The 2024 GQ Grooming Awards

Gel cleansers have a rep of being drying, but Skinfix's Ceramide+Ectoin Gentle Gel Cleanser is barrier-obsessed so when you suds up with this one, you'll feel as though your skin just got a rush of hydration, instead of feeling stripped.

The ideal cleanser does the near impossible: It's deeply purifying but also deeply hydrating. Pretty Boy’s Fresh Start Gentle Face Cleanser embraces that duality with a formula packed with niacinamide, amino acids, and hyaluronic acid to effectively cleanse and gently exfoliate.

SkinMedica is part of the aesthetics giant Allergan, which popularized hyaluronic acid filler in America (and brought us Botox, NBD), and this year, it introduced an updated hyaluronic acid serum. The beloved formula still has five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid so that it helps to hydrate skin at every level, but the chemists nixed the silicone in the formula so that it wears a little easier on skin.

If addressing fine lines and improving texture is your goal, the P-Tiox Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Serum by Skinceuticals (the brand responsible for the perennial cult favorite CE Ferulic) mimics the effects of in-office derm treatments with a potent blend of peptides plus niacinamide and PHA.

You know by now that retinol is the gold standard ingredient for addressing all those pesky effects of aging on the skin. You probably also know that using it can come with its own pesky side effects like redness, dryness, and irritation. Dr. Few’s Clean Retinol manages to deliver all its benefits plus collagen-supporting peptides in a soothing formula (thanks to antioxidant green tea) even the most sensitive, retinol-hesitant among us can embrace.

For times when the skin needs a hard reset, there is no more dramatic option available right now than Augustinus Bader’s The Skin Infusion, a four-week protocol of vitamins, lipids and proprietary peptides that strengthens and boosts radiance.

Face oil may no longer be a niche beauty product, but our current favorite comes from a niche (at least to an American audience) French apothecary line. Olivier Midy’s antioxidant-rich, brightening and hydrating Anti-Aging Santal Face Oil is a glow-up in a bottle.

Historically the primary issue with acne treatments is that while they may address flare-ups, they also tend to flare up dehydration. Herbivore’s Blue Wave Clearing Serum’s lightweight salicylic acid-based formula manages to fight acne without doing any damage to the skin barrier.

For many, ingrown hairs are often an ongoing dilemma: Treatments for them tend to be either too weak, and therefore ineffective or too strong, and therefore irritating. Consider Kiehls’s Ingrown Hair and Tone-Correcting Intimate Drops a Goldilocks solution. Formulated with AHAs, astaxanthin, and jojoba oil, it is effective in quickly minimizing the appearance of ingrown hairs, but also gentle enough to use on intimate areas like the underarms and groin.

Hyperpigmentation, because it’s so stubbornly resistant to topical treatments, can be hyper frustrating for anyone who has had to deal with it. Ourself takes a two-pronged approach to the issue with its Daily Dark Spot Intercept and HA+ Replenishing Serum, designed to be used in tandem for the most impactful results.

If want something that manually lifts grime, consider Ursa Major’s Green Slate Polish, a mineral-laced mash-up of natural willow bark-derived salicylic acid (chemical) and volcanic ash (physical) that gently refines.

For the purely chemical route, Eadem’s Cashmere Peel Gentle Exfoliating AHA Toner has a milky texture and leaves skin feeling as smooth as, well, cashmere.

Hydrocolloid patches are a favorite for quickly getting rid of pimples that have a pustule head, but for the ones that feel like they're painfully below the surface, we've been SOL until now. Peace Out’s new Early Stage Acne Dots use 430 self-dissolving microneedles with salicylic acid to get to these painful bumps before they have a chance to ooze.

Scent can be a big selling point, and Church California’s Neroli Toner is an ideal example of just that. The floral water made with organic orange blossoms is as soothing on the skin as it is on your psyche.

Those who know their skin care ingredients from azelaic acid to zinc are well-versed in Topicals skin-changing formulas. Its original has earned a near-constant spot in our rotation, thanks to a combination of niacinamide with azelaic and tranexamic acid that helps to reduce hyperpigmentation and even skin tone.

With Cher on the loudspeaker and this alpha- and beta-hydroxy acid peel on your complexion, you might in actuality turn back time—one way or another.

If firming is what you’re after, Dr. Dennis Gross’s DermInfusions Blur + Repair Cream will restore elasticity and hydrate with a blend of hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, ceramides and peptides.

If acne tends to regularly rear its head, Tata Harper’s Clarifying Moisturizer will treat and soothe congested skin without drying it out.

The Soothing Salve by Omorovicza, the brand that harnesses the healing waters of Budapest, is an antioxidant-rich calming cream ideal for sensitive skin that does double duty as an overnight mask.

Dr Jart’s Cicapair Milky Lotion Moisturizer is the ideal lightweight option, made with redness-quashing centella asiatica, for those who want to feel like their skin is wearing nothing.

Allow us to introduce you, also, to a moisturizer that proves that being basic is a very good thing: CeraVe’s Intensive Moisturizing Lotion, a resolutely simple but intensive solution for dry and dehydrated skin.

Your brain and body do much of their regenerative work overnight, and the same holds true for your skin. Of the countless products designed to get down to business while you sleep. La Prairie’s Life Matrix Haute Rejuvenation Cream, which bottles the latest longevity science in a luxurious formula, is quite literally the creme de la creme.

For those who lean chemical, Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion has a whopping 60+ broad spectrum protection in a silky, sweat-resistant formula.

If you’re more of a mineral guy, viral brand Vacation’s Shake Shake has an SPF50 rating and a featherweight milky texture (not to mention delightfully throwback packaging).

Is there a stealthier move than pulling this Prada Lip Balm out of your pocket? We think not. The ne plus ultra of lip balms deeply moisturizes while drying to a matte finish.

A shellack of chapstick on lips in the winter may seem like a fairly utilitarian move, but with the benefit of honey, this tube of Chapstick gets some oomph (and a lovely light scent) to make it feel just a little special.

Undereye bags and dark circles can come from a number of different causes, but one of the most common is dehydration. This serum taps hyaluronic acid which holds a thousand times its weight in water to plump and deeply replenish parched skin.

As the velvety feel of Sisely’s Supremya At Night The Supreme Anti-Aging Cream makes it a pleasure to use over and over again so too do its smoothing and lifting results.

The skin on your neck is thinner than the skin on your face, which means that it can use some TLC via serums and creams to help it stay plump and keep fine lines from showing up. iSClinical's Neck Perfect Complex offers that in spades with alpha hydroxy acids to smooth, hyaluronic acid to plump, and antioxidants to help fend off free radical damage.

The skin around your eyes is some of the most sensitive on your body and it has its own specific needs. The Harry’s Cooling Eye Stick (which comes with its own weighted massage tool downsized for the eye area) is a depuffing and soothing whiz that will serve you particularly well the morning after too much revelry of any sort.

Foreo’s FAQ 211 Neck and Decollete Mask will make you look bionic and will also, with regular use, address wrinkling and sagging on the chest and, when you flip it around, bacne too.

There are many an LED mask on the market, many of which could double up as a Jason-like Halloween costume, but the sphere from New York dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD's brand is different. For starters, it sits on your desk so that you don't have to wear it. Second, it emits nine colors of LED light, one of which is green, something Dr. Marmur's research suggests breaks up hyperpigmentation and smooths fine lines

Wonder Valley’s Hinoki Body Wash will do what is expected of a solid body wash—thoroughly cleanse without stripping the skin of its critically important moisture barrier—but also, much more. With its fragrant blend of Japanese hinoki, cedarwood, and Siberian fir, the smooth, syrupy-texture wash is forest bathing, bottled.

If your skin puts up a fuss no matter what you put on it, Suave’s Sensitive Skin Face and Body Wash offers hydrating hypoallergenic cleansing with a zesty lemongrass and moss aroma.

Body acne happens. So does keratosis pilaris (KP) and, yup, ingrown hairs too. Murad’s Retexturizing Body Pads efficiently address all of the above with calming azelaic acid, plus salicylic and glycolic acid, packed into a very handy format.

The skin-care savvy know that vitamin C is a must-have in your skin care regimen for its brightening and antioxidant capabilities. Now, those extend to the body too in this formula from Necessaire, which is meant to be slathered from head to toe. Bioavailable, stabilized vitamin C (a.k.a., THD ascorbate) plus tranexamic acid and enzymes boost radiance and reduce sun spots for a healthy, all-over glow.

It’s called body odor because it’s not limited to just your pits: other parts (see feet and privates) can benefit from some freshening too. Enter Dove Men’s Whole Body Deodorant, which offers long-lasting protection against odor while also playing well with the most sensitive skin types.

If you prefer a stick to a spray, Old Spice Gentle Man's Total Body swipe-on cream is also meant to be used anywhere you find some funk. It glides onto skin and with fewer than 10 ingredients—and no phthalates or parabens—it's a clean choice for those discerning customers who don't want chemicals around.

Antiperspirants have been sitting idly by while we've all tried to deal with the “funk” that deodorants can leave behind. The Rock can smell what you're cooking and so he helped develop the Papatui Antiperspirant, which taps aluminum to plug sweat glands while leaving behind a Sandalwood Suede scent—designed by legendary perfumer Frank Voelkl—that is a mellow and, crucially, doesn’t feel too perfumey.

A good-for-you deodorant? Hume Supernatural’s plant-derived version uses ingredients more common in your supplement regimen, like prebiotics and probiotics, to bolster your skin’s microbiome while keeping you smelling delightful. (We enthusiastically endorse the Vanilla Haze scent.)

Sudsing up with Cire Trudon’s Vixi feels like something of a forest bathing experience with a refreshing woodsy aroma courtesy of bitter orange petit grain, sage, and sandalwood.

Immediately get your hands on Loewe’s Tomato Leaves, which perfectly mimics the verdant scent of tomato vines, and if we say so, embodies the Spanish fashion house's signature spunk.

The premise of Essie’s Good As New Nail Perfector is simple: it’s your nails, but better. Like, significantly, dramatically, huh-how-did-they-do that better. The ceramide-rich formula corrects yellowing and evens out ridged and uneven texture in as little as one week’s time.

That Hermes, the brand synonymous with luxury at every touchpoint, happens to make some of the most damn fine nail lacquer around comes as no surprise. The brand offers a Pantone-level color palette (we are especially fond of the cobalt Bleu Electrique), long wearability, easy application, and, oh yes, eye-catching bottles that you’ll want to keep as prominently displayed as those little orange boxes.

Seasonal changes, hardcore workouts, a diet without hydrating foods—all these things can show up on your hands. While the options for hand creams abound, finding one that adequately moisturizes without leaving a greasy trail, lasts through many washes, and doesn’t smell like potpourri can be a challenge. Dedcool, the viral fragrance brand, hits all the marks with its thick but quickly absorbing Hand Cream in Taunt, a citrusy amber scent.

We think we speak for your cuticles when we say: We are tired of being overlooked. And all those frequent hangnails are a sign of this gross oversight, one that Paume’s All-In-One Cuticle & Nail Cream can, with its plant keratin, biotin and emollient formula, quickly address.

We'll spare you the full chemistry lesson, but suffice to say that most shampoos have to change the pH of your hair to get it clean, which winds up drying it out. That is unless, of course, you introduce oil into the formula, which can remove hair oil via the like-dissolves-like philosophy. This formula uses oils and incredibly gentle surfactants to clean hair and keep it moisturized.

Do we need a chic shampoo? One whiff of the juicy Italian bergamot and grassy vetiver of Corpus Cypress Shampoo and your answer will be a resounding yes. But lest you think this is all scent and no substance, the coconut and sunflower oil-rich formula also hydrates and restores scalp health.

Those with thinning hair will do well to lather up with Horace's Fine Hair Shampoo. It's formulated using rice proteins to strengthen and volumize individual strands, helping hair to look thicker after a single wash.

The scalp is the new face. Treat it with the same level of TLC. Nutrafol’s Root Purifier Shampoo is formulated with vegan protein and prebiotics to treat the scalp’s microbiome (yup, you have one there too).

To get your shampoo and conditioner tailored to your exact needs, perhaps consider shelling out a bit more for Prose's Custom Shampoo, which creates your formula to be unique to you—down to the scent profile it comes with.

Olaplex’s Moisturize & Mend Leave-In Conditioner is first and foremost a damn good conditioner for dry and dehydrated hair; secondly, it's a leave-in that mends split ends and protects from heat and damage; and finally serves as a styling cream that fights frizz and smooths.

Roman Hair Solutions’s 3-in-1 Topical Spray is a powerful (prescription) mash-up of minoxidil for regrowth, finasteride to slow loss and tretinoin to enhance absorption, that promises to get hair back on track in as soon as 3 months. Finasteride gets a bad shake because some users have experienced erectile disfunction; however, our testers like that this blend allowed users to still get the DHT-blocking punch from the ingredient without having it a brutally high concentration.

DTC health brand Hims supplies you with the gold standard in hair loss: oral minoxidil. As we wrote in our review, the compounding pharmacy makes it easy to get this supplement with or without finasteride and if you'd like you can even combine minoxidil and finasteride with tadalafil, an ingredient that treats erectile dysfunction.

To smooth and sculpt short hair or add pieciness, Odele’s Cream Pomade is easy to work with and dries to a matte finish.

Aveda’s Invati Thickening Foam is a styling aid that adds significant volume without weighing down thinning strands.

With mango butter and marula oil, this incredibly hydrating and frizz-remedying concoction ensures that your curls and coils are adequately nourished without feeling weighted down.

GQ's October cover star Beyoncé's Cécred
Hair Oil blends thirteen oils into this lightweight blend that helps strands to feel moisturized and shiny without the use of any silicone.

To add airy volume or create an ideal pre-blow dry foundation, Sachajuan’s Ocean Mist Volume Hair Mousse works its magic without any residual stickiness.

Are we suggesting you spend $500 on a hair dryer? Yes, yes we are. Dyson’s Supersonic Nural is the smartphone of hair dryers with sensors that automatically shift temperature and airflow, a protective scalp mode, and plenty of clever attachments for all your styling needs.

THOM's Scalp Serum is a soothing treatment made with pomegranate enzymes, pea protein, and apple stem cell technology that quashes inflammation.

Act + Acre's new 4% Niacinamide Oily Scalp Serum, which taps its key ingredient to help balance oil production so that you get an extra day or two from your shampoo.

Ralph Lauren’s Polo '67 is a remix of a classic with a bright blend of Calabrian bergamot, pineapple, and vetiver.

Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino is a sensory trip to the titular Italian Riviera town, powered by crisp citrus

Exactly what you'd expect from the beloved minimalist line: Aesop’s Virere rounds out its citrus heart with peppery green spices.

Like brand founder Harry Styles himself, Pleasing's Rivulets fragrance has range. While you might not think of it as a citrus fragrance, at first whiff its peppy citrus top notes fire off endorphins in your brain; over time, the musky floral drydown settles things just enough to be all-day wearable.

Patchouli gets a bad rap, but in Guerlain’s sophisticated Patchouli Paris, the note is paired with musk, vanilla, and an ambergris accord—it feels like redemption.

For Frederic Malle’s newest, Hope, perfumer Dominic Ropion gave ancient oud a thoroughly modern remake with the help of spicy pink peppercorn, cypress, and leathery incense.

The evolution of Dior’s iconic Sauvage is Sauvage Eau Forte, an inventive alcohol-free fragrance that melds a fougere freshness with lavender and musky wood notes.

Conjured by Pharrell Williams and perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, LV Lovers aims to bottle the essence of the sun, something they achieve with crisp ginger and verdant galbanum.

Cilantro naysayers, prepare to have your mind changed by Le Labo’s Coriandre 39, which takes aldehydic cilantro leaves for an unexpected ride with lime and musk.

The aromatic woodsy notes of Eau So Vert’s Dos Mil Años—like cypress, cardamom and hazelnut— nod to the ancient Oaxacan tree of life that the fragrance is an homage to.

Open the sauna and let out all the steam, breath in and you've got something akin to this grounding fragrance that feels like tra-la-la-ing through the Northern California Redwoods or taking a big breath in of woody mountain air.

DS&Durga’s Big Sur is a wet woody interpretation of California’s magnificent eucalyptus groves.

By Killian’s Old Fashioned distills the elements of one of the most classic cocktails ever shaken into a sweet and smoky, cedarwood-laced liquored floral.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s APOM is a supremely elegant aromatic ambery floral.

With its combination of moss absolute, cedar essence, and a matcha accord, Diptyque's Temple des Mousses candle will transform your home into a Japanese zen garden.

It's hard to award a limited-edition holiday release a Grooming Award, but Byredo's trio of Bibliothèque, Woods, and Sweet Grass is get-it-while-you-still-can kind of good.

For your pubes, there is the Gillette i7 Pubic Hair Trimmer, which comes with two attachable combs and a handy LED light when your overhead lighting isn’t ideal.

For your beard, there is the Bevel Trimmer, a lightweight, ergonomic device with easy-to-clean blades that prevent bumps and irritation.

Your body hair—namely any overgrown pubes—demand regular trims too. But not any bladed device is fit to be so close your nether regions. This trimmer uses a ceramic cutter (it stays sharper longer than metal, which means less needless tugging on the skin) and has a slim and discreet design that meanders easily around any hard-to-reach places.

If you’re a razor devotee, there is, in our opinion, no better option than the Dollar Shave Club 3-In-1 Razor. On the front there are a top-of-the-line six blades, and on the flipside you'll find a self-sharpening power trimmer.

Smaller than an iPhone, this rotary shaver is convenient to pack, you can shave wet or dry, it charges in a jiffy, and above all, it gives you a close and smooth shave that honestly is so good you might want to just keep this in your regular rotation.

The Grey’s Cleansing and Shaving Mousse is a two-in-one wonder: a luxe antioxidant rich cleanser and a smooth shaving mousse.

The Shop’s After Shave Toner uses gentle acids to exfoliate, brighten, and prevent the formation of razor bumps.

Just a few wee drops of Prohibition Wellness’s Hair & Beard Oil (a blend of coconut, jojoba, hemp, argan, and grape seed) is all your beard needs to resist unruliness.

Lest you think hair fragrance is designated for the hair sprouting solely out of your scalp, allow us to present Bleu de Chanel hair perfume, which is simply divine to dab on facial hair.

Your first course of action for mouth maintenance is a capable toothbrush. Our pick for a solid manual version is Colgate’s Total Active Foaming Clean Soft Toothbrush, which has high-density bristles that gets to hard-to-reach corners.

Quip’s 360 Oscillating Toothbrush is our electric pick for its easy-to-wield rotating and pulsating brush, which cleans in three intensities guided by LED pressure sensors.

Our preferred mouthwash isn’t really a wash at all: Boka’s Restore Tablets are hydroxyapatite tablets with powerful probiotics that are activated by your saliva—they do a bang-up job of freshening breath and soothing gums.

On our mission to give everything in our wellness and grooming routine a chic upgrade, we have finally found a toothpaste up the task. Swedish brand Selahatin’s Steam Will Rise is an anti-inflammatory formula that comes housed in a sleek aluminum tube ready for prominent sinkside display.

For those who say they “floss once a day,” at the dentist but otherwise aren't actually as thorough, this two-in-one device makes toggling between the brush and water flosser as easy as pressing a button