The Dandy Dozen: Best Grooming Launches of 2024

Grooming in 2024 focused on ingredient innovation, sustainable packaging, and solving problems that the industry had previously ignored. These twelve launches earned their spots not through marketing budgets but through formulations that genuinely improve on what came before.

Aesop Resolute Hydrating Body Balm replaced the brand's aging Rind Concentrate Body Balm with a richer, fast-absorbing formula built around macadamia and shea. The amber glass bottle is Aesop's signature, but the formula is the real story — it eliminates post-shower dryness without the greasy film that most body moisturizers leave behind.

Humanrace Body Cream, Pharrell's expansion from face to body care, uses glycerin, squalane, and snow mushroom extract for lasting hydration. The pump-top aluminum bottle is designed for the shower ledge, and the fragrance — a light, clean musk — is subtle enough to layer with cologne. Available at Sephora and https://www.humanrace.com.

Harry's updated their Face Lotion with SPF 30 in a reformulation that adds niacinamide and removes oxybenzone. The result is a daily moisturizer-sunscreen hybrid available at Target, Walmart, and Amazon for under $12. It proves that affordable men's grooming products can be both clean and effective.

Byredo launched Vanille Antique as part of their Night Veils collection — an extrait de parfum concentration that pushes Byredo into ultra-premium territory. The vanilla-orchid-musk composition has a 14-hour longevity and a velvety depth that justifies the $320 price point. It is the richest vanilla fragrance from any niche house this year.

Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite BodyWare Pro brought their LED light therapy technology from face to body. The flexible, wearable device uses red and blue LED wavelengths to treat body acne and stimulate collagen on areas like the chest, back, and arms. At $395, it is an investment — but for men struggling with body acne, it is transformative.

Also making the cut: Malin+Goetz Peppermint Shampoo reformulation for improved sulfate-free cleansing, Tower 28 SOS Spray for body irritation, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Mask, Le Labo Baie 19 for a fresh-earth fragrance, Summer Fridays CC Me Serum for vitamin C innovation, and Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Sunshine Drops for a sheer self-tan. Twelve products that raised the grooming bar.