The best time to start using a moisturizer is ten years ago—but the second best time is today.
As one of the most overlooked elements of a skincare routine, a good moisturizer is a real game change. Combine that with some Sun Protection Factor (SPF), and you get an all-in-one solution to better-looking skin.
We’ve collected eight of the best men’s SPF face moisturizers to protect your best asset in the summer sun, with SPF ratings from a mild 20 to a more powerful and protective 37. They’ll keep your face smooth, clear, and burn-free all summer long.
Oars + Alps Everyday Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer with SPF 37
Equipped with the most powerful sun protection of any moisturizer on our list, the Oars + Alps Everyday Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer is a fair-skinned man’s best friend. You might be thinking that since it carries a beefed-up SPF rating that it’s like wearing sunscreen—but you’d be wrong, as this moisturizer’s light and oil-free formula won’t leave your face feeling greasy or looking shiny.
Hyaluronic acid pairs with Vitamins B5 and E to smooth and tone your skin, and antioxidant-rich Alpine Caribou Moss acts as a powerful antioxidant for preventing wrinkles and skin damage.
Price: $22
Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20
Part moisturizer, part sunscreen, and all awesome—that’s Jack Black’s Double-Duty Face Moisturizer in a nutshell. It’s a super popular lightweight moisturizer and sunscreen for guys, with SPF 20 sun protection and a whole host of skin-boosting supplemental ingredients.
Vitamins A, C, and E are naturally included through extracts of blue algae and sea parsley, and a heaping helping of phospholipids help this blend bind moisture to your skin for all-day-long hydration. Use it as part of Jack Black’s cleansing and skincare regimen, and your skin will feel fresh and new every day.
Price: $30
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30
You may already know how good olive oil is for you, what with its laundry list of health benefits and longtime use in folk medicine. But it’s good for more than just drizzling over a salad—thanks to an isolated molecule called squalane, olive oil can also do wonders for your skin.
That’s the secret behind Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer, which when combined with this product’s strong SPF 30 sun protection, provides long-lasting hydration and even a degree of wrinkle reduction and skin health recovery. It’s a classic formula that never goes out of style, and it’s available in convenient travel-sized bottles as well.
Price: $38
Cardon Daily SPF + Moisturizer
Named as the best lightweight moisturizer with SPF by GQ magazine, Cardon’s Daily SPF + Moisturizer solution is easily at the top of many a guy’s list of must-have skincare products. It goes for a powerful triple threat of key ingredients to achieve its dryness-busting power: Inflammation-soothing cactus extract, antioxidant-packed chia seed extract, and turmeric that can even help tame breakouts.
Bottled in a compact and travel-ready size and offered at a very fair price, this is one addition to your everyday carry gear that you shouldn’t miss out on.
Price: $22
Lumin Sun Defense Broad Spectrum Moisturizer SPF 30
On the spectrum from heavy-duty sunscreen to light-as-air moisturizer, Lumin’s Sun Defense Broad Spectrum Moisturizer is definitely more of a sunscreen. Unlike most moisturizers, it uses a mineral-based formula as its UV-fighting base, giving it a stronger degree of sun protection as well as a thicker feel.
But it’s been finely tuned to leave barely any residue while providing maximum protection, and has the added benefits of aloe vera for fighting inflammation and papaya extract as a natural exfoliator. Overall, it’s a great choice for guys who are prone to sunburns but don’t want to wear thicker sunscreens all day.
Price: $27+
Lab Series All-In-One Defense Lotion SPF 35
Lab Series’s All-In-One Defense Lotion with SPF 35 might well offer the best value for moisturizing protection from the sun, with a 3.4-oz tube that’s twice or three times as big as competitors’ for just 60 bucks. Its invisible, shine-free finish makes the Lab Series lotion great for daily use, and strong anti-inflammatory properties will even help take care of redness and occasional breakouts.
Be warned though that this high level of sun protection comes with a thicker texture—so if you’re looking for a lightweight daily face moisturizer rather than a hydrating sunscreen, look elsewhere.
Price: $60
Every Man Jack SPF Mineral Face Lotion
Every Man Jack is a tried-and-true brand for solid products sold at excellent prices, and their SPF Mineral Face Lotion is no exception to the rule. Made with shea butter, squalane and Vitamin B5, it’s a powerful zinc oxide sunscreen with deep moisturizing and nourishing powers.
Hyaluronic acid makes it especially hydrating, all without being greasy. Overall, it’s a very finely balanced SPF face moisturizer—and a perfect go-to choice for guys who are trying this style of moisturizer for the first time, since it’s so darned affordable.
Price: $10+
Anthony Day Cream SPF 30
Anthony takes a very different approach to moisturizing and sun protection with their Day Cream, with seven key ingredients not often found in other moisturizers. Sugarcane extracts minimize blemishes, while sugar maple acts as a natural exfoliant. Lactic acid and licorice root extracts smooth skin tone and further reduce blemishes, and a combination of panthenol and Vitamins A and C prevents sun damage and restores a youthful look to your skin.
It feels fairly heavy when first applied, but quickly absorbs into the skin for maximum sun protection with only a thin layer of shine.
Price: $36
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