UrbanUpdate

Hopefully, by now, you're on board with the fact that you need to use moisturizer daily. Your face thanks you (or, it will, once you actually buy and start applying some). Moisturizing is crucial for combatting dryness, sensitivity, and signs of aging (even if you don’t think you need to worry about that yet), not to mention the environmental damage incurred over the course of a normal day.

But how to choose the right moisturizer for you? You walk into a seemingly endless aisle with words like CREAM! LOTION! HYDRATION! ANTI-AGING! ENERGIZING! shouting at you from bottle after bottle and a certain paralysis sets in. Skincare is personal. It can be tailored to your skin's specific needs. But that can take a lot of legwork, trial and error and, sometimes, a lot of money before you find something that actually works.

We always recommend consulting a professional. But sometimes the best first step is with a recommendation or two from someone who has tried a whole lot of product. That’s where we come in or, more specifically, where GQ's Creative Director-at-Large comes in. Jim Moore is an unofficial moisturizer expert-slash-obsessive, so when we suggested giving him 30 moisturizers to try over the course of a month, he jumped at the chance. His extensive rating system included everything from where he was that day, what the weather was like, the texture of the product, the active ingredients, and how he felt after hours of wear. We encourage you to read about each and every one he tried. But if you just want to find a great product to add to your skincare routine and move on with your life, here are his favorites, quite literally the crème de la crème.

The Best Affordable Drugstore ScoreNivea Men Energy Revitalizing Lotion>$6.50, Buy now at Amazon

Jim's take: "The quality of this is superb for a drug store brand. It went on light and absorbed all day. Sometimes you don't want a heavy SPF and this has just enough to feel covered. I love the pump bottle too. The only thing that betrays the price point is the scent."

When you’re looking for a good all-around moisturizer for not a lot of cash, it’s important that it goes on smooth. Too often lower-priced products have a lot of (cheap) additives that can sit on your skin and impede absorption, which means they don't work as long or as well as they should. This great multi-purpose lotion is the exception. If you’re buying your first moisturizer and don’t want to invest a ton of money right away, this one’s for you.

The Farm-to-Table ChoiceYouth to the People Kale + Spinach Age Prevention Cream>$48, Buy now at Sephora

Jim's take: "I bought this after I saw it in Allure and I wasn't disappointed. It's really soothing and cool to the touch (maybe it's the green tea?) and isn't as thick as I expected. The tingle let me know that the active ingredients were working. I'm a firm believer that you should use anti-aging ingredients no matter your age. Plus good packaging and a cool typeface will always go a long way with me."

Natural ingredients are the biggest trend in skincare right now and with good reason. Just like a healthy diet, your skin benefits from natural vitamins and antioxidants found in things like essential oils, plants, vegetables and fruits. Think of this as a juice cleanse for your face. Youth to the People uses the same philosophy to deliver high-potency, cold-pressed benefits to the outside of your body. It’s so natural you could probably eat it, but we don't recommend that.

The Anti-Aging InvestmentReVive Sensitif Renewal Cream Daily Cellular Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen>$215, Buy now at Neiman Marcus

Jim's take: "This is the gold standard of moisturizer. I usually put this on when my skin feels ravaged and needs some serious repair. It feels like cells are knitting themselves back together and gives you a protective layer."

ReVive's product line uses Nobel Prize-winning cellular science to aid in skin rejuvenation and cell turnover. This stuff works crazy good and it’s shocking how effective (and how quick) this moisturizer reveals the skin you’ve always wished you had. The price is steep, but totally worth it.

The Best Luxe CreamRoyal Fern Phytoactive Anti-Aging Cream>$250, Buy now at Neiman Marcus

What Jim Says: "I love this because it's super creamy and gets rid of any dry patches. It's also lightweight and you can tell there are a lot of active ingredients. It's the best one after exfoliation because it sinks in right away and feels amazing."

The bottom line is that you can definitely tell when a skincare product has higher quality ingredients. The texture is better, there are (typically) fewer chemicals and additives, and the results are faster. Royal Fern is no exception. As Jim says, the active ingredients are evident and the results are almost instantaneous. With a few weeks of regular application, your skin will look completely different (in a good way).

If You’re the Sensitive TypePaula’s Choice CALM Redness Relief Moisturizer for Normal to Oily Skin>$29, Buy now at Amazon

What Jim Says: "I love anything that is going to calm my skin and this was really amazing. It reduced any redness I had, even into the second day when I used something else. It ticks all the boxes for my skin and out of all the moisturizers I tried this month, this is the one I would go back to right away."

Sensitive skin is an issue for most guys, even if you don’t think you have it. Redness, dryness, uneven texture and breakouts can all be signs of sensitivity. Barring a visit to a dermatologist (which you should have at least once a year), the biggest way to combat these issues is to change the products you’re using to those tailored specifically for sensitive skin. They are formulated to keep irritation to a minimum. This moisturizer is a game-changer for anyone with redness.

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