Lumin Skin Gives Your Entire Grooming Routine a Personalized Boost

As a grooming writer, I'm the go-to for any self-care-curious friends. They often inquire about brands they encounter and want to know if a company lives up to the hype (or if all those ads they're seeing are worth clicking). Lumin is one of the brands I get asked about most, given the company's robust online marketing campaign that seems to have brought it from zero to 100 in a few short years.

I think part of Lumin's success is how straightforward, accessible, and regimented it is: The brand's skincare and hair products are built around universal function, starting with baseline steps (shampoo, conditioner, exfoliation, moisturizer with SPF) and leaning ever so intentionally into the next tier (beard oil, toner, night oil). One of the brand's tag lines puts it best: "Effective, simple, affordable skincare." It's proof that you don't need a noisy gimmick to stand out from the pack—maybe just a good social media budget to match the quality ingredients and clean packaging. Accessible price points never hurt, either—nor does a self-replenishing subscription model.

Lumin feels like one of those brands that doesn't in turn brand you, addressing an issue that has stopped many people from trying certain skincare brands (I'll readily speak on behalf of men and say, yes, many don't care for an overly branded product—instead, let's keep it simple). Score one for Lumin in that regard. But to get back to my friends' query: What's my opinion on Lumin, in terms of their products' efficacy? Rather good, in fact—read on, self-care-curious reader.

The idea for Lumin was built around the notion that men are often reticent to ask for help when it comes to skincare. Lumin sees itself as the place to get effective solutions—especially since more and more, men's piece of the beauty-industry pie is increasing. "Our unique sales model offers skincare products to men and educates them about those products while removing intimidation from the customer experience," says co-founder Gani. "The process is simple: customers fill out a short skin and lifestyle questionnaire and get a personalized skincare regimen, either on a one-time or subscription basis."

Gani and Hong didn't want to brand Lumin as anything overly specific, like "skincare for alpha males" or "self care for bros." "The Lumin brand is a reflection of a redefined and refined view of masculinity," Gani says. "Lumin guys care about living better lives in every way. They are ambitious about life – they work hard, exercise, eat healthily, are always learning, and live conscious lives. They are everyday guys who have just chosen to live better in all facets, and skincare has become an extension of that."

I had to ask Gani about Lumin's social media campaigns too, which is really how the brand earned its momentum (and why so many friends ask me about them). Why did the brand put so much value in this approach? "We tried a lot of different types of messaging and quickly realized people just want to feel knowledgeable and empowered," he said. "By evoking [these] emotions through social media platforms, you can build a following and word-of-mouth ecosystem that surpasses any marketing strategy."

And so here we are today, thanks to all of that word of mouth. Ahead, see my favorite Lumin skincare and hair products and why each is outstanding.