“Let my cream hydrate you,” says Michael Cera while earnestly slathering four fingers’ worth of CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion on a mountain he’s scaling in the brand’s Super Bowl spot from last year. He’s massaging himself. He’s talking to dolphins. It’s absurd. The ad wasn’t meant to be sexy, but it was, in a freaky way? It didn’t feel like a celebrity endorsement but more like a dare. A test of just how strange skincare marketing can get at a time where everyone has the attention span of a goldfish.
We’re in trying times, constantly bombarded by ads and paid promotions everywhere we look. Every feed is trying to sell you hyaluronic acid in a prettier bottle. So, what’s a beauty brand supposed to do to cut through the noise? Apparently: cast a hot, confusing man who looks like he wandered onto the set of a skincare shoot by accident.
Hailey Bieber gets it. The campaign for Rhode’s latest launch, a glazing mist, stars none other than Babygirl actor Harris Dickinson. He doesn’t really say anything meaningful or explain. In fact, he doesn’t even mist his face with the product. He just plays with a bunch of props (including his lips) and exists. Does it work? If the comments section is anything to go by, yes.
Just like it worked when Ishaan Khatter swiped a sunscreen stick on his abs at Lakmé Fashion Week and convinced you to oil your hair with Indē Wild’s champi oil, or when you ‘couldn’t see’ John Cena in the ad for Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer sunscreen. Even Jacob Elordi—cast not as the fantasy but as the fantasy’s accessory—floats through the Chanel N°5 campaign like a man whose job is simply to follow Margot Robbie’s aura.
This isn’t about the rise of male beauty. Not really. If it were, we’d be talking about product lines, routines, and grooming trends. What we’re seeing instead is something more layered—and a little more fun. Their appeal isn’t always about heat, either. It’s about contrast. Familiar faces deployed in unfamiliar ways: earnest, soft-lit, occasionally shirtless. Their presence isn’t about authority or expertise—it’s about vibe, like slipping under your radar just long enough to leave an impression, whether that’s a smirk, a double tap, or a screenshot sent to your group chat with ‘he’s actually so me-coded here.’
But how do these skincare boyfriends rank? See our list below.
#4 John Cena for Neutrogena: The Protector
Cena, a traditionally masculine figure if there was one—is now offering a great sunscreen recommendation while riffing on his oft-memed “you can’t see me” catchphrase. He’s like a dad (or daddy, depending on how you actually see him) who reminds you to reapply SPF. It’s oddly comforting and just so sweet.
