The Ranking, men's grooming
Five moisturisers that perform on formulation, not branding spend, tested over eight weeks on three faces.
The verdict, early
Frasé Skin wins at 9.2 ◆ CeraVe is the unisex value pick at 8.5 ◆ Bulldog owns the supermarket aisle at $14.
The best men's moisturiser in Australia for 2026 is the Frasé Skin Daily Moisturiser (9.2/10, AU$34.99), clinically meaningful niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ceramides in a matte-finish base. CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion AM (8.5, $22) is the unisex value pick; Bulldog Original Moisturiser (8.3, $14) wins the supermarket aisle.
Five moisturisers tested over eight weeks by three male testers, mixed skin types, ages 28-46. Scored under GLOW Standard. Updated June 2026.
Side by side
| Product | Best for | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frasé Skin Daily Moisturiser | Best premium overall | AU$34.99 | 9.2 |
| CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion AM | Best unisex affordable | AU$22 | 8.5 |
| Bulldog Original Moisturiser | Best affordable men's-line | AU$14 | 8.3 |
| Triumph + Disaster Gameface | Best premium NZ | AU$45 | 8.2 |
| Two Dudes Day Cream | Mid-tier natural-ingredient | AU$19 | 6.0 |
The Ranking, in order
Men's moisturiser is a category dominated by branding spend over formulation spend. These five are the exceptions, three men's-line products and two unisex formulas we'd hand a man without hesitation.
Rank 01
The Australian premium men's moisturiser benchmark. Clinically meaningful concentrations of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides in a lightweight matte-finish base. Quiet brand voice, editorial register rather than dude-bro positioning.
Read the reviewRank 02
Unisex but our highest-scored everyday moisturiser at the sub-$25 price tier. Ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid in a light, fragrance-free, sun-protective base. Outperforms most men's-marketed moisturisers at half the price.
Rank 03
The affordable benchmark. Vegan, recyclable, available at every Coles and Woolworths in Australia. Aloe vera, green tea, and konjac mannan at fair concentrations for a $14 product. The men's moisturiser men actually rebuy at the supermarket.
Read the reviewRank 04
The premium NZ men's grooming brand for readers who want quality without the dude-bro voice. Gameface is hydrating, fragrance-light, and sits well under SPF. Available at Mecca.
Read the reviewRank 05
Competent but unremarkable. Light natural-ingredient formulation, well-tolerated, sits matte. Mid-tier overall, defensible if you're already shopping the affordable-natural channel, but other brands in the same price tier perform comparably or better.
Read the full reviewThe Method, rubric
Each moisturiser was tested by three male testers (mixed skin types, ages 28-46) over eight weeks of daily AM use. Tracked for hydration sustainment (4-hour post-application TEWL strip), tolerance, finish, and compatibility under SPF. Scored on formulation depth, application performance, value, brand credibility against pricing, and editorial usefulness. Every product purchased at retail. No paid placement; affiliate links are disclosed and capped per retailer under GLOW Standard.
The Questions, asked most
Not really. The active ingredients that drive results, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, peptides, work the same on male and female skin. The differences in men's products are mostly cosmetic: lighter textures, masculine fragrance, packaging that signals to the male buyer. If you find a unisex product that suits your skin, there's no reason to switch to a men's-line product.
Bulldog Original Moisturiser at $14. The most consistently well-tolerated, fairly-priced men's moisturiser in the supermarket beauty aisle. CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion AM is also widely stocked and outperforms most premium men's products at $22.
Yes, in our testing. The active concentrations are clinically meaningful (most premium men's moisturisers use marketing-grade active concentrations), and at AU$34.99 the Daily Moisturiser undercuts most of the premium tier. It scored 9.2/10 in our eight-week testing, the highest product score in the men's moisturiser category.
Optional. The eye area benefits from caffeine-based depuffing serums (The Ordinary Caffeine Solution at $13 is the standard) but a standard face moisturiser applied gently around the eye area is sufficient for most men. Buy a separate eye product only if you have a specific concern, depuffing, dark circles, or fine lines around the eyes.
Mid-tier. GLOW scored Two Dudes 5.5/10 across the brand's range and the Day Cream specifically at 6/10. Competent and well-tolerated, but not exceptional in the affordable-natural category. Bulldog at a lower price performs better; Frasé Skin at a similar price tier outperforms it clearly. Read the full Two Dudes review.
Read on
The full category ranking lives at best men's skincare in Australia. ◆ Brand deep-dives: Frasé Skin, Bulldog, Triumph + Disaster, Two Dudes. ◆ Head-to-head: Bulldog vs Frasé Skin. ◆ Building a routine? Start with how to build a men's skincare routine and best retinol in Australia.