Plenty of guys wash their face with whatever bar is sitting in the shower, then wonder why their skin feels tight by lunch. Most of them will never walk down a skincare aisle on their own. Hand them two or three simple bottles that live by the sink, though, and a lot of them will use every last drop.
The trick is keeping it short. He doesn't need ten steps or a cabinet full of serums. He needs something to wash with and something to put on after, and maybe one extra for a slow Sunday.
Step one: a real face wash
Body soap is made for elbows and knees. A face wash is gentler and rinses clean. Our Charcoal Face Wash ($28) is a good first one for a guy who works outside, hits the gym or comes home covered in sawdust. It's black and gray, it looks like it belongs in a toolbox, and he won't feel silly picking it up.
Step two: moisturizer, and keep it light
This is the step most men skip, usually because they tried something greasy once and hated it. Our Face Moisturizer ($26) is a lightweight lotion with shea and sunflower oil in a pump bottle. One pump after he washes, rub it in, done. It's especially welcome this time of year, when the wind picks up outside and the heat comes on inside.
The easy way: buy them together
If you'd rather not build it piece by piece, The Face Starter Set ($74) puts the charcoal face wash and the moisturizer in one box with a trio of bar soaps for the shower. The bar soaps matter more than you'd think. They give him something he already knows how to use, sitting right next to the two new things, so the whole routine feels familiar instead of fussy.
A bonus for Sunday
Once he's used to the routine, a Clay Mask Stick ($26) is a fun add-on. It's a kaolin clay mask in a twist-up stick, so there's no jar and no mess. He swipes it on, watches the game for ten minutes and rinses it off. Plenty of men who swore they'd never wear a face mask end up asking where you bought it.
How to give it
Don't make it a big speech about his skin. Put the bottles in the bathroom where he'll see them first thing, or wrap the set with a note that says "two minutes, morning and night." Keep it low-key and he'll treat it as his own routine instead of something you assigned him.
More grooming gifts for him are at hisgiftbox.com.