It’s high time we agree that grooming and self-care are not only important to how a man presents himself to the world, but they are also important to longevity and mental health. When you look better, you feel better, which has loads of benefits. For one, you’ll exude more confidence, which will likely help you in both your personal and professional life. And, naturally, taking care of yourself will make you more attractive to others (we know you shouldn’t gauge your worth by what others think of you, but still, we all want to look good). So, knowing the importance of a solid bathroom routine, we’ve come up with our guide to the best grooming essentials for men.
There are a near-infinite amount of self-care and grooming products out there for men, and trying to find the right ones can be exhausting and overwhelming. We believe that the process of cleaning and grooming oneself should be about as simple and straightforward as possible. In that vein, we’ve curated a collection of superior products that are all deserving of a spot in your grooming routine.
Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Toner
For those who haven’t used toner before or don’t know what it does, think of it as soap’s helper. Toner helps get the last bits of oil, dirt, or muck off your skin that your face wash missed. It also helps close your pores, which slows down the aging process if used normally. Dickinson’s witch hazel toner is a no-frills toner made with all-natural ingredients that will give your face-washing routine some extra “oomph” without overdrying your skin.
Bravo Sierra Deodorant
Just because it makes the stink go away doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Most deodorants on the market are loaded with metals like aluminum, and while its use in such products has never clinically been shown to cause health problems, many still feel safer avoiding it. So if you’re looking for an all-natural alternative that really works and really smells great, then Bravo Sierra’s deodorant is the pick for you. Aluminum-free, baking soda-free, and made with probiotics that kill odor-causing bacteria, this stick will keep you dry, clean, and smelling great all day.
Kent Apsley Fine Tooth Comb
Combs provide more precision and uniformity than your fingers when styling your hair while also eliminating tangles and stimulating natural oils on your scalp. As far as combs are concerned, you can’t get better or more iconic than Kent’s fine-tooth comb. The brand has been making excellent combs since the 1770s, earning the recognition of the Royal Court of England, which makes sense given the quality of its products. Made of plant-based plastic and measuring in at just over 5″, this is the perfect comb to have on you for any last-second styling needs.
Gentlemen’s Hardware Close Shave Kit
Even if you can’t grow a Paul Bunyan beard or a Ron Swanson mustache, regular shaving is an important part of men’s grooming. Rather than lathering up with additive-laden shaving creams, we recommend using the Close Shave Kit by the folks over at Gentleman’s Hardware. This three-step process will ensure that your skin is properly cleansed, thoroughly shaved, and soothed by a gentle balm to ensure an optimized shaving experience. Even better, the products are all-natural and plant-based, and they even come packaged in a reusable tin.
Ursa Major Morning Mojo Soap Bar
Ursa Major’s Morning Mojo soap bar has a ravenous following for its quality ingredients, crisp smell, and gentleness on the skin. This additive-free bar of soap has invigorating ingredients such as peppermint and coconut, exfoliating volcanic rock, and even moisturizes with shea. With an aromatic blend of peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, and grapefruit, the Morning Mojo soap bar is the paraben-free and cruelty-free soap you need to start your day on the right note.
American Crew Pomade
For 25 years, American Crew has been one of the biggest names in men’s haircare products. Their iconic, minimalist label is instantly recognizable, and their products make lifelong customers. This pomade is not a miracle worker and won’t hold your hair the way a spray might, but for those aiming for a textured, classic, casual look, you cannot go wrong here. The pomade has a medium hold to keep your hair pliable and easily washes out thanks to its water-soluble formula.
Wahl Lighted Multi-Purpose Trimmer
While we’re all typically keeping up with trimming our beards, other hairy spots on our heads may be getting neglected. Thankfully, there are products like Wahl’s ear, nose, and brow trimmer that make it easy to tame those unkempt hairs shooting out of your orifices. What’s more, this light-up trimmer is waterproof, so you can use it wet or dry. It painlessly removes any unwanted hairs and its easily detachable heads are a breeze to rinse. Don’t sleep on this Swiss Army Knife of grooming tools.
The Art of Shaving Beard Wash
Beards may be in vogue, but if you’re not properly taking care of your facial hair, it’s going to get stinky. Make sure your beard smells as good as it looks with The Art of Shaving’s beard wash. It features ingredients like olive oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, and even peppermint essential oil to rid your beard of any and all dirt and grime while also conditioning it to be soft to the touch and shiny. The aromatic blend of oils leaves your beard smelling fresh and vibrant, too.
Gillette Fusion ProGlide
If you haven’t heard of Gillette by now, then you’ve probably never shaved before. The brand has cornered the entire market thanks to its inventive products and ruthless marketing, and the Fusion ProGlide is one of its marquee products. The razor combines a five-blade setup with a contouring Flexball that follows the lines of your face, and there’s even a single blade on the back for precise trimming. If you’re going to go the cartridge razor route, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Firsthand Supply Hydrating Hair Shampoo
The biggest shortcoming of your typical cheap shampoo is that it’s loaded with parabens and sulfates which wreak havoc on your scalp and overall hair health. Fortunately, Firsthand Supply makes a bonafide, all-natural shampoo that will clean, balance, and strengthen your luscious locks. It’s a no-sudd shampoo, so you know the ingredients are all-natural, with inclusions like aloe vera juice, grapeseed oil, and argan oil. To top things off, every bottle is made of 100% recycled materials, so it’s as sustainable as it is effective.
Blu Atlas Body Wash
Blu Atlas is undeniably great and its body wash is recognized throughout the industry as one of the best on the market. It features an all-natural formula with nutrient-rich ingredients like green tea, sugar cane, and aloe vera for a deep, thorough clean that also moisturizes your skin. It also has coco-caprylate gel in it, which is proven to soften the skin. If you have dry skin or you’re just in the market for an all-around body wash, you can’t go wrong with Blu Atlas.
BRO MASK
The idea that wearing a hydrating face mask will make you less of a man is as close-minded as it is short-sighted. Thankfully, that paradigm is beginning to fade away, and we have companies like BRO MASK to thank for that. The masculine mask maker created a hydrogel face mask to lock in moisture, invigorate the skin, and heal wounds to make your face brighter, cleaner, and healthier. The masks have no parabens, phthalates, or sulfates and are packed with a ton of vitamins, minerals, botanicals, collagen, and antioxidants.
Bullfrog Anti-Stress Exfoliating Gel
Stress wreaks havoc on your skin and exfoliating your skin is proven to improve its health. If only there were a product that helped you de-stress and exfoliate your face at the same time. Enter: Bullfrog’s Anti-Stress Exfoliating Gel. This product leverages fruit acids and light hemp stem particles to soothe and exfoliate stressed and sensitive skin. Moreover, its active ingredients leave your skin feeling relaxed and recharged to face the day.
Supergoop! City Serum
It’s an unfortunate truth that the sun, while essential to life, does a number on your skin. UV radiation is the wrinkle-inducing and cancer-causing culprit in the sun’s rays, which makes using a reliable sunscreen on a regular basis all the more important. As far as sunscreens are concerned, Supergoop!’s is second to none. Its City Serum sunscreen offers a non-greasy, non-comedogenic formula that’s proven to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. Plus, it acts as an anti-aging moisturizer and is reef safe, so it’s as effective of a choice as it is a sustainable one.
AESOP Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream
There aren’t many skincare companies with the same kind of clout as AESOP. In particular, the luxury brand’s Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream is not only one of AESOP’s best products, but it’s also one of the best face creams on the market. It is packed full of all-natural, skin-fortifying ingredients like camellia nut extract, chamomile bud, and rosemary leaf that soothe, hydrate, and repair your skin. The company even tossed in some sandalwood for a luxurious yet subtle aroma.
Bespoke Post Medium Luxury Grooming Tool Kit
When it comes to grooming, the devil is in the details. While razors, creams, and soaps will cover most of your needs, there are still little things that you’ll need tools for. To de-uni that brow, clip those nails, trim that cuticle, or scrape off that weird patch of skin you don’t want people noticing, Bespoke Post offers a comprehensive grooming kit that will equip you with all the small-level tools. The twelve stainless steel tools come in a handsome brown leather case and will make taking care of your hands, feet, and face a breeze.
The Complete Package by Meridian
We’ve covered the face, nose, brows, and top of the head, but for some men, their grooming needs extend south of the collarbone and south of the beltline. For those guys, or anyone needing to tackle unruly hair in sensitive areas, we recommend Meridian’s Complete Package. Cheeky name aside, this two-piece kit works wonders. Its trimmer boasts ceramic blades that don’t pull, helping to ensure a clean, safe, and painless shave, while the spray leverages moringa seed extract, green tea extract, and ginkgo biloba nut extract to keep everything clean, dry, and smelling fresh.
Bellroy Dopp Kit
At some point, you are going to leave your home, which means you’re going to have to take a good amount of these products with you. We recommend Bellroy’s Dopp kit for all of your toiletry-transporting needs. It features a premium environmentally-certified leather and recycled fabric construction and water-resistant lining for easy cleaning. Inside, its toothbrush sleeve with magnetic closure will keep your brush safe, while its mesh-lined pockets allow for easy organizing.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7700 Toothbrush
You only get one set of chompers, so it’s crucial to take care of them while you can. If there ever were a grooming or hygiene product to splurge on, it would be the Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7700 toothbrush. This high-tech dental device has been one of the go-to toothbrushes for dentists for as long as it has been around. It removes up to ten times the amount of plaque that a normal toothbrush does, has four modes with three intensities, and even gives you a progress report on how you can improve your brushing habits. If all of that isn’t enough, it comes with a UV sanitizer to eliminate any bacteria that are living in your brush.
Tom Ford Oud Wood
If you had to have one fragrance for the rest of your life, you could do a whole lot worse than Tom Ford’s Oud Wood. The scent evokes the feeling of walking through smoky woods, featuring a mix of sandalwood, rosewood, eastern spices, and amber, with the star of the show of course being the titular oud — one of the fragrance world’s rarest and most-prized ingredients. Regardless of how many sensual, smoky woods you’ve visited lately, this eau de parfum is heralded as one of the best out there for its unique, sophisticated, and rich aroma.
Boutique Men’s Style Brands You Should Know
Now that you’ve got your grooming taken care of, check out our guide on the boutique style brands you should know to spruce up your wardrobe.
