Hims Skincare Review – Does it Work for Acne and Anti-Aging?

In this article, we’ll review Hims’ skincare and anti-acne line of products built for men.

Women aren’t the only ones who get pimples, wrinkles, and other signs of acne or aging. And it’s not like men don’t want to look good. So why have relatively few men added anything more sophisticated than a squirt of moisturizer to their daily routine? With so many digital-first brands catering to men these days, arguably there’s fewer excuses for dudes not to invest in more flawless skin.

Regardless of how invested you are in your face’s “glow,” Hims new skin care line is a potential win. Best known for their cheeky marketing for embarrassing or otherwise socially-taboo issues like hair loss and erectile dysfunction meds, Hims is a popular D2C wellness brand that’s just now expanding into skin care, likely for all the same reasons. Skin care for too many men feels effeminate or somehow unmanly – but Hims is on a mission to change that with the launch of their new line of skin topicals and Rx medication just for men.

While Hims now offers treatments for a variety of skin needs  — everything from an everyday moisturizer to Rx rash creams — today we’ll focus just on their acne and anti-aging solutions. In this review of the Hims’ skincare for men, we’ll explore what they offer, how much it costs, and most importantly, if the products actually work.

How does getting skincare from Hims work?

Hims strives to give men easier access to products, prescriptions, and advice related to health topics they may feel uncomfortable about. They make it easier to treat embarrassing ailments with affordable and convenient medicine. Men’s skincare is just one of their focuses, along with sexual health, hair loss, primary care, mental health, COVID-19 testing, and nutrition supplements.

Hims acne and anti-aging creams for men are customized prescription products. That means you’ll first complete an online consultation with a Hims’ doctor. Don’t worry, these are painless — just a series of simple questions done entirely online; in most states you don’t actually have to have a live call with one of their physicians. If the doctor determines that you’re eligible, they’ll prescribe you treatment. You’ll have access to a licensed doctor after the initial consultation as well to answer follow-up questions, discuss potential side effects, or otherwise adjust your course of treatment.

While most of Hims Rx skincare is sold as a recurring subscription that ships at your desired frequency, their morning serum and night cream are sold a la carte. Both are sold over the counter and don’t require a virtual doctor visit. In fact, you can now buy all off Hims over the counter skin care products at Target, as well.

Hims skincare for men: What skin products does Hims offer for dudes?

Just as Hers provides for women, Hims has prescription-strength products for acne and anti-aging. Let’s take a look at the specific drugs Hims prescribes and learn how they work.

Review of Hims Acne Cream

Source: Hims

For acne, Hims has an Rx cream men can apply to their skin. You use one to two pumps of the cream and apply it directly to any acne. You’ll follow your Hims’ doctor’s recommendation for use, which may be to only use this cream every third night and then gradually use it more often until you’re applying it nightly.

This topical treatment includes prescription-strength retinoids and antibiotics, with the ingredient list including clindamycin, niacinamide, and tretinoin. The formula is designed to eliminate bacteria that contribute to acne, reduce acne inflammation in the skin, and improve your skin’s cellular turnover to help it heal and rejuvenate itself. That said, Hims says that your treatment is customized, so you get the perfect product strength and frequency to work for your specific case of acne.

Review of Hims Anti-Aging Cream

Source: Hims

Hims offers three anti-aging products to review. These include:

• An anti-aging cream for fine lines, sagging and sun damage
• A night cream for wrinkles
• A vitamin C serum for dark spots

For best results, the company suggests that you use the whole set within your skincare routine. This would include cleansing your skin, applying the anti-aging cream and night cream before going to bed, and then applying the morning serum as part of your get-ready-for-the-day routine.

What’s inside Hims anti-aging cream?

Hims has a dermatologist-formulated cream you apply to your skin for anti-aging effects. You use it at night, generally applying it two to three nights per week at first until your skin gets used to using it nightly. But your Hims doctor will provide a customized recommendation just for you when you start the service. You may not notice results for three to six months, so you should keep using it even if you’re not seeing any changes at first.

The main active ingredient is tretinoin (retin-A), which is included for its ability to renew the skin and boost the collagen that counteracts sagging and improves skin firmness. It also acts to speed up the skin cell cycle, by replacing dead cells at a faster rate than normal. Tretinoin has been highly researched for its anti-aging properties. These studies have shown it to be effective when used for just a few months – but in the studies where it was used for over 12 months, many of the patients’ skin actually saw increased skin thickness and collagen (those are good things). It is a legit medication, and if you experience side effects like redness or blistering you need to stop and consult your Hims doctor.

How do you use Hims’ Night Cream?

Source: Hims

Hims’ skin care products include a night cream for fighting wrinkles. You use it after you cleanse your skin and use any other skincare products that are part of your nightly routine. Then, you smooth on a thin layer of this cream. It’s meant as an addition to the use of a prescription tretinoin solution like Hims’ anti-aging cream.

This cream is extra moisturizing to the skin, and it uses caffeine and hyaluronic acid as its key ingredients.

What’s the active ingredient in Hims’ Morning Serum?

Source: Hims

Hims also offers a morning serum designed to help with dark spots and discoloration, working to achieve a clearer and more even look to your skin. First you cleanse your skin in the morning, then you apply this serum and then you add a moisturizer or sunscreen within your routine.

This serum provides its benefits through vitamin C’s antioxidant power used topically.

Review of Hims skincare products for men

Just to quickly recap: here’s a chart reviewing Hims’ skincare line for men.

As you can see, Hims offers a full routine of products for men’s skincare. They offer treatments for acne, inflammation, fine lines, sagging, wrinkles, and dark spots. Since each product is sold separately, you’re able to purchase a la carte based on your unique skin needs. So if you have acne but aren’t concerned about aging yet, you can just go with the acne cream. If you want to target signs of aging, you can pick from the three available products or go with all three. I really like the choose-your-own-journey aspect of him’s skincare offering.

Another thing I like: Hims products use science-backed key ingredients designed for their respective uses to fight acne and/or specific signs of aging. They didn’t cut corners and partnered with real dermatologists to formulate and prescribe quality treatment for common conditions. Thus Hims’ skin care products may not be the most innovative, and they may not work for the most complicated cases, but they contain trustworthy compounds that are FDA-approved, widely adopted, and broadly effective.