Men's skincare – where to start and what to consider?

No Matter Your Gender, We All Have Something in Common: Skin

Just as we care for our bodies by eating well, drinking enough water, and exercising, taking care of our skin is also an essential part of overall wellbeing.

In Korean skincare, no one is left out — both men and women treat their skin daily, seeing it as a simple act of self-care, much like brushing your teeth or combing your hair. But skincare doesn’t have to be complicated! If you’re new to skincare or feel unsure where to begin, this article will help you take your first steps with confidence.

Typical characteristics of men's skin

Are there real differences between men’s and women’s skin?

While individual differences are always the most significant, research has found some clear structural and functional variations between the two. These are mainly due to hormones, which influence hair growth, skin thickness, sebum production, and sensitivity.

Typically, men’s skin is thicker, has larger pores, produces more oil, and is more resistant to external stressors. However, sensitivity and other features vary greatly from person to person.

Before you rush to buy products, take a closer look at your own skin — how does it feel, how does it look, and what does it really need?

The most common skin types:

🔺 Skin feels tight and flaky → dry skin

🔺 Skin feels tight at times but shiny on the T-zone → combination skin

🔺 Skin looks shiny and feels oily → oily skin

🔺 Skin reddens easily and gets irritated after sauna or shaving → sensitive skin

Remember that your skin type is not fixed — it can change with the seasons, age, and lifestyle.

Where to start?

If skincare feels unfamiliar, start with a simple routine: cleansing and moisturizing. Depending on your needs, it may be good to also add a serum or eye area product and of course not forgetting the most important – sunscreen ☀️ 

Beginner's skincare routine:

🌞 morning

Cleaning (alternative): easy-to-use cleansing foam suitable for both morning and evening. You can also skip cleansing and just rinse the skin with water. Dr.Different's cleansing foams are simple and effective cleansers, choose according to your skin type either Zero Cleanser (Normal & Dry Skin designed for dry skin or Zero Cleanser (Oily Skin)

Moisturizing: depending on your skin type, this can be either a watery essence or a serum that lightly moisturizes the skin, or a moisturizer. For oily and sensitive skin, [Beauty of Joseon] Calming Serum : Green Tea + Panthenol is a suitable option, and for dry skin a more nourishing option is [SKIN1004] Centella Probio-Cica Intensive Ampoule or [Dr.Different] 131 Moisturizer if your skin is dry/aging.

Sunscreen: sunscreen is recommended to be used whenever the UV index is 3 or above. This also applies in winter on bright days when the snow reflects the sun's rays, and the higher you go, the higher the UVI is. Korean sunscreens are very light and do not leave the skin pale. Try for example the super popular [SKIN1004] Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum, which is a light and moisturizing sun protection for everyday use. 

🌒 evening

Cleaning: cleansing foam or gel, the same as above or if you want something even more effective, try for example [Cosnori] Micro Active Cleansing Oil, which cleanses the skin effectively but gently. The oil rinses off easily with water without leaving the skin feeling greasy 💦

Intensive treatment: evenings are a good time to repair and strengthen the skin. When it comes to signs of aging, nothing beats retinol; an easy retinol product to start with is [K-SECRET] SEOUL 1988 Serum : Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng, which uses an effective form of retinol called retinaldehyde, that is suitable also for more sensitive skin. 

If you especially want brightness and evenness in your skin, try the luxurious power product [VT Cosmetics] Black Truffle Reedle Shot 100 with truffle extract, gold and reedles.

Moisturizing: same as morning routine --> if your skin is oily, a gel-like moisturizer might be more to your liking. [Parnell] Cicamanu Gel Cream has a light texture and contains skin-soothing ingredients.

Solutions for specific challenges

To ease shaving: uneven skin causes more cuts while shaving, so caring for the skin before and after shaving helps achieve a cleaner result. Cleanse the skin, for example, with oil cleansing before shaving; an oil-based cleanser softens the skin, and massaging the product onto the face helps improve blood circulation and prepares the skin for shaving. Rinse the oil-based cleanser thoroughly and after shaving, apply skin-soothing products, but keep the routine minimal. 

For impurities and blackheads: when treating impurities and blackheads, it is very easy to overdo it with the skin. Squeezing pimples or scrubbing and cleaning the skin too hard only slows down skin healing and makes the problem worse. Retinol works well to control impurities, and 1-2 times a week you can use some exfoliating product instead of retinol. Good examples of these products are exfoliating toners that are super easy to use and last a long time. Exfoliation especially the day before or after shaving can be a good time to help to avoid ingrown hairs.

For inflamed pimples, we recommend putting a pimple patch on overnight – they are really easy and work quickly on the skin, significantly speeding up the healing of pimples. 

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Written 5.11.2025

Tabell S.

Sources:

Male versus female skin: What dermatologists and cosmeticians should know

Gender-linked differences in human skin

Skin care tips for men