I’ve traveled to Europe and Australia so many times I’ve lost count. Being in a different locale one month to the next, I become immersed in different cultures. I observe people out on the street and in clubs and restaurants and see men out on dates with their wives or girlfriends. One thing I’ve noticed is that men are as conscientious about their appearance as women are, and it’s refreshing to see. I got back to the states and started researching the best products men can use to bring out their best-looking appearance. Here then are 20 Grooming items every man should own.
Table of Contents
Why Skin Care Is Important For Men
I took an interest in men’s hygiene for reasons having to do with a friend of mine. He had been having personal issues and his appearance went from bad to worse. At 29 years old, he easily looked like a man in his 40s. He had large bags under his eyes, his complexion was sallow and unhealthy, and he lacked energy.
Wanting to help “Dave”, I researched how I could help him improve his appearance. His issues solved themselves, and he was ready to start over, which is a wonderful thing for a man just turning 30.
What I learned was that our skin is exposed is constantly bombarded with free radicals, and now that we spend hours a day online, men take less care of themselves. Sure, we work out, run or walk, and there are benefits to the skin when you get your heart pumping, but it’s not enough by itself.
Skin is one of the five major body organs and it is far and away the largest one. It performs many more functions besides covering and protecting the body and dictating what we look like.
The skin acts as a barrier between the environment (air pollution, germs, harmful UVA and UVB rays, and bacteria). It also regulates our body temperature and works as a filter, moving out toxins and taking in oxygen.
When we bathe or shower, we rinse off harmful toxins, as well as bacteria that could cause infection. But the face retains oils that build up and block skin pores. This could lead to acne and the appearance of aging over some time.
The Dangers of Not Taking Care of Your Skin
When we talk about skin care for men, we still lump it in the category of “beauty.” We assume skincare is something that women do, while we men sit back and admire them.
But men have skin, too, just like our female counterparts. Besides, our skin is thicker than women’s skin, so there is greater opportunity for grime, bacteria, and the dreaded free radicals to attack facial skin and cause infections and a general pallor of unhealthiness.
Medical problems can surface when pores on men’s faces become packed with oils. Oils move freely underneath the top layer and lodge in the sebaceous glands, clogging them, resulting in acne that will require more attention and medication to get rid of.
Sebum builds up on men’s skin, trapping in the oils, the bacteria and the free radicals. It’s important to take care of the skin and keep it clean. Perhaps most important to most men, your appearance will improve dramatically, and healthy skin means more energy and a burst of self-confidence.
The body should always be groomed. Hair remains on our body that came through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. We no longer live as hunter-gatherers, so removing hair, or “manscaping” the body, will also improve health.
I researched and tried all all the men’s facial and grooming products listed here, and I’d like to share with you how I fell in love with them for what they did for men, and why you need them for your health, and why you need them to improve your skin health and, most important, the way you look when they become part of your new skincare regimen.
Beard and Body Grooming Tool
Why You Need It
If you have a lot, or a little, body hair, you’ll find the Philips Norelco to be responsive, leaving you in control of your grooming experience. The blades are dual sided, allowing you to get too hard to reach areas of your skin. There are five adjustable lengths to the blades, so you can groom close on some areas and trim elsewhere. It’s easy to hold due to its ergonomic grip design.
Why I Love It
I fell in love with the Philips Norelco Bodygroom Series 7000 Body Trimmer and Shaver. It was so easy to use! I trimmed my chest hairs first. The second time I used it for manscaping. The blades were sharp enough to trim those hairs yet didn’t cause any cuts in that area.
Facial Moisturizer
Why You Need It
Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment is a top-shelf moisturizer that contains all organic ingredients. It’s important to protect the face with moisturizer after washing and rinsing. This premium product safely removes oil buildup on the face and energizes the skin with vitamins and minerals that are rich in antioxidants. The chestnut extract and soy give the skin an energized feeling, revealing a clean and healthy glow.
Why I Love It
From the very first time I used this moisture treatment, my skin felt alive, and I was amazed at how much healthier my face appeared. I use it on those days when I don’t exfoliate, and it only gives me a deep-clean feeling I hadn’t had with any other moisturizing product. It was a great follow to up my face cleanser, and it protects my skin from environmental pollutants.
Exfoliating Cream
Why You Need It
Exfoliating is the process by which you remove layers of dead skin cells that build up on the face, regardless of washing with soap or skin cleansers. It is a face scrub that deep cleans pores and hair follicles.
Exfoliating, or “scrubbing”, will make your skin younger-looking and produce a healthy glow. You will notice it the first time you use it.
Jack Black’s Face Buff Energizing Scrub is a semi-abrasive scrub mixture that goes into the pores and removes oil and grime that clog pores, resulting in a dull complexion.
Rinse with warm water and pat dry the face. Then, gently rub in the exfoliating cream. You will feel the scrubbing particles against your skin; you will sense the friction action as it removes unwanted grime.
It’s great to use just before a shave, because of the way the scrubbing softens your skin. You can use Jack Black’s Face Buff Energizing Scrub about three times a week. Exfoliating is a more intense clean than soaps or face washes. The product contains microbeads that pull out unwanted particles from inside your pores, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands. Make sure you don’t overdo it. If you feel ready to exfoliate again three days, later, then do it. Over time, your skin will be less sensitive, and you can use it three times a week.
Why I Love It
There’s nothing better than the feeling I have after an intense face scrub! My skin feels refreshed and rejuvenated. The cooling sensation lets me know that my face is as clean as it could be. The pleasant smell and the feeling of clean wakes me up, giving me a much-appreciated burst of energy.
The exfoliating makes the skin soft, so shaving is much more enjoyable. The feeling is addicting, something you’ll only know when you start using it.
Dead Sea Face Masks
Why You Need It
A Dead Sea Face Mask is for the treatment of acne. When oils are present in the sebaceous glands under the top layer of skin, the oils block the release of waste from the body. This blockage causes an infection, and a bump grows in that area, or whiteheads and blackheads appear. Some men suffer from cystic acne from the infection and pus develops inside the cyst.
The Pure Body Face mask is specifically designed for men. It’s a facial cleanser as well as an exfoliator, and it effectively helps prevent acne from occurring through its deep cleaning. It contains 73 essential sea minerals and mud complexes. Mud naturally draws out the excess oils and toxins that build up in the glands and hair follicles.
This face mask is great for men. We naturally have thicker skin than women, so it penetrates deep through the skin layers to root out the bacteria that causes infection.
Why I Love It
Like all high quality exfoliators, my face has that feeling of deep clean that only comes from a face scrub. But the Kyoku Mask includes mud, which has the natural property of drawing out harmful toxins. The Japanese have used mud for centuries.
But the best part is the glow my skin has after I’ve used this product. I look alive, healthier and the glow lets people know that I have energy and vigor. The best part is that I feel a rush of energy when I’ve used it.
A Travel Grooming Kit
Why You Need It
Male grooming has never been easier than today. Through research and years of trial and error, we have been able to make products that do the job of grooming the body easily and effectively. The results are superior to the tools we had to use even a decade ago.
It used to be almost impossible for men to cut their fingernails and toenails properly without going to see a professional and pay upwards of $60 to 100 dollars.
Now men can trim, cut and groom their hands and feet themselves just like professionals do with the Keiby Citom Stainless Steel Manicure and Pedicure Set.
This is an all in one kit that comes with all the nail trimming tools you’ll need for your fingers and toes. There are 15 different tools in the Keiby Citom Professional Stainless Steel Manicure and Pedicure set and they come at a competitive price.
Cutting and trimming nails is important to keep your fingers and feet healthy. Ingrown toenails can become infected, making it difficult to walk on your feet and requiring weeks of medical treatment. Toenail fungus affects the area underneath the toes, and hangnails on your fingers can cause a great deal of pain and dirt under long fingernails is unhealthy and can result in nail infections.
Long fingernails on men serve no real purpose. We need our nails to protect the fingers and the toes; we also need nails to open things and pull things apart. This is best accomplished with short, clean fingernails. Keeping fingernails clean takes less than a minute a few times a week, and with an all in one tool kit for fingers and toenails, you only need to go to one place to get the tools you need for the job.
The Keiby Citom manicure and pedicure set includes 15 unique tools necessary for proper hand and foot care including two nail clippers, one large nail cutter for the toes, a cuticle trimmer, scissors for trimming areas of hair growth like eyebrows and long beard and mustache hairs, a nail file and three different sizes of files for removal of foot calluses.
They all come conveniently stored in a handy portable small kit that you can carry wherever you go. The kit is about six inches in size so small enough to take with you.
Why I Love It
At first, I liked the convenience I had using the Keiby Citom grooming kit. I had everything in one place. Then I loved how well the nail clippers worked. The sharp blades cut away long nails quickly and evenly.
Later on, I loved the fact that the kit includes every possible tool I could want to make myself look my best. Eyebrow tweezers, scissors for my beard and mustache and the heavy, sure feel of the tools’ stainless steel construction.
It’s an attractive looking kit and the tools themselves are strong and durable. I bought a few for some of my close friends and they love the kit as much as I do. The low price was also very appealing to me because I got a lot more out of the Keiby Citom grooming kit than I paid for it.
A Body Hair Remover For Your Back
Why You Need It
Do you know what survival advantage you have with back hair? No, I don’t either. At one time our human predecessors had to sleep on the ground, and the back hair prevented bugs and tiny critters from biting us. At one time, back hair must have been important. Today, we sleep with bedsheets in the climate-controlled habitats of our homes, so back hair is no longer needed.
Shaving back hair is particularly important when you start dating and become intimate. I don’t know any situation where a woman finds back hair attractive.
Back hair still occurs on some men and is part of the gift of millennia of evolution. We have a tailbone still, but we don’t have a tail. The same should be the case (and will be in the next eon) for back hair. If you have it, you need to get rid of it.
I found a great product that removes back hair quickly, leaving no clue that hair ever grew on the back in the first place. The baKblade 2.0 Back Hair Removal and Body Shaver does just that. It even comes with extra blades.
The shaving edge of baKblade is two removable blade cartridges that are sharp enough to cut back hair. The ergonomic handle allows you to cut in any direction – horizontally across the back, vertically or diagonally.
The patented blade technology allows you to shave the back whether wet or dry. It’s waterproof so you can shave in the shower too.
Best of all, because of the shape of the handle and cutter, you can shave your own back without the help of your girlfriend (even if she likes to do it). The handle is comfortable and the other end of the tool that holds the 2 blades is very wide, giving you complete control over the job, so you know what areas you’ve already shaved and what you haven’t.
Why I Love It
First of all, I loved the feel of the baKblade in my hand. I was easily able to control the blades shaving my back. There was no way I’d cut myself because the angle of the 2 blades wouldn’t make that possible.
The next thing, and in the end, the most important, was that I didn’t need a mirror to cut my back. I didn’t have to turn my head awkwardly and look at myself using the baKblade. I could easily extend my arm over my shoulders and have the upper area of my back, then reach over my waist and guide the blades horizontally over my lower back.
Body grooming is about shaving or trimming hair on men’s bodies. Shaving our chest and back hairs is something women just don’t relate to. We trim our chest and belly hair, but we shave our back hairs completely off. The makers of the baKblade 2.0 Back Hair Removal and Body Shaver seemed to know the challenges men have shaving their back because I’ve never found a faster and easier way to do it!
A Quality Beard Kit
Why You Need It
Here is yet another all in one kit, the Isner Mile Beard Kit. This kit is designed for use not only when you’re traveling, but also for last minute grooming before a big meeting or just before meeting someone for a date.
The kit includes a grooming and trimming tool and has everything else you will need to make your beard stand out and have its most impressive appearance. And when your beard looks great, it infuses confidence to go the extra mile.
The kit works great on coarse and tangled hair as well as thick beard hair. It includes a beard guard, (an interesting and useful addition to the kit), that covers the beard entirely while you eat so no food particles get caught in it. The beard guard is great to use before an interview or an important meeting.
High quality beard wash and beard oil come with the kit for last minute fine tuning. Beard balm wax and a beard brush let you put beard hairs back in place just before you reveal yourself to the world.
A comb, scissors and a travel bag round out the Isner Mile Beard Kit. With a perfectly groomed beard, you’ll make an amazing impression on your date, or your girlfriend, or someone who catches your gaze in the coffee shop.
Why I Love It
I keep my beard longer this year than I did last year, and I was looking for a product that would help me keep stray beard hairs in place. I’d go out to a meeting and take a last look and see an unkempt beard that made my whole face look worse. Not anymore!
The products are easy to use and portable, so I don’t carry bottles and trimmers around. Best of all the quality of the beard oil and the sharpness of the beard scissors impressed me. Now I can grow my beard longer and it’ll always look its best with the Isner Mile Beard Kit.
Anti-Aging Sunscreen
Why You Need It
Only a man who has lived in a cave for the past 20 years hasn’t heard about the holes in the ozone layer, and the damaging effects of UV rays from the sun. Dermatologists and most other doctors tell us that sunscreen is now a requirement to cover the skin before it’s exposed to the sun.
Doctors recommend SPF 35 at minimum, and the DRMTLGY Anti Aging Clear Face Sunscreen and Facial Moisturizer is prepared with an SPF of 45. We know today that the harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays are linked to the appearance of aging, not to mention serious medical problems like skin carcinomas. The “rugged look” that was once touted as masculine-looking on a man is fiction because a man with a rugged looking face looks that way from too much unhealthy sun exposure; he may need to deal with serious medical issues when he’s older.
DRMTLGY protects the sensitive skin of the face, is oil free and contains zinc oxide, known as a protective barrier between the skin and harmful UVA and UVB rays. Nowadays, everyone accepts the need for sunscreen and this product is one of the best.
Why I Love It
I applied it the first time and I didn’t feel it on my skin, even though it was protecting my face and body from the damaging rays of the sun. I loved that I didn’t have to think about it, it was just there, protecting me.
Best of all, while it was on, the hyaluronic acid and niacin ingredients helped to reduce wrinkles that had occurred from sun rays earlier. I don’t want to leave the house now without putting on this fragrance free product. DRMTLGY Anti Aging Clear Face Sunscreen keeps my face and skin feeling moist and hydrated all day long.
A High Quality Eye Cream
Why You Need It
As men age, the skin under the eyes becomes puffy and dark lines develop. There’s no need for men today to accept this. Brickell Men’s Restoring Eye Cream is a balm that will reduce wrinkles around the eyes, bags, dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles around and under the eyes.
Men of any age who develop eye bags or puffiness can use this fine Brickell product, yet another in its long line of higher quality skincare products. It’s absorbed immediately into the skin, and there’s no residue. No one but you will know it’s on your face.
One of its active ingredients, caffeine, reduces the puffiness and dark circles under the eyes, while proven ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin c fight free radicals with a wash of antioxidants onto the eye bags.
Why I Love It
I noticed a difference in my appearance after only a short time, but what I liked the Brickell eye cream was the fact that it was invisible on my face. There wasn’t any shininess under or around my eyes like what can be seen in expensive eye skincare products. My face felt dry, even though I knew the vitamin C and green tea extracts were working to remove eye bags.
Shaving Butter
Why You Need It
Most name-brand shaving creams you can buy today contain an ingredient that is very bad for facial skin: alcohol. Why go to the trouble of cleaning and exfoliating the skin, only to apply alcohol to it, a chemical that tears away the skin’s protective top layer, exposing it to free radicals and air particles?
Pacific Shaving Company Natural Shave Cream is made entirely from plant-derived ingredients. That means no alcohol and no chemicals that can strip away the delicate layers of your skin.
This shaving cream is aloe-based and contains natural ingredients like sunflower seed oil, green tea extract, Shea butter, and potassium hydroxide. This shaving cream gently binds to the skin and raises hair out of the follicles for a close, healthy shave.
Why I Love It
Besides the fact that it’s alcohol-free, I love the fact that the aloe base in the Pacific Shaving Company cream eliminates the razor burn I feel with shaving creams sold in supermarkets. My skin feels hydrated after shaving, and never dry or irritated. A plus is that the shaving cream is derived from plants so there’s no animal testing involved. Simply put, I’ll never use another shaving cream again. This is the best I’ve tried.
A Shower Mirror
Why You Need It
Most men shave after taking a shower, and the first thing that happens is that, right in the middle of a shave, the bathroom mirror fogs up! We wipe the mirror with a towel only to have it fog up again 30 seconds later.
The ToiletTree Deluxe Large Fogless Shower Shaving Mirror has a larger anti-fogging surface than its earlier design and has a water chamber where you can put a razor and sponge.
The mirror adheres to bathroom wall surfaces, including in the shower, so you can use your time economically by bathing and shaving at the same time.
The ToiletTree mirror comes with a squeegee to use whenever water gets on the mirror. The squeegee wipes away water in an instant, just like the one you’d use on your car windshield.
Why I Love It
I travel a lot, so I’ve always wanted a shaving mirror I can put anywhere I want in hotels I stay in. Not only that, but the mirror also doesn’t fog up, so I love the fact that I don’t get annoyed stopping my shave, wiping the mirror and repeating the process over and over.
Shaving without having to clean the mirror allows me to complete the job all at once. It allows me to see places I’ve missed quickly so that when I’ m done my shave is perfect.
Teeth Whitening Strips
Why You Need It
Most of my friends drink coffee, and most also enjoy drinking red wine now and then with their Italian food, rich in red sauces that can stain the teeth. Coffee, red wine, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar are the culprits behind darker, stained teeth.
As we age, our teeth lose their whiteness leaving a dull, unattractive smile. One of the most advanced technologies out there that safely whitens teeth professionally is the Crest 3D White Dental Whitening Kit. The kit contains 44 whitening strips. The package boasts that a noticeable difference can be seen in 3 days.
Now I know what the “3D” stands for because these strips do what they say they do! You will see a difference in only a few days, and the strips remove 10 years of teeth staining within 20 days.
Why I Love It
Whitening strips have always been a pain to apply. But the Crest Whitening Strips are so thin as to be nearly invisible, apply to the surface of the teeth and bond almost right away. They only stay fixed to my teeth for 30 minutes, and the difference is clear to see. I love how easy these strips have made it whiten my teeth!
A High-Quality Toothbrush
Why You Need It
It’s a proven fact that electric toothbrushes clean better than regular ones. And the Philips Sonicare Series 4100 reaches deep between the teeth and safely and effectively removes food particles inside and behind the teeth as well as the tooth’s surface.
Plaque buildup is invisible. Plaque is full of free radicals that are the leading cause of tooth decay. The Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush removes 7 times more plaque than a standard toothbrush.
Keeping teeth lasting longer in life is one of the main promises when using an electric toothbrush. The 2-minute built-in timer assures the user that they will brush their teeth for the recommended time according to dentists.
Why I Love It
I really, REALLY love how clean my mouth feels after using this product! After I switched from manual toothbrushes to an electric one, my teeth had less residue and my dentist complimented me on how healthy my teeth were.
Water Flosser
Why You Need It
WaterPik has been a trusted name in dental care for almost 60 years. The WaterPik Cordless and Rechargeable Water Flosser are at the same high level of quality as all their other products. This water flosser is ADA approved and removes almost 100% of plaque buildup on and between the teeth.
The WaterPik water flosser should be used after a vigorous 2-minute brushing using an electric toothbrush.
Why I Love It
The WaterPik Water Flosser is cordless and rechargeable, and I love that I don’t have to stay in place while I use it. It’s also rechargeable, and recharging is the only time I need to plug it in.
Best of all, I enjoy using this product, so I don’t dread flossing anymore!
An Awesome Natural Deodorant
Why You Need It
Now there’s a deodorant for men that doesn’t contain any alcohol or chemicals and it’s good for the environment. Kopari Aluminum-Free Deodorant is non-toxic and free of parabens, which have been linked to disruptions in hormone function and by mimicking estrogen, a female hormone that men don’t want or need in their bodies!
Kopari deodorant goes on clear, and its primary anti-order ingredient is coconut oil. Also, it contains no aluminum, a metal that unnaturally clogs up sweat glands. Aluminum also enters the body and does not break down, so it’s safer never to use aluminum-based antiperspirants.
Why I Love It
I always lean towards products with all-natural ingredients. 6,000 years ago, people didn’t have antiperspirants and found natural, organic ways to fight body odor.
I love the fact that this Kopari deodorant goes on clear, so I don’t need to worry about it staining the underarms of my favorite shirts.
A Sweat Absorbing Powder
Why You Need It
Today we live in a “woke” society. Researchers and doctors see the link between many products on the market today and serious, life-threatening illnesses. Talcum powder, used by millions of men to apply to their bodies after showering or bathing, has been linked to things like mesothelioma and lung cancer. Wouldn’t it be great to have sweat and water-absorbing talc-free powder?
Bozak Light Powder for Men contains no talc and keeps the skin feeling fresh and dry. It’s great to use after a workout or playing outdoors, or basketball inside. Bozak Light Powder contains natural ingredients like eucalyptus oil, Zinc Oxide, menthols and cornstarch to help dry your skin naturally.
Why I Love It
Besides the fact that Bozak Light Powder for Men is talcum-free, I love the cooling sensations after I put it on. There’s nothing like feeling refreshed after a workout, or a better way to start in the morning after a shower!