Best Grooming Tips For Men: A Simple Guide To A Better Life

Look Good. Smell Good. Feel Good.

What are the best grooming tips for men?

Style extends to much more than a good fitting suit and shoes. Much of it is in the little details that many men tend to ignore or pay less attention to.

One of these details is grooming and skin care. We tend to associate it with women and a lot of men feel it threatens their masculinity or is not that important. They are men, they do not have to do it.

Wrong. You can be the best dressed man in the room, but if you smell bad, if you have the amazon forest coming out of your nose or your hands are sweaty and oily, how are you going to get that girl or make a good impression in that vital job interview?

Don’t worry though because we got you covered as always. How?

With a Simple, Powerful Guide Of The Best Grooming Tips For Men.

Do I Really Have To??

Not so long ago, a man would be met with scrutiny for spending too much time grooming themselves. Luckily, times have changed but this has brought another problem of its own.

There are tons of information and different methods that include complex daily routines and experimental methods to keep you fresh, young and well-groomed.

However, the answer to the question is an overwhelming yes!

When you look and smell good, you will get this extra confidence and it is worth it. Instead of spending countless of hours in the bathroom performing rituals, just keep it simple and don’t obsess over it.

Let’s start already!

1. Wear Deodorant/Antiperspirant

The fact that you can’t smell it, doesn’t mean others can’t.

First of all, you need to know the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants.

A Deodorant protects against smells created by your sweat and the bacteria that live on your armpit.

An Antiperspirant on the other hand contains aluminium and serves to reduce how much you sweat by plugging the sweat glands on your skin.

You start by identifying your problem and applying the proper solution. It takes ten seconds to use the roll-on and make your (and everyone else’s around you) day better.

Pro Tip: Let the deodorant dry before wearing your clothes, to minimise stains and do not apply too much.

2. Clip Your Nails

I have a hidden confession. I love watching Gordon Ramsey roasting people’s foods on Twitter. One of my favourite insults is when toenails are involved. It is quite shocking but also shows how much we forget about them.

So, at least once a week, dedicate 5 minutes and clip your nails. Not only your fingernails, which are quite visible but also your toenails. You want to avoid the nail growing and piercing your skin, which can cause pain and other problems.

It is better to use nail scissors instead of nail clippers for better precision. Cut your nails. Respect your peers. Respect yourself.

Pro Tip: If using scissors, do it after shower. However if you use clippers, do it when they are dry and hard!

3. Trim Nose/Ear Hair

Unless you want to look like Yoda from Star Wars, please get an electrical trimmer and whenever you see hair sticking out of these areas take care of them. It is again a process that would take only a few seconds.

Most people spend time looking at you in the face when you talk to them. It is inevitable that the giant hair sticking out of your nose is going to be noticed. It is quite distracting and unappealing.

Here is a story from an actual relative of mine. He was on a train sometime in the 80’s and noticed a rather large hair coming out of his nose. He decided that it would be a smart idea to go to the bathroom and burn the hair with a lighter. To his surprise (but not mine) the hair burned and the fumes went into his nostrils, causing him to start coughing and feeling bad.

Don’t be that man. Invest in a nose trimmer, we did not include it in the best holiday gifts for nothing.

4. Take Care Of Bad Breath

When you eat, food remains get stuck in between your teeth. Bacteria thrive in your mouth creating this horrible smell. The key to this is to always brush your teeth after food and more importantly flossing. Don’t forget to wash your tongue, as it can be very refreshing but not a permanent solution.

If you are on the get go, a chewing gum is a quick fix but if you run out of toothpaste and an important meeting comes up you can mix baking soda with water and clean your teeth.

The situation could be more serious though, so I would recommend visiting the dentist and doing a thorough cleaning of your teeth.

Oh, and get an electric toothbrush.

Pro Tip: The baking soda trick works with dirty appliances. Try cleaning the oven door glass with it and thank me later!

5. Have Warm Showers, Not Hot

Dry skin is a problem for many men, especially in the Winter. Our bodies have essential oils and the same applies to our scalp. Washing your hair more often than you should in hot water strips them away of these oils and creates dry skin. This is particularly visible on your scalp and face.

I would say limit your showers to under 10 minutes but do shower often, particularly if you do manual labour or exercise. However, remember to wash your hair less frequently as it can become dry, irritating with flakes and red patches.

Pro Tip: Do some research or go to the doctor and get shampoo’s and conditioners that match your skin type. Prefer soaps that have only natural ingredients to avoid skin irritation and residues.

6. Avoid Using Loofahs

I grew up my whole life washing myself with a loofah. It was easy, convenient and looked to be effective.

What I did not know was that they remove the top layer of the skin and strip it from its natural oils. See a pattern here?

More disturbingly, they are the perfect home for bacteria since bathrooms are usually warm and moist. What do you do when you are done cleaning yourself? You just let hang it and let it sit for the next shower not knowing that bacteria cultivate and thrive in those dead cells you just scrubbed off. Not only that, but the next time you clean yourself you wipe the bacteria and the dead skin all over your body.

To prevent this nightmare, use your hands. If you are hell bent on using a loofah, make sure to dry it well, replace it very often or even put it in the microwave. Apparently it works.

“Hey honey! What’s for dinner in the microwave?”

“A loofah!”

7. Take Care Of Callouses With A Pumice Stone

Callouses are thickened skin on areas of the body that have increased contact, friction and irritation. It is then understandable why they appear mostly on our feet.

A way to deal with this is with Pumice Stones.

A Pumice Stone is hardened lava mixed with water. They are porous and perfect for exfoliating dead skin from your feet. You can incorporate this routine in your showers and make it less of a chore.

Wait until your feet is soft and begin scrubbing in circular motions. Careful not to scrub too hard, light pressure is more than enough.

Pro Tip: Don’t think your pumice stone does not require cleaning. Use a soap and a brush and let it dry completely.

8. Trim That Beard

There is a point when your beard starts to be itchy and be all over the place. When you interact with people up close it is much more visible to everyone.

Invest in a beard trimmer and scissors to remove those pesky rebellious hair for a well-groomed, stylish look. There is no reason to go overboard but it is worth spending those minutes during the week to always look your best.

You could always use a conditioner for your beard, which will make it softer but that’s about it for me. I saw someone on YouTube use some kind of mascara to thicken his beard, but that is ridiculous. If you considered this…may the force be with you son.

9. Shave Correctly

If you are not the beard kind of guy, you better learn to shave correctly.

Science has made leaps and bounds and razors are electric, water resistant or sport 26 blades. Ok, I am exaggerating here a bit but you get the point. Here are some tips:

• Always, and I mean ALWAYS apply some kind of shaving cream. I really like Gillette’s sensitive skin gel as it is very efficient and easy to apply.
• Never shave against the direction of hair growth.
• Replace your razor head after a few uses (5-7 works for me).
• I find it easier to shave right after a shower, when my skin is soft.

So easy yet I see so many shave without shaving cream or wetting their face.

Pro Tip: If you find that multi-blade razors irritate your skin with a deeper cut, try one with 1-3 blades and find your balance.

10. Moisturise Every Day

This is one of those that I find kind of tedious but are extremely important, especially with those of us that have sensitive dry skin.

You wake up and you notice your cheeks and nose have white spots all over them while the skin is itchy and red. You are not alone my friend. I struggled years to understand what is going on, but it all had to do with using the correct products and procedure.

What happens is that the skin loses moisture and becomes dry, tight and look old.

The first step to combat this is to determine your skin type. There are 4 main types:

• Normal Skin: Your skin is not really prone to dryness or oiliness. You lucky man.
• Dry Skin: Your skin gets easily dry, tight and red.
• Oily Skin: The opposite of dry, your skin tends to become oily.
• Combination Skin: You might have a normal skin at some points, but you could have dry patches in areas like your nose or cheeks.

Now that you figure out which is your skin type, you have to buy the proper products. For all the myriads of guides out there, I would say that you only need two products. A Cleanser and a Moisturiser.

1. Start by washing your face with lukewarm water, or even better right after the shower when your pores are open.
2. Wipe your face very gently with a cloth or very carefully with a towel.
3. Apply your cleanser and remove with water.
4. Lastly, apply your moisturiser and let it absorb.

I have a combination type skin and I follow these procedures two times per day. One when I wake up and one a few hours before I sleep. It takes only a few minutes, but once you find the correct products for your skin type the difference is enormous and instantly noticeable. All the products I use are from Eucerin.

Pro Tip: Make sure to pick the correct moisturiser! It says for Normal or Dry Skin for a reason!

11. Clip Your Hair Regularly

Hair grow about a quarter of an inch every month. Unless you shave your head or cut it really close, I would advise cutting your hair approximately every 3-4 weeks to keep it looking sharp and manageable.

Pay attention to the back of your head and ask your barber to properly cut your nape (The point where your haircut ends. You might not see it, but everybody else does. Therefore, you do not want it to look sloppy.

The same goes for side hair over your ears. You don’t want hair draping over your ears, so ask your barber to cut them neatly in between.

12. Use Sunscreen During Summer

We live in a time where cancer reigns supreme and we have all heard of someone close to us fight it. Which is exactly why you should do your best to avoid skin cancer by using sunscreen during the warmer summer days, or more frequently in warmer parts of the world.

Water resistant and SPF over 30 is one of the things you should look for.

13. Get A New Toothbrush

Toothbrushes get dirty and gross after a while. Why would you put them in your mouth again?

Not only that, but they also become ineffective to clean your teeth. So you would be cleaning your mouth with a brush that does not work and is full of bacteria.

Replace your toothbrush every 3 months or even better, use an electric toothbrush and change the head.

Clean mouth, nice smile and good kisses. She will love it.

14. No Unibrows

I had a friend growing up. We used to call him Fridix, which comes from the Greek word “Φρύδι“. It means eyebrow in Greek and it was his surname due to the fact that he had a unibrow.

Personally, I would laser remove it but it is not an option for everyone. Another option is to shave it but it does require maintenance.

Whatever you do, please don’t keep the unibrow.

15. Sleep Well

Nobody wants to wake up tired and with black circles under their eyes.

Starting tomorrow, get more sleep to wake up fresh. It will work wonders for you. While doing that, drink a glass of water then wash your face and do your morning routine. Proper hydration is key to a good life and well-being.

16. Let’s Talk Manscaping

One of the things nobody wants to talk about is removing excess hair from parts of your body. If your back looks like a Silverback Gorilla you should check it out. The amount of women finding this attractive is low and the quality of them is disputable.

We do not need to talk about chest hair popping out of your shirt for any reason.

When it comes to your gentleman’s parts…do yourself a favour and shave it properly. You avoid bad smells much easier and the accumulation of dirt and bacteria down there.

Pro Tip: Do NOT spray perfume or deodorant on those areas, it will end up smelling even worse than ever. Use the appropriate powder instead!

Wow, This Was Not So Bad After All!

No it wasn’t! And you cannot complain about not having time either!

Most of these tasks take less than a few minutes to take care off, while others you can do simultaneously. There is no excuse for you not to have clean teeth, smell good and trimming your beard or paying that little more attention during your haircut.

This is the same routine that I use daily. Wake up, drink water, wash face and brush teeth, cleanse, apply antiperspirant and get dressed. I make sure to look and feel the best I can every time I get out of the front door.

There you have it then! The Best Grooming Tips For Men in a simple cohesive simple guide.

Remember. Look Good. Smell Good. Feel Good. It will change your lives. I know it changed mine!

What kind of daily grooming routines do you have? Is there something that you would add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comments down below, I would love to interact with you!

Thank you for reading,

Kostas Mandilaris
Misiu Academy