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After reporting on teenagers over the past year, I’ve learned that teen boys are taking stock of their grooming practices. They’ve leveled up from Axe body spray to designer scents and swapped out three-in-one soaps for complete hair routines. To find out which products they reach for and are on their wish lists, I spoke to teens on the subject and did some investigative work (deep dives on TikTok, for one). I also added in a couple of products from our own archives he’d appreciate, like an easy-to-use beard trimmer and affordable-yet-effective hair dryer. Whether he’s combating acne or a Jeremy Fragrance fanatic, there’s something below for every teen boy in your life. And, if you’re looking for even more holiday gift ideas, I have a general roundup of gifts for teen boys.
Fragrance gifts for teenage boys
Fragrances became so prevalent with teens this year that they coined their own hashtag on TikTok (#smellmaxxing) to share recs with each other. After spending hours sifting through the hashtag, I found that this woody vanilla scent came up the most in the affordable range.
Turathi Blue — a citrusy, musky, and woody scent — is a nice starter cologne for its mass appeal. “I don’t think I’ve met someone who has said, ‘Oh, I don’t like that smell,’” says fragrance TikToker Chris Arevalo.
This splurge-y one from The Harmonist is popular on TikTok and is on the top of wish lists of more seasoned noses. “It was love at first sniff,” says Arevalo of the crisp, musky scent.
For something even more fresh-smelling, go for Beach Walk. It’s more in the mid-price range, or you could gift him the mini size.
Tom Ford colognes made lots of appearances in TikToks as a sought-after product for older teens (rather than a starter scent). “It’s not in everybody’s budget, but I love anything Tom Ford,” says teen Gabriel.
If your teen prefers samples, this comes with a range of mini luxury scents, plus a voucher for one full-size bottle from Sephora.
Skin-care gifts for teenage boys
A lot of teens started layering moisturizer before spraying cologne as a way to make their scents last longer. Cerave’s the one I spotted most because it’s fragrance-free, affordable, and noncomedogenic.
If he has drier skin, he’ll appreciate First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. It’s richer, creamier, but won’t clog his pores.
Youth to the People’s box set is a good skin-care starting point. It comes with its cleanser, moisturizer, and serum, which Gabriel told me is his holy-grail skin-care product for clear, glowy skin.
I was slightly surprised to find that teen boys have caught on to the wonders of snail mucin. (It showed up in at least a dozen TikToks.) It’s extremely versatile, so he’ll benefit from it, no matter his skin type.
The Ordinary has been popular with teen girls for some time now and has made its way to boys’ medicine cabinets. Add in the brand’s hyaluronic-acid serum if he has dry skin.
They’re also using pimple patches, and the more discreet, the better. Go with the Invisible+ patches, which are thinner and less noticeable than regular ones.
Hair-care gifts for teenage boys
Teens told me “fluffy hair” is in. I watched too many hair tutorials to count, and this was the most popular routine for straight hair: Start with damp hair (a spray bottle helps), scrunch in a curl cream, and finish with a sea-salt spray for extra fluff.
I dove into curly-hair routines, too. The basics were a leave-in conditioner and curl cream (Miss Jessie’s came up the most).
Add in this easy detangler brush, which was spotted in curly hair-care videos.
If you’re tired of him stealing your hair dryer, get him his own. This Remington’s our favorite affordable option and comes with a diffuser and concentrator attachment.
Personal-care gifts for teenage boys
The teen who’s starting to grow facial hair will appreciate a nice beard trimmer. Here’s an option that our grooming expert says is best for teens and beginners because it’s easy to use and comes with an adjustment dial (especially helpful for patchy beards).
Sure, deodorant isn’t as exciting as a fragrance, but it’s a teen-boy essential. Dove’s Extra Fresh came on top as the favorite, and I recommend getting this gift set, complete with body wash and loofah.
If he’s less into designer fragrances, get him OffCourt’s body spray as an extra layer over normal deodorant. It blocks sweat and comes in a range of appealing scents like fig leaves and white musk, fresh citron and driftwood, and coconut water and sandalwood.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
