We Tried Eight Jack Black Products. Here’s What We Think.

Here at Derm for Dudes, we’re constantly trying new skincare products. If you see it on our site, you know a product’s been thoroughly vetted—that means we pore over labels and user reviews before trying them out for ourselves. While we test each product on its own merit and try not to be influenced by sleek branding and clever marketing, we begin to notice patterns—some brands stand out, some fall short, and some are inconsistent. Today, we’re doing a deep dive on the Jack Black skincare line.

Derm for Dudes is here to give you the lowdown on who’s behind the brand (hint: it’s not your favorite rock-and-roll comedy actor), what they’re all about, and what sets them apart from the competition. Finally, we’ll explore eight of their products—what they claim, what we think, and what customers are saying. Without further ado, let’s jump into Jack Black skincare.

First, let’s get one thing out of the way—no, the Jack Black brand is not associated with the actor. In fact, Jack Black the brand preceded the actor’s rise to fame by a few years.

So, who is behind Jack Black? The brand was founded by Emily Dalton and husband and wife duo Curran and Jeff Dandurand all the way back in the year 2000. Dalton, a Texas native, began working in the cosmetics industry after earning an MBA in marketing. She and Curran met while working for cosmetics giant Mary Kay, and the pair soon began discussing the chasm between women’s and men’s personal care.

At that time, the industry was disproportionately dominated by women’s products, while there existed significant gaps in the men’s personal care market. But with the quality products and the right marketing approach, Dalton, Curran, and Jeff knew men would come around to the idea of investing in quality personal care products.

Jack Black launched with only 10 products and has since grown to more than 100. Their extensive product line addresses nearly every hair or skincare need imaginable—including some traditionally found in women’s skincare, like anti-aging serums and de-puffing eye creams.

Jack Black has an intuitive sense of what guys want in skincare—uncomplicated, quality products. Each formulation is reviewed for safety and efficacy before being tested by dermatologists and consumers—but never animals.

In each Jack Black product, you’ll find nourishing botanical extracts, essential fatty acids, anti-aging actives, proteins and vitamins, and gentle exfoliants. Whenever possible, they use organic ingredients and leave out colorants, alcohol, sulfates, parabens, and animal products. What’s more, they meticulously stay on top of current research and regulations to ensure their products don’t contain anything that’s bad for the skin or bad for the planet.

Jack Black’s commitment to top-of-the-line formulas is evident in each of their products—and it’s also the reason they tend to be pricier than competitors. If you’re used to drugstore prices, you may feel some sticker shock at checkout. But Jack Black’s product quality is noticeably better than drugstore equivalents.

For example, their Double-Duty Facial Moisturizer SPF 20 is $30 for a 3.3 oz tube—at $9.09 per ounce, that is steep. Compare that to Nivea’s Maximum Hydration Face Lotion With SPF 15, which is decidedly more affordable at $9.29, or $3.72 per fluid ounce. If budget is your main concern, Nivea is the winner. But in terms of formula, Nivea doesn’t hold a candle to Jack Black.

Another thing we love about Jack Black products is that you tend to need only a small amount of product for great results. This was something we saw time and time again when researching Jack Black: a bottle lasts for months. So yes, you may be paying more, but you won’t need to restock as frequently as you might with lower quality products.

Having reviewed a solid handful of their products, pored over their ingredients lists, and compared their claims vs. their customers’, one thing is clear: you pay a premium for Jack Black products, and you get what you pay for. Many brands are decidedly hit or miss—some products work great, some leave a lot to be desired. Jack Black is super consistent, and they seem to understand on a cellular level what guys want: quality, utility, and value-for-money. So even if Jack Black products are a little pricier than what you’re comfortable with, we urge you to pay the difference so you can feel the difference. We were skeptical too—but we haven’t been disappointed yet.