and what effect their ingredients will have on your skin and the environment.

Grown Alchemist uses botanicals in all of its products and focuses on no-nonsense, natural ingredients that work. Simple. Its Hydra-Repair Day Cream with camellia and geranium blossom is a great example. It’s made with cane sugar to repair the damage caused by UV-induced oxidative stress and may blossom to regulate sebum production and minimise the appearance of pores. Put it on before you head out. The protective layer it builds over the epidermis will keep your skin looking fresh all day.

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