Prices have really gotten out of hand in the grooming world. We obviously love Tom Ford here at GQ but $75 for a tub of shaving cream is extravagant. At that price, it should at minimum include a shoulder rub and a shoe shine.

As I was saying, good grooming products are easy to come by these days. But affordable good grooming products… not so much. I set out to make a list of the best moisturizers under $10, then realized an hour into research that it isn't 2005 anymore, and everything is expensive now. So I lifted the cutoff to $20 and picked out my seven favorites.

It's a good list, too: These brands cover all your basic needs like sun protection plus more advanced stuff like complexion toning and oil reduction. Most are travel friendly, so you don’t have to leave 'em at home when you fly.

Pilot Men’s Grooming Feel Good Moisturizer$20

Birchbox Man

One of the best new grooming brands is also one of the most affordable. Pilot’s mattifying moisturizer is good for all skin types, but especially helpful for guys with oily skin. It’s stocked up on aloe leaf juice oils of jojoba and argan, and chamomile, so it absorbs quickly and soothes any irritation.

Oil of Olay All Day Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF 15$7

Amazon

Most of our mothers used—and still use—this big-box brand moisturizer. It’s lightweight, it’s available for “normal” skin as well as oily, and is gentle on sensitive, irritation-prone skin. It's a steal at under $7.

Mavericks Protect moisturizer$20

Mavericks

As part of Mavericks’ excellent 3-step skincare subscription, this moisturizer also stands up and stands out on its own. It’s got broad-spectrum SPF 30 to defend against the sun’s rays, uses Vitamin E and squalene to thwart pollution and environmental damage, and hyaluronic acid, which is a big time moisture retainer.

Brickell Daily Essential Moisturizer for Men$20

Amazon

Brickell’s hydrating cream slides into our $20 cap with its 2-oz. travel-friendly cream. It’s packed with green tea, jojoba oil, aloe, and Vitamin E to soothe, firm, and hydrate skin—and best of all, it’s 100-percent natural.

CW Beggs and Sons Tinted Moisturizer$19

Birchbox Man

CW Beggs’ tinted moisturizer evens out your complexion: Instead of a white lotion, you get a light brown one, and you apply it exactly the same way (just blend it in well, and don’t wipe your hands on your khakis until you rinse them off). It settles into the skin (and doesn’t sit atop your face like makeup), thus bringing any inconsistencies to a more neutral, consistent, shine-free tone.

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Harry’s Face Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 15$8

Barneys

The shaving subscription prides itself in being affordable. Same deal with this daily moisturizer. SPF 15 protects you from the sun, while also mattify-ing oily skin. Plus it goes on smooth, sans stickiness. You can add it to your monthly subscription or buy it standalone—either way, it won’t break the bank.

Lab Series PRO LS All-in-One Face Hydrating Gel, Travel Size$10

Lab Series

If you travel light, then pack Lab Series’ 0.67-oz. gel into your dopp. It soothes like aloe vera and firms the skin while mattify-ing complexion. It’s the secret ticket to keeping your skin hydrated in the bone-dry airplane cabins—and to looking refreshed and rejuvenated as soon as you land.

Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQSkincare