As a teenager, your skincare routine may have consisted of little more than a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a spot treatment (a must for tackling those adolescent breakouts). As you get older, however, skin concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, dullness, and unevenness can start to appear—which is why adding a men’s face serum to your routine by the time you reach your twenties is a great idea (though earlier can’t hurt). Aside from helping to hydrate your skin, men’s serums can help address common skin concerns, like enlarged pores and deep wrinkles. The key, as it usually is in skincare, is to narrow down the right men’s facial serum for your skin’s unique needs.
If you’re not sure where to get started or how to identify which serum would suit your skin, we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a list of Kiehl’s best facial serums for men, with options for a wide range of skin types and skin concerns. Read on to discover the best one to add to your skincare routine.
Best Wrinkle-Reducing Serum For Men:
Age Defender Power Serum
Men’s skin tends to be thicker and oilier than female skin, on average. On the one hand, this means fewer fine lines and a lower likelihood of developing crepey skin with age. On the other, it means men are more vulnerable to developing deep, prominent wrinkles as they get older. If you find yourself seeing more wrinkles than you’d like, we’d recommend reaching for Age Defender Power Serum. Designed specifically for men’s aging skin, this fast-absorbing serum for men visibly diminishes wrinkles, leaving the skin firmer and smoother-looking. It’s suitable for all men’s skin types and can be used morning and night as part of your regular skincare routine.
Best Anti-Aging Serum For Men:
Retinol Micro-Dose Anti-Aging Retinol Serum with Ceramides and Peptide
Wrinkles aren’t the only visible sign of aging. As the years pass, you may notice your skin becoming uneven or rough. You may also notice your pores becoming more visible (this is especially common for guys with oilier skin). You can work to address all these concerns simultaneously with a retinol serum, like Micro-Dose Anti-Aging Retinol Serum with Ceramides and Peptide. Made with a precise daily dose of pure retinol, this gentle yet effective serum helps encourage skin surface turnover to reveal more youthful-looking skin. It helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores, and helps even skin tone and texture. Plus, the lightweight cream is suitable for all skin types (including first-time retinol users). We suggest using it once daily—morning or night is fine—along with your usual cleanser and moisturizer.
Kiehl’s Tip: If you want more rapid anti-aging results, try Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing Night Serum. It contains our highest percentage of retinol (0.3%) and rapidly helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and deeper wrinkles for a more youthful appearance. Note that because this retinol serum is more potent, it’s best suited for those who are already comfortable using retinol—for newbies, our aforementioned Micro-Dose Serum is ideal.
Best Brightening Serum For Men:
Powerful-Strength Vitamin C Serum
If your skin is looking dull or lackluster, try adding Powerful-Strength Vitamin C Serum to your routine. This concentrated serum stars vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that can help brighten the skin and protect against free radicals (which can damage and dull skin’s appearance). In addition to helping boost radiance, this water-free serum also helps firm the skin and reduce the appearance of large pores, making it an excellent men’s face serum for oily skin. Use it day and night for a smoother, more radiant appearance over time.
Best Dark Spot Serum For Men:
Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Corrector
Dark spots are typically caused by either overproduction or irregular distribution of melanin, the pigment responsible for giving your skin color. Some discolorations, like age spots, are part of the normal aging process. Others, such as post-blemish marks and sun spots, are the result of damage to the skin. Whatever the cause, you can help address discolorations with Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. This potent serum is clinically-demonstrated to help improve the appearance of a wide range of skin discolorations, including those caused by age and ultraviolet radiation.* It’s suitable for all skin types and gentle enough for daily use. You can apply the potent serum to your clean face twice daily to address widespread discoloration, or use it as a spot treatment to help fade individual spots for visibly more even-looking skin.
*Results based on expert grading in a 12-week clinical test on 104 subjects.
Best Hydrating Serum For Men:
Hydro-Plumping Hydrating Serum
If you’re prone to dry or dehydrated skin, it’s likely that your skin’s natural moisture barrier isn’t getting all the hydration it needs to work optimally. You can give your skin a boost of non-greasy moisture with Hydro-Plumping Hydrating Serum, which is formulated specifically for dehydrated skin. The lightweight serum with renewable glycerin helps visibly improve the appearance of dehydrated skin, leaving it smoother and more even-looking. Over time, it also helps boost skin’s elasticity for noticeably plumper-looking skin.
Kiehl’s Tip: Avoid washing your face with super-hot water, especially if you have dry skin—it can strip the skin, leaving it feeling tight and uncomfortable.
Best Skin-Strengthening Serum For Men:
Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum
Maybe you’re not yet noticing any major skin concerns but still want to add a serum to your men’s skincare routine (good choice). In that case, we suggest you reach for Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum. The supercharged formula with hyaluronic acid and a blend of herbal adaptogens helps neutralize damaging free radicals and defends the skin from aging internal and external stressors. It’s clinically-demonstrated to double skin’s strength, leaving the skin more resilient over time.* With continued use, it also helps brighten the skin and improve skin texture for skin that appears more youthful and healthy-looking.
*Based on a 4-week clinical study on 58 subjects tested in urban and polluted environments. Based on Strength Index = Composite, average score of clinically graded parameters after using the product for 4 weeks vs one week of use.
Best Night Serum For Men:
Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate
In the evening, using an exfoliating serum, like Nightly-Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate, can help resurface your skin to reveal a smoother appearance. This effective nighttime face serum with phytic acid and quinoa husk extract is clinically-demonstrated to help accelerate skin surface turnover, leaving the skin looking even, refreshed, and radiant.* Use it nightly or as needed to help refine your skin.
*Based on instrumental test within surface layers.
Age Defender Power Serum
