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Pick a brand you already like (or one you’re really interested in trying). Order every product you need — from shampoo to serums — from there.
By Evan Malachosky
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Even if your skincare routine starts and ends with face wash, you’ve probably been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options there are — and that’s just a single category. A complete skincare routine encompasses washing, moisturizing, applying sunscreen, adding a retinoid and applying an antioxidant serum, meaning the total routine — referring to both skincare and grooming — is a whopping 12-step ordeal if you include body washing and moisturizing, shampooing and conditioning and shaving and applying after-shave.
Products in the Guide
Face Cleanser
Read moreLip Balm
Read moreMountain Glow Golden Serum
Read moreCitrus Riot Body Wash
Read moreNo. 106 Charcoal Body Soap Bar
Read moreNo. 170 Original Water Pomade
Read moreClarifying Body Wash
Read moreUV-Defense Moisturizing Balm
Read moreDeodorant Body Spray
Read moreShaving Foam
Read moreFW1 | Anti-Aging Foaming Face Wash
Read moreBW1 | Body Wash
Read moreWake Up Face Serum
Read moreHydrating Conditioner
Read moreIntense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25
Read moreCharcoal Body Buff Exfoliating Cleanser
Read moreTwist & Curl Gel Cream
BLACK-OWNED BRAND
Read moreExfoliating Face Scrub
BLACK-OWNED BRAND
Read moreRum Bar Soap
Read moreReplenishing Face Serum
Read moreCleanse+
Read moreSuper Face Oil
Read moreDaily Fortifying Shampoo
Read moreAfter Shave Balm
Read moreSensitive Skin Body Wash
Read morePapaya Enzyme Exfoliator
Read moreGentle Gel Facial Cleanser
Read moreBody Cream
Read moreCitrus Melange Body Cleanser
Read moreBitter Orange Astringent Toner
Read moreBody Wash
Read moreTargeted Blemish Treatment Gel
Read moreThe Body Oil
Read moreThe Hand Cream
Read moreSkin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum
Read moreAmino Acid Conditioner
Read more
Simplify Your Routine, Buy From One Brand
I don’t recommend picking a shampoo from one brand, a moisturizer from another and so on and so forth. It’s not that products from different brands can’t coexist, but you never know, and it’s easier to be certain they can work together and effectively, too. Buy everything from one source and seek out specialized items from other labels only when necessary.
Unsurprisingly, though, there aren’t that many brands with that kind of catalog. Sure, Dove definitely makes hair and body products, but the soap giant doesn’t sell serums. On the contrary, artisanal, all-natural label Caldera+Lab makes excellent creams, but they don’t sell shampoo, deodorants or deep-cleaning body washes, for example. Do you get what I’m saying? There’s a shortlist of brands you can truly count on for the entirety of your everyday skin, hair and body routine — deodorants, moisturizers, pomades and more. But, fret not; we’ve found them.
Face Cleanser
$18.00 at Maapilim
Infused with aloe vera, this option’s gentle and boasts notes of bergamot, jasmine and cedarwood.
Lip Balm
$9.00 at
Skip the stick! Be sure to wash your hands before you apply this butter-soft lip balm.
Mountain Glow Golden Serum
$84.00 at ursamajorvt.com
Ursa Major’s new Glow Golden Serum is formulated with 44 active ingredients, resulting in a potent product for all skin types.
Citrus Riot Body Wash
$24.00 at ursamajorvt.com
Instead of cool mint, try citrus for deep cleaning. It has a similar effect, but the freshness is compounded by actual fruit ingredients — like lime peel, which encourages cell renewal.
No. 106 Charcoal Body Soap Bar
$2,024.00 at marloweskin.com
The Charcoal Cleansing Bar clears dry skin and purifies the skin’s surface, all while leaving a fresh, woodsy scent.
No. 170 Original Water Pomade
$12.00 at marloweskin.com
Style essentially any haircut with this water based pomade, which is easy to work in and reactivate.
Clarifying Body Wash
$14.00 at
A clarifying shampoo cleans deep down by clearing flakes and other debris from the scalp and encouraging even oil distribution down through the ends each of hair.
UV-Defense Moisturizing Balm
$16.00 at Lumin
$32.00(50% off)
It’s important to always apply SPF. It doesn’t always need to come via sunscreen, though. This UV-defending balm, for example, acts like a hydrator but has protective properties.
Deodorant Body Spray
$10.00 at Bravo Sierra
Unlike with Axe, there are no aerosols at play here. This is a pure, proprietary spray that delivers the potency of a stick deodorant without the irritating stickiness.
Shaving Foam
$9.00 at Bravo Sierra
It’s hard to describe this shaving foam. I mean, shaving foam does a good job, but the texture of this option is superior to so many others I’ve tried — and it’s only $9.
FW1 | Anti-Aging Foaming Face Wash
$88.00 at Amazon
This sleek cylinder is packed with potent anti-aging ingredients that encourage cell regrowth. The vessel, a green tea-infused foaming cream, lathers on nicely and washes off without fuss.
BW1 | Body Wash
$45.00 at Amazon
There’s serious depth to this body wash’s scent. Notes of cognac and bergamot complement a clean, amber aroma. But it doesn’t just smell nice. Green tea, coconut oil and vitamins A, C and E clear dirt and renew the skin’s surface.
Wake Up Face Serum
$49.00 at Oars and Alps
Using a “proprietary combination of 15-percent encapsulated vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E,” Oars and Alps face serum invigorates and awakens the skin both at the surface level and deep down, actively undoing signs of aging.
Hydrating Conditioner
$14.00 at Oars and Alps
If you’re not one to sweat a ton or wear a heat-trapping hat, it’s not likely you need to shampoo every single day. But, conditioning between washes is important. Conditioners keep the hair hydrated, as is the case with this option, fresh and healthy.
Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25
$10.00 at Sephora
You (should) know to apply SPF all over, every day. And that means on your lips, too.
Charcoal Body Buff Exfoliating Cleanser
$36.00 at Jack Black
This cleanser employs charcoal as an exfoliant. The natural additive does just as the name implies: buffs the skin’s surface so as to clear the pores, remove impurities from the surface and leave the skin ready for post-shower moisturizers and serums.
BLACK-OWNED BRAND
Twist & Curl Gel Cream
$12.00 at Scotch Porter
Work this lightweight cream into your curls or waves for better definition. But, fear not: This option doesn’t dry out or flake, and it’s super easy to wash out.
BLACK-OWNED BRAND
Exfoliating Face Scrub
$14.00 at Scotch Porter
Not just for acne-prone or oily skin, this face scrub clears dead skin sells and opens pores, which regulates oil production and reduces the visibility of blemishes.
Rum Bar Soap
$16.00 at MALIN+GOETZ
The brand’s cult-favorite bar soap comes in three scents (at least right now), Peppermint, Lime and Rum. It’s our pick because it’s less boozy than it is dark and brooding.
Replenishing Face Serum
$70.00 at MALIN+GOETZ
Even though skincare products are already designed for sensitive places (your face), they can still irritate those with skin issues like eczema. This replenishing face serum is specifically formulated not to, as the founder bases the products off what works for him, because he is someone that deals with eczema, seborrhea and fragrance allergies.
Cleanse+
$28.00 at Jack Henry
Cleanse+ is “superfood for your skin,” the brand proclaims. And, honestly, if there is such a thing, this might be it. It features a prebiotic blend that helps balance your skin’s pH, vitamins to encourage tightness and an even tone and the obvious additions to help clear pores and clean the skin’s surface.
Super Face Oil
$68.00 at Jack Henry
This face oil goes on easy and not greasy, hydrates and tones and helps the skin “digest” daily sun.
Daily Fortifying Shampoo
$33.00 at Amazon
A fortifying shampoo does the work of your usual soap but without stripping the hair and scalp of all of its natural oils. You need them to keep peace (balance).
After Shave Balm
$14.00 at Ulta Beauty
$20.00(30% off)
Even if you’re using a nice shaving cream, you still need to consider your post-shave routine. It should absolutely include an after shave, which can help prevent clogged pores, razor bumps and ingrowns.
Sensitive Skin Body Wash
$15.00 at Hawthorne
This ready-to-order body wash emphasizes users with sensitive skin — even the “ultra” sensitive, they say. It’ll cleanse and clear without stripping, always promising to do more good than harm.
Papaya Enzyme Exfoliator
$19.00 at Hawthorne
Instead of rough particulate, Hawthorne uses papaya extract and other enzymes to unclog pores and lift dead skin cells.
Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser
$52.00 at Grown Alchemist
Look at this ingredient list: chamomile, bergamot and willow bark, polyphenols and mucilages from cold-pressed rose petals, polysaccharides from aloe vera. All of this to say, this cleanser clears using a suite of skincare’s best bioactive ingredients.
Body Cream
$75.00 at Grown Alchemist
Some lotions are too thick, making them hard to lather and even harder to dissolve into the skin. This cream’s more subtle yet super effective — and nice-smelling.
Citrus Melange Body Cleanser
$47.00 at Bloomingdale's
The citrus tingle, affordable by lemon and grapefruit rind, makes you feel even cleaner after using this.
Bitter Orange Astringent Toner
$35.00 at Aesop
Meant for folks with oily skin, an astringent toner, like this one with bitter orange, works to even skin tone and clear caked on buildup caused by sweat and oil.
Body Wash
$7.00 at Harry's
Harry’s does broad basics well — like 2-in-1s and body washes. Available in four scents, this option cleans without stripping and doesn’t feel like a drastic departure from the gel-like ones we all used to (used to, right?) use.
Targeted Blemish Treatment Gel
$8.00 at Harry's
The brand even covers specialized items like targeted treatment gels. This one works on acne, dark spots, red patches, plus general rough spots.
The Body Oil
$40.00 at Necessaire
Cold-pressed and free of any additives, The Body Oil, as it’s plainly called, delivers your skin a shortlist of much-needed nutrients.
The Hand Cream
$25.00 at Necessaire
Don’t forget about your hands — especially when seasons change or reach their real extremes.
Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum
$145.00 at Kiehl's
Trust Kiehl’s for classics like body wash and shampoo, even hand lotion, but also luxe extras like hyaluronic acid serums.
Amino Acid Conditioner
$23.00 at Kiehl's
Coconut and jojoba oils contrasts this conditioner’s amino acid base, an element that cleans with unmatched efficiency.
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