We spent all year testing the best scents, soaps, trimmers, and other tools. These are the ones that stood out
Here, we uncover the 15 best grooming products of 2023.
The end of the year always puts us in a reflective mood. What are the lessons we learnt over the past 12 months? How did we grow? Which new grooming products were the best of the year? These are the important questions to mull over as we prepare a new calendar—but then, of course, that last one pertains directly to what we do for a living.
For those of you looking in the mirror, or looking for a gift for the discerning individuals on your list, below you’ll find our list of the most impressive new launches of the year. They run the gamut from a hardworking Vitamin C serum—which should be a staple in everyone’s regimen—to LED-powered devices that deliver anti-ageing benefits to both your face and your scalp. But what they all have in common is that they’ve passed our rigorous testing and stand out as among the best stuff you can get. Start using them now, and this time next year you might just be looking back at a more attractive you.
The best moisturiser
La Prairie skin caviar luxe cream reformulation
The first spot on this list goes to a renovated classic: La Prairie’s miracle-working moisturiser got a big upgrade in 2023, from an innovation the company calls Caviar Micro-Nutrients. These little vessels “supply cells with the energy and building blocks needed to synthesise [the brand’s other signature ingredient, Caviar Premier], to ultimately lift and firm the skin.” In short, La Prairie refined the efficacy of its Swiss anti-ageing technology even further, in a recipe with over 300 natural ingredients.
The best skincare device
Therabody TheraFace LED mask
Every day, you can look forward to a mind-clearing face massage from this LED mask, whose main aim is to boost collagen production, thus improving skin elasticity complexion. It also features a blue-light function designed to banish the bacteria that cause acne. The fact that it could double as part of a Halloween costume is just the cherry on top.
The best serum
Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Drops
Niacinamide is one of the best ingredients you can apply to your skin, and Drunk Elephant’s new gold-hued serum is one of the best ways to get this daily dose of Vitamin B. Not only will it improve overall skin complexion and reinforce your skin’s barrier functions, but it will also give you a radiant glow without making you look like you’re wearing glitter. Get ready for compliments.
The best haircare products
Guerlain Abeille Royale hair oil and mask
There’s a lot to love in Guerlain’s four-product hair care launch this year, which fixates on the replenishing powers of royal bee honey. That hero ingredient was sourced from Corsica, Greece, and Finland and is infused in a shampoo, conditioner, mask, and hair/scalp oil-in-serum. The assortment—especially the hair mask and serum—gives your hair its most brilliant, light-catching shine that looks natural, not greasy.
The best grooming tool
Braun 13-in-1 series 9 multitasking trimmer
Braun’s latest launch is a superstar across the board. It has 40 trimming settings (at 0.5-mm. increments), and it’s waterproof so you can use it in the shower. It also runs for three hours on a full charge, which means it’ll give you consistent results time and time again.
The best anti-ageing product
Orveda The Omnipotent concentrate
With 16 active ingredients, this anti-ageing workhorse was designed to deliver younger, healthier-looking skin with consistent use. It acts at the cellular level, where it communicates with senescent cells—which you can think of as the bad apples that spoil the whole bunch—to stop them from telling healthy cells to deteriorate. Consider it a “great reset” and a second chance for your skin.
The best face masks
Narcyss Le Fix emergency facial sheet masks
These “emergency” masks are aptly named: Le Fix revives tired, dull skin in a jiffy and gives you an all-day glow worthy of an Annie Leibovitz photo shoot. It’s designed to add a dose of intense hydration to your face with hyaluronic acid and bamboo extract, and it comes in two pieces—so those without beards can absorb all the benefits, too.
The best skin brightner
Prof. Dr. Steinkraus Vitamin C serum
This is one of the best Vitamin C serums money can buy, and the top product in a standout new product line. Aside from the radiant, even–toned results it gives your skin within about a month of use, you can also trust its freshness, since Dr. Steinkraus gives you daily “puffs” to activate with serum each day. That way, nothing gets oxidised, and you get maximum return on an otherwise volatile ingredient.
The best skin saviour
Protocol Labs water lock moisturiser
The brilliant research nerds over at Protocol have built a cult following in just a year or more with their high-performance, stabilised skincare products. Their latest launch, this “slugging” moisturiser, is a miracle for dry skin (be it genetically dry or seasonally so). They’ve formulated a product that manages to wear light while effectively trapping moisture (and any serums) inside the skin, so your face stays supple, strong, and smooth.
The best soap
Claus Porto Musgo Real Alto Mar
Portuguese legacy label Claus Porto is actively building out its men’s line, Musgo Real, and we particularly loved this year’s Alto Mar assortment, a fresh sea-breezy trip of fragrance and two soaps. Naturally, we gravitated toward an Alto Mar expression of the brand’s iconic soap-on-a-rope, which might be the slowest-shrinking bar of soap on either side of the Atlantic.
The best treatments
Doctor Rogers day and night treatment duo
Here’s an easy sell for skincare minimalists who don’t want to do a dozen different steps with each regimen: Doctor Rogers provides two treatments—one for day, one for night—that pair well with the conditions of the hour to help defend and repair skin. In a single day, you get things like antioxidants, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, salicylic acid, and bakuchiol, all when you need them most. Then you can toss out your other serums and treatments.
The best fragrance
Caswell-Massey Oaire Eau de Parfum
Not only is Oaire one of the best new scents of 2023, but this EDP is quite arguably the best of the year. It has the most beautiful dry down, like a heated blanket wrapping you in the middle of a cedar forest—or something like that. Think suede musk, patchouli, and cedar—mmmmm. It’s cosy, masculine, and approachable.
The best hair device
CurrentBody LED hair regrowth helmet
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I really want to regrow my lost hair, but how can I do it while enjoying my favourite podcast or music playlist?” If so, then you definitely need CurrentBody’s Bluetooth-integrated LED follicle-stimulating helmet. For 10 minutes a day, you can relax while these LEDs stimulate your follicles and procure stronger, thicker, well-anchored hair—and listen to whatever your heart desires.
The best eye “cream”
Dr. Barbara Sturm super anti-ageing eye serum
The best eye cream on the market might actually be an eye serum. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s overachieving product is a master of moisture retention, which helps enhance the area’s firmness, brightness, and suppleness. All of that in a tiny little drop.
The best acne product
Murad Rapid Relief Acne Sulphur Mask
Acne-prone individuals, we present to you this fast-working complexion fixer, which uses sulphur and salicylic acid to absorb excess oil and calm inflammation. Use it to target early-stage breakouts, to reduce the agony with budding blemishes, and as an all-over treatment to keep pimples at bay.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA
