Question:
I use mainly products from the health food stores. They have much better ingredients than most drug store products and many higher end lines are copying them, charging many more $$$.
Good lines to consider are Aubrey Organics, Avalon, Desert Essence, Jason Natural, Zia, Alba Botanica... there are a few more, but memory escapes me at the moment. I also noticed the Lumene line had nice ingredients and that is available in drugstores like CVS. Most of the products I use from the health food stores are sold on drugstore.com, if you can't find them in your area, and Aubrey Organics has its own website with lots of products that would be great for men, broken down by skin type and very affordable. I am partial to the Rosa Mosqueta line.
For exfoliation, I use microdermabrasion. It's gentle, the most effective in ridding my skin of dead stuff, and doesn't break me out or fry my face like a lot of products that use AHA's do.
My big indulgences are the Eminence Organics line from Hungary (those face masks are TO DIE FOR!!!) and Lancome Absolue, but that is pricey and only worth it if you are not young.
Skin type: Dry, sensitive, oily on the nose and chin. Best product for keeping skin free of blemishes and enlarged pores is Avalon's Lavender Toner, CHEAP and GREAT!!
Paula, who writes those books about going to the cosmetic counter, has some good points, but I don't agree with everything she says and remember she has an agenda to sell her own products.

Answer:
Well, I for one have a hard time finding anything that will work with ALL my skin problems...(sensitive, oily, acne prone) But Aveda came out with a line last year that has helped quite a bit. The Outer Peace line has been good for really calming my acne and I've noticed it's made my skin alot smoother as well. And of course keeping well hydrated also works wonders for the skin as well ( I HATE drinking water) but no pain no gain right?

Answer:
I used to buy the cheaper brands but, although my skin's never been dry, it's started to sag with age. Not badly, but enough to pee me off whenever I look in the mirror, especially as I've been getting spots for almost 30 years now. So now I'm using Clinique Repairwear day and night and whilst I can't say my skin looks much firmer, it definitely looks clearer and brighter.