Women have spent years doing the Lord’s work, a.k.a. explaining beauty products to men. We’ve passed on our skincare secrets, hair care routines, and all types of products to boyfriends, brothers, and even situationships. Have you ever tried explaining the difference between a retinoid and a retinol to a man? It’s hard work. Thankfully, the Dewy Dudes have decided to take the burden off our shoulders. Founded by Evan Shinn and Emilio Quezada in 2018, Dewy Dudes is an IG meme account turned bro-y skincare podcast where the two discuss products, break down ingredients, and talk to guests about their own beauty rituals.
The Dewy Dudes have kindly agreed to share their skincare and beauty wisdom with us. Ahead, they share their favorite skincare products for men and more.
What’s the number one skincare mistake men make?
Emilio: This is a dumb and simple mistake, but it’s the order in which they’ll use things. Even if it’s just two things, I’ll hear guys say, ‘I do this, then I put this on after,’ and I have to be like, ‘Oh, that should be the opposite way.’ I met a guy recently who uses just a toner and that’s it. He’s not cleansing or anything.
What’s a product most men have that they should get rid of immediately?
Emilio: There’s a specific kind of guy that has a bathroom full of Aesop, but they’re not actually using it. The bottles have been full for over a year, it’s time to get rid of them.
Evan: A product they should consider throwing away is the one they’re still using from four years ago. It’s probably expired and you’re due for something new. This is low-hanging fruit, but unless it’s the Dr. Bronner’s 15-in-1, anything with four-in-one or five-in-one on the label, you want to throw it out. Also—get rid of your round loofah. Get yourself a Salix or a Goshi.
When it comes to beauty products, would either of you ever place aesthetics over efficacy?
Emilio: I don't know if I would choose aesthetics over [efficacy], but there have been times where something seems so silly about the packaging that I’m like, ‘This can’t possibly work that well.’
Evan: Packaging does give you a preview into the mind of the people who created the product, but I wouldn’t judge its efficacy based on that. I would probably judge the design of the packaging rather than the actual branding
Lotion P50 1970
Emilio: I think guys have to notice a difference immediately. It might not even be like an actual difference in what the product is doing, but something about the experience of it has to feel sort of intense, like the guys are going to war. And this ticks both of those boxes. For me, it's a one-step product that's been the most effective for exfoliating and brightening my skin.
Buffing Bar
Evan: Jumping on this war metaphor, I think something the fellas would appreciate including in their shower routine is Soft Services Buffing Bar. It’s another product that feels like it’s actually doing something. I can sleep at night knowing that all my efforts in the gym won’t result in excruciating bacne. Also, speaking of packaging, this one is great.
Rewind Serums
Emilio: When guys do ask for recs, there’s a certain kind of guy that's turned off if the product is more than $20. We've been lucky enough to receive a lot of amazing PR packages in the last year, and it hasn’t been too often that I've bought a pretty affordable product and seen great results, but this [product] is one of them. If you're in New York, it's available at oo35mm. This product has a mix of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide that helped really hydrate and brighten skin. And I have to shout out our friend of the pod and esthetician, Gill Milberg, who first recommended it to us.
Essential Cleanser
Evan: Shout out to our friend Drew Stevens over at Margin. They developed a cleanser that we really enjoy and it looks great on the shelf, too. It’s formulated with glycerin, a more moisturizing agent, along with other cleansing properties to get rid of build-up and other impurities. I haven't tried this yet, but I think because it’s not a foaming cleanser, it doesn’t strip, so you could potentially use it as a shaving gel. I think it’s always nice to know that a product can be used for more than one thing.
HR3 Hair Treatment
Emilio: This one's for the guy with a lot of expendable income. We've been talking a lot on the podcast about hair and there’s this treatment called the Skymedic HR3 Hair Treatment. It's kind of like an LED device you put on your head. I don't have one, but I've been fortunate enough to use it a couple of times when I was down in Mexico City because I knew somebody that had one. I think I suffer more from hair aging—I don't actually have alopecia—and that's why I suspect this thing was so useful for me. I had a lot of new hair growth in areas that were thinning out. I couldn't stop talking about this for months.
Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel
Evan: This is a lightweight, affordable sunscreen for daily wear that won't leave you looking like Zuckerberg surfing. Because it’s an SPF essence, you might see the consistency and think, ‘How is it going to do anything?’ The product comes out white and rubs in clear, so you're probably getting some psychological coverage there as well.