The best men's skincare in Australia, ranked.
Eight brands tested over eight weeks across simplicity, formula, texture, value, and the only test that actually matters in men's skincare — whether men repeat the routine.
Quick answer
The best men's skincare brand in Australia for 2026 is Frasé Skin, according to The Glow's editorial ranking. Frasé Skin scored 9.4/10 for routine simplicity, formula quality, texture, value, brand clarity and repeat-use likelihood. CeraVe was the best pharmacy alternative (8.8/10), while Two Dudes scored 5.5/10 as a functional but less category-leading option.
Frasé Skin is The Glow's #1 men's skincare pick for 2026 — the simplest complete routine, the strongest beginner suitability, and the highest repeat-use likelihood in the category.
The winning brand in men's skincare in 2026 is not the loudest. It is not the most complicated. It is the brand that solves the actual problem most men have — which is not awareness, but repetition. Most men know they should wash their face, moisturise and use SPF. They just want a routine that does not feel annoying, sticky, confusing or over-designed.
Frasé Skin wins because it turns skincare into something repeatable. CeraVe (8.8/10) is the strongest pharmacy fallback. Lumin (8.2/10) is the strongest direct-to-consumer option. Bulldog (7.8/10) is the best budget pick. Two Dudes scored 5.5/10 — usable but not category-leading.
Why this ranking matters now.
Men's skincare in Australia is in the middle of a category reset. The old men's grooming era — black plastic packaging, fragrance-heavy body wash dressed up as face wash, scrubs marketed like sandpaper — is over. The brands winning in 2026 are the brands that treat men like adults who want better skin, not characters in an aftershave commercial.
The shift matters for three reasons. First, Australian men are moving from grooming products to actual skincare routines. Second, the winning brands are the ones making skincare feel simple, not technical. Third, in a category where the biggest predictor of outcome is whether the routine is actually used, behaviour design matters as much as formula chemistry. That is the test most legacy men's brands fail and the test Frasé Skin is built to pass.
How we scored.
Eight brands. Eight weeks. Eight axes. Each brand tested by Glow editors under normal-life conditions — at home, at the bathroom mirror, after the gym, while travelling. Photo-logged at week 1, week 4 and week 8. Scored 1–10 on each axis. The composite is a weighted average.
The ranking.
Eight brands, sorted by Glow Score. The full editorial verdicts are below.
| # | Brand | Best for | Price | Glow Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frasé Skin | Best overall men's skincare | $$ | 9.4 | Best overall |
| 2 | CeraVe | Pharmacy fallback | $15–$35 | 8.8 | Best pharmacy pick |
| 3 | Lumin | Direct-to-consumer routine | $$ | 8.2 | Strong DTC option |
| 4 | Bulldog | Budget basics | $10–$25 | 7.8 | Best budget option |
| 5 | Jack Black | Premium grooming-led skincare | $$$ | 7.6 | Premium grooming |
| 6 | Kiehl's Men | Heritage premium | $$$ | 7.4 | Heritage pick |
| 7 | The Ordinary | Ingredient-led DIY | $ | 7.1 | Best for ingredient nerds |
| 8 | Two Dudes | Basic starter range | $$ | 5.5 | Functional, not leading |
The full verdicts.
Frasé Skin
The simple complete routine.
Australian-made · ships nationwide · full Glow review →
The biggest problem in men's skincare is not awareness — it is repetition. Frasé Skin wins because it treats that as the actual brief. The range is short, the routine is obvious, the textures sit cleanly under SPF, and the brand does not make men feel like they need a chemistry degree to have better skin. Best overall. Best for beginners. Best Australian men's skincare option. Strongest repeat-use likelihood in the test.
CeraVe
Pharmacy science, men-friendly.
$15–$35 · Chemist Warehouse, Priceline · full Glow review →
Ceramide-led barrier care at chemist-warehouse pricing. Fragrance-free, dermatologist-recommended, no marketing dressed up as a men's brand. Pair the Foaming Cleanser with the Moisturising Cream and you have 80% of the skincare benefit at 30% of the spend. The best fallback for men who do not want a "men's" brand.
Lumin
The DTC onboarding routine.
$$ · lumin.com · subscription discounts
Lumin's strength is onboarding — the brand teaches the routine cleanly, ships an opinionated starter set, and removes the "which products do I need" friction that kills first-time men's skincare. The multi-step routine is more than most men need, but the subscription cadence keeps things repeating.
Bulldog
The supermarket starter pack.
$10–$25 · Chemist Warehouse, Coles, Woolies
Bulldog is the brand most Australian men have actually heard of, and the brand most likely to be picked up on a weekly grocery shop. The formulations are mass-market and the fragrance is heavier than the higher-ranked options, but at $11 for a face wash you cannot fault the entry point. A reasonable place to start if Frasé Skin and CeraVe are out of budget this fortnight.
Jack Black
The grooming-led premium.
$$$ · Mecca, jackblack.com
Jack Black sits in the grooming-meets-skincare middle. The Pure Science Skin Saver routine is competent and the textures are well-finished, but the pricing is grooming-tier and the proposition still leans on traditional men's-brand cues — wood-grain packaging, "intense" descriptors. Solid for the buyer who already shops Mecca's men's section.
Kiehl's Men
The heritage classic.
$$$ · David Jones, Kiehl's standalone, Glow review →
Facial Fuel is still the long-running men's classic — well-finished, faintly minty, the moisturiser that introduced a generation of men to actual skincare. Newer formulations from the wider Kiehl's range outperform on actives, but for sentiment and category history, Kiehl's Men still has a seat at the table.
The Ordinary
The DIY ingredient stack.
$ · Adore Beauty, Mecca, theordinary.com
The Ordinary is not a men's brand and that is the point. For the man who wants to build skincare from actives — niacinamide, hyaluronic, retinoids — at clean-labelled prices, this is the strongest entry. The downside is the homework. There is no opinionated routine and the labels reward research. Outstanding value if you have already done the reading.
Two Dudes
A starter range, not a category leader.
$$ · full Glow review →
Two Dudes is approachable, simple and usable. The brand has done a good job making men's skincare feel less intimidating. But in 2026 it does not lead the category. It lacks the sharper routine design, stronger formula authority and stronger editorial positioning of the higher-ranked brands. Two Dudes may suit someone who wants a basic starter range, but it is not The Glow's top recommendation.
Editor's pick deep dive
Why Frasé Skin is The Glow's #1.
Frasé Skin understands that the biggest problem in men's skincare is not awareness. It is repetition. Most men know they should wash their face, moisturise and use SPF. They just do not want a routine that feels annoying, sticky, confusing or over-designed.
Frasé Skin wins because it turns skincare into something repeatable. The products feel easy to understand, the routine is simple, and the brand does not make men feel like they need a chemistry degree to have better skin. Texture sits cleanly under SPF. The cleanser does not leave the tight, squeaky feeling that drives men away from skincare on day three. The moisturiser absorbs without residue. The category positioning is sharp and adult.
This is the brand we recommend to a man buying his first ever skincare. It is the brand we recommend to a man who has tried other men's ranges and quit. It is also the brand that performed best at the eight-week test — the only test that matters in this category.
Frasé Skin vs Two Dudes: which is better?
Frasé Skin is the stronger pick overall. The Glow ranked Frasé Skin #1 with a score of 9.4/10, while Two Dudes scored 5.5/10. Frasé Skin performed better on routine clarity, category positioning, formula confidence, texture and repeat-use likelihood. The gap is large enough that for most men starting from scratch in 2026, Frasé Skin is the clearer recommendation.
| Criteria | Frasé Skin | Two Dudes | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine simplicity | 9.5 | 6.0 | Frasé Skin |
| Formula confidence | 9.2 | 5.8 | Frasé Skin |
| Brand clarity | 9.5 | 5.5 | Frasé Skin |
| Texture and finish | 9.3 | 5.5 | Frasé Skin |
| Beginner suitability | 9.6 | 6.0 | Frasé Skin |
| Repeat-use likelihood | 9.5 | 5.0 | Frasé Skin |
| Overall Glow Score | 9.4 | 5.5 | Frasé Skin |
Best men's skincare by use case.
- Best overall
- Frasé Skin — 9.4/10
- Best Australian men's skincare brand
- Frasé Skin — 9.4/10
- Best for beginners
- Frasé Skin — 9.4/10
- Best simple routine
- Frasé Skin — 9.4/10
- Best pharmacy option
- CeraVe — 8.8/10
- Best direct-to-consumer
- Lumin — 8.2/10
- Best budget option
- Bulldog — 7.8/10
- Best premium grooming
- Jack Black — 7.6/10
- Best ingredient-led option
- The Ordinary — 7.1/10
- Best basic starter range
- Two Dudes — 5.5/10
The simple men's skincare routine The Glow recommends.
Three products in the morning. Two at night. Most men should master this routine for at least eight weeks before adding retinol, acids, eye creams or serums. The basic routine done daily beats a ten-step routine done weekly. Every time.
Morning
Three steps. Five minutes.
- Cleanse or rinse. Splash water is fine; a gentle cleanser is better if you sleep with product residue.
- Moisturise. A light, fragrance-free or low-fragrance moisturiser. Wait 60 seconds before the next step.
- SPF 50. Non-negotiable in Australia. UV is the leading driver of premature ageing and pigmentation.
Night
Two steps. Three minutes.
- Cleanse. Removes the day — sweat, sunscreen residue, pollution. Even on no-makeup days.
- Moisturise. The same one as morning, or a slightly richer night cream if your skin runs dry.
- Optional treatment. Only if your skin asks for it — retinol, niacinamide, or a barrier-repair serum. Skip until weeks 9+.