How to Pick The Best Face Cleanser For Men (My Top 3 Picks)

Using facial cleansers is important for women, but especially for men. 

Men can benefit from the exfoliative power of certain facial cleansers which can help reduce skin aging, promote youthful skin and halt the aging process. 

Learn how to use the best face cleansers in men for various issues that men face in this post: 

More…

Do Men need to use a Facial Cleanser?  

I will answer that with a resounding yes! 

Many people think that men do not need to use facial products because their skin is tougher or because they are already shaving. 

What they don’t realize is that men need to treat their skin with care to prevent the aging process and help them look younger! 

Using regular body soaps on the face can cause damage by stripping away the natural oils on the face. 

Stripping away these oils may leave the skin dry and damaged and promote irritation, dryness and sometimes premature aging. 

In addition, some men suffer from occasional pimples or acne which can also cause inflammation at the level of the skin and lead to skin damage long term if they aren’t dealt with. 

Using high quality facial products can leave your skin feeling refreshed while encouraging healthy pH levels and both collagen and elastin production. 

So what are men supposed to do?

The single best thing they can do to prevent skin damage is to find a facial cleanser that is targeted to their skin type!

This means focusing on 3 major areas which we will discuss below: 

The Best Cleanser for Sensitive Skin

If you suffer from sensitive skin it is very important to find a gentle cleanser to help accommodate your complexion. 

Harsh cleansers, even cleansers that contain all natural but powerful ingredients, may cause damage to your skin if you are sensitive which may lead to premature signs of aging. 

Because of this it’s important to find a balance of high quality ingredients but at a dose that isn’t too powerful. 

How do you know if you have sensitive skin? 

Men with sensitive skin often experience irritation, redness or dry skin after using various facial products. 

Men with this type of skin may have lighter colored hair, may have issues tanning, or may have some redness in their hair color.

The best cleanser to use with sensitive skin is the iS CLINICAL Cleansing Complex. 

This cleansing complex combines effective and gentle components that leave your skin healthy and purified.  

It has White willow bark extract (source of Salicylic acid) and Glycolic acid that gently exfoliates and removes dead skin cells and helps to unclog pores and prevent breakouts.  

In addition, this complex comes in a gel form which is naturally hydrating and does not strip the skin of its natural oils.

The cleanser contains chamomile extract, with this soothing and calming extract it will not make skin red, itchy or tight.

Another great ingredient is the Centell Asiatica, this is a powerful antioxidant with healing properties that help diminish the appearance of premature aging.  

It also is paraben-free, which is a plus and makes it great to use with shaving. 

AT A GLANCE

• Maintains hydration
• Natural purifies and unclogs pores
• Softens and smooths complexion
• Calming ingredients for sensitive skin

Learn more about using iS clinical cleansing complex here. 

For best results you will want to use this cleanser both morning and night. You also don’t need to use a toner with this product (another bonus!) because it contains pH balancing ingredients. 

The Best Cleanser for Acneic skin

Men who have oily skin or acne-prone skin with larger than normal pore size tend to do best with a cleanser that reduces sebum production, treats active break outs and prevents future break outs. 

Cleaners with higher concentrations of Salicylic acid tend to be the most beneficial for this condition. 

Men naturally produce more sebum (or natural facial oils) than women due to higher concentrations of testosterone. 

Some men tend to be more sensitive to the testosterone in their body and may therefore present with symptoms of oily skin. 

Managing oil production is very important because chronic inflammation from recurrent pimples can damage the skin and cause premature aging. 

Also, it may lead to very large pore size later in life. 

So which cleanser should you use? 

The best cleanser for acneic skin is the Obagi Clenziderm foaming cleanser. 

This cleanser contains 2% Salicylic acid which is designed to be gentle yet effective at removing dead skin cells, dirty and oil. 

The 2% Salicylic acid  helps by dissolving the type of skin debris that clogs pores and help promote a cleaner and more balanced complexion.

Salicylic acid will help reduce the number of blackheads and whiteheads on your skin and may even treat cystic acne (which is a deeper acne). 

This lightweight cleanser will also NOT dry your skin out! 

This cleanser also comes equipped with menthol which will help soothe and cool irritated skin and existing acne blemishes. 

Even better is that this cleanser will keep your pH balanced and you should see results (and notice fewer breakouts) within 1-2 weeks. 

This product is also paraben-free. 

AT A GLANCE

• Contains 2% salicylic acid
• Lightweight cleanser which won’t damage the skin
• May help treat active breakouts and prevent future breakouts
• Naturally unclogs pores and reduces pore size
• Helps maintain natural facial oils and acid mantle

You can learn more about using Obagi CLENZIderm foaming cleanser here. 

For best results you will want to use this cleanser up to twice per day (in the morning and night). 

The Best Cleanser for Anti-Aging Benefits

Nowadays many men are interested in maintaining the youthful appearance of their skin! 

What is more interesting is that you can prevent or slow down the aging process by putting the right ingredients on your skin and in your body. 

As we age our natural cellular turnover slows down, the elastin and collagen begins to break down and this all causes fine lines and wrinkles in the skin. 

This process also results in characteristic “age spots” as well. 

To prevent this process it is essential to provide the skin with the proper professional grade skin care products to protect it from the process of aging. 

One of the best cleansers for anti-aging is the Anthony Glycolic Facial cleanser. 

It has 4.9% glycolic acid which exfoliates away dead skin cells, and increases cellular turnover to reveal healthy skin. 

This cleanser also has Vitamin C and E, these are powerful antioxidants that help with skin repair.

Vitamin C helps produce collagen, slows the rate of free radical damage to collagen that can contribute to dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles.  

Vitamin E helps protect and repair your skin and help prevent premature aging while Vitamin A works to prevent wrinkles.  

It is also a great exfoliator which helps to remove dead skin cells that could clog pores. 

It also speeds up cellular turnover while boosting collagen and elastins.  

AT A GLANCE

• One of the best anti aging cleansers
• Contains 4.9% glycolic acid
• Helps simultaneously cleanse and exfoliate the skin
• Contains Vitamin A, E and C to nourish and protect the skin
• Contains chamomile and aloe vera to sooth the skin
• Paraben free

For best results you will want to use this cleanser at least every night (but every morning as well if possible). 

The key to getting anti-aging results is consistency! So keep at it. 

You can learn more about the Anthony Glycolic Cleanse here. 

Beyond using a cleanser you will also want to use these tips to help keep your skin young, healthy and clean! 

#1. Use your cleanser each and every day 

The most important aspect of keeping your skin healthy is to remain consistent. 

Some men tend to focus only on their skin whenever it is a problem (and this is a mistake). 

Instead make sure you invest in your skin and make it a habit of using your cleanser each and every day. 

#2. Put your cleanser in the shower (to help you remember)

One way to remember to use your cleanser is to put it in the shower. 

Using your cleanser in the shower helps you not only remember but can make the cleansing process even easier. 

Remember:

For best results you will need to have damp skin, so if you don’t use it in the shower make sure to get your face wet before application. 

#3. Replace your pillowcase frequently (up to every 3 days if you suffer from acne)

For those who suffer from acne or acneic skin it’s important to replace your pillowcase frequently. 

Your pillow can attract dust, dead skin cells and oil from the night before. 

Each night as you sleep you may roll your face around in old oils which can adhere to your face and lead to further acne. 

Halt this process with frequent pillow changing. 

#4. Start young (especially if you are interested in anti-aging!)

If your main focus is on anti-aging then one of the most important things you can do is to start at an early age. 

Prevention is ALWAYS easier than a cure (in fact there is no cure for wrinkles and aged skin but you can slow it down). 

Slowing down the aging process is much easier than trying to reverse it – and much less expensive. 

#5. Use high quality facial cleansers and facial products

The products listed in this review are all high quality and I have been using them on my male clients for a while. 

If you are using a face wash make sure to spend a little bit extra to get the right high quality ingredients. 

Low quality ingredients can actually damage the skin. 

#6. Make sure you use the right ingredients

Likewise it’s also very important to use the right type of ingredients. 

Do your best to target your facial products to your skin type and skin quality. 

Use products designed to treat acne if you have acne, use products designed to reverse aging if you want anti-aging, etc. 

Final Thoughts

All men should spend some time finding the best face cleanser for their body!

Using the right high quality product will help to slow down the aging process and keep the skin looking young and healthy. 

Stick to high quality products with high quality ingredients whenever possible. 

Now I want to hear from you:

Have you been using a facial product? 

Has it worked well for you?

Why or why not?

Leave your comments below!