Starting from sometime in their teenage years, young men are taught that grooming and hygiene are largely feminine concerns. All they have to do is roll out of bed and show up to school or work, right? Wrong. Men should look into their own personal care too and this does not just stop at looking better, they should want to feel better as well. Men do not normally talk about their feelings or emotions, including not seeking help for issues that they may see as ‘unmanly’ like erectile dysfunction, sexual health issues, etc. They can get more information about medications that can help as well as discuss their issues with a doctor but they must first feel safe to do so and know that looking after themselves is a necessity.

In fact, grooming is super important for men just like it is for women. Maturity is more often represented by a well-groomed man than in a messy guy who looks like he doesn’t know how to hold a comb. Let’s break down exactly why every modern man should adopt his own grooming regime today.

Why Grooming Matters for Modern Men

Too many men think that grooming or focusing on hygiene at all is somehow feminine or unmanly, but nothing could be further from the truth. Grooming matters just as much for men as it does for women, and for tons of reasons!

Grooming matters because:

• You have to practice good grooming and hygiene to attract women
• It’s important for long-term physical health in some cases
• It affects your self-image and confidence

If you don’t already have a great grooming routine, how do you start one? Here’s an effective but simplistic routine you can follow starting now.

Skin Care

Why It Matters

Skin care is one of the areas least paid attention to by men, and marketing trends don’t help things. Virtually all skincare products are marketed toward women, but men need to pay attention to skin care to the same degree, if not more! The fact is men have much more testosterone than women and frequently suffer from acne, starting in puberty and continuing long into adulthood.

But skin care is about more than just clearing up acne; it’s about protecting your skin from harmful UV damage when you head to the beach, too.

What You Can Do

You can start by scrubbing your body well every time you take a shower, and potentially using a full brush instead of just your hands. Use excellent body wash products with organic and natural ingredients where possible, then consider using a skin-cleansing agent, like a toner, before applying a skin moisturizer suitable for your skin type.

Secondly, always apply a healthy layer of sunscreen whenever you head to the beach or otherwise spend lots of time in the sun. Even if it’s cloudy, UV radiation can penetrate clouds and give you a nasty sunburn, leading to premature skin aging and even cancer.

Lastly, look into how CBD can help your skin. If you’ve got acne then CBD can help get rid of it for you. Nowadays, it’s easy to buy CBD oils and creams but making your own gummies is much cheaper so could be the best option for you.

Hair Care

Why It Matters

Your hair is one of the defining features of your personal appearance, and it’s something you can take pride in if you put some effort toward it. Especially in the day and age where premature balding is becoming more rampant, hair care should be more important than ever for modern men. It’s one of the things that will attract future partners to you and can dramatically impact your self-image. No one wants to hang out around a guy with overly greasy hair or dandruff flakes shedding off their scalp, too, so it matters if you want to make new friends, and not repel them.

What You Can Do

Taking care of your hair is actually pretty easy once you incorporate it into your routine. Start by getting into the habit of washing your hair thoroughly every time you take a shower, and consider using a conditioner product in conjunction with shampoo to make your hair look and feel that much better.

Secondly, try to find the best oil for curly hair (or your hair type) and figure out an excellent hairstyle that works well with your personality and preferred aesthetic. The great thing about guys is that almost every hairstyle can work these days – long, curly, short, messy, and more are all viable hairstyles that you and/or women will appreciate.

Shaving

Why It Matters

All men need to learn how to shave. For one, it’s a sign of maturity if you can grow facial hair and curate it properly. For another, failing to practice good shaving hygiene will make your face and neck itchy, irritable, and dirty. It also gives off the attitude that you don’t care and can certainly deter opportunities coming your way in your professional and personal lives. A little self-pruning in this manner can go a long way!

What You Can Do

Get into a good shaving habit and don’t let stubble grow for more than a day or so. If you prefer to sport a little facial hair, a well-maintained beard is becoming a widely popular look. It’s about keeping clean edges and preventing any rouge hairs from becoming unruly. Use high-quality shaving cream to protect your skin and prevent your neck and face from collecting nicks every time. If you really want to step up your gentlemanly grooming regime, consider a stylish men’s toiletry bag to make it easy and convenient to travel with all your grooming essentials.

Alternatively, keep a little stubble, but only if you’re explicitly going for a kind of “action hero” look with a bit of rugged facial hair. You can always tell the difference between the guy who has intentionally preened the stubble look, or the couch potato who simply hasn’t left the house for a week and is too lazy to give a damn.

Oral Hygiene

Why It Matters

Morning breath stinks (literally), but while you can’t really avoid it, you can make your breath smell great and your teeth look clean throughout the rest of the day. Practicing good oral hygiene is critical if you want to be personable, keep your dentist bills low, and feel a bit of pride every time you flash a smile at the mirror. As a man, having this kind of confidence in your smile will carry you far through life, both professionally and romantically. Few women would deny, a pearly white smile from a love interest will make them weak at the knees.

What You Can Do

Oral hygiene starts with learning how to brush and floss your teeth every morning and evening. Doing this will, by itself, result in great teeth with almost no extra effort. Consider a mint before you go on dates to make sure your crush doesn’t recoil at any point, too.

Simplicity is King

Overall, the great thing about grooming routines for men is that they can make it very simple compared to the ones women usually adopt. Grooming is important so you can feel confident every time you step out the door and for your health. But achieving excellent grooming is a simple as looking in the mirror, applying the above routines each day, and practicing grooming consistently instead of letting laziness take over.

You will look and feel better once you adopt a phenomenal grooming routine; remember, it’s a sign of maturity if you groom yourself well every day!

Author: Yusuf is the head leather craftsman and oversees the business operations of the popular online leather goods company, Galen Leather. They handcraft unique leather notebook covers, portfolios, wallets, bags and so much more, blending their love for both the analogue and digital.