This article is approximately a 3-minute read.

This is a guest article from Josh Meyer, co-founder of Brickell Men’s Products.

#1: What you do pre-shave matters most.

Despite what large razor companies will tell you, the things you do for your skin prior to ever letting a blade touch it, matter the most when it comes to shaving. Proper pre-shave steps will also save you a fortune when it comes to buying high-priced blades.

Before every shave, cleanse your skin with a men’s face wash to remove oil and bacteria that can seep into your pores as you shave, creating irritation and infection.

To further help your blade, use a men’s face scrub over the shave area to help loosen and soften your whiskers. This is one of the best weapons against ingrown hairs as it uncoils hair that may already be growing back into your skin.

Apply a men’s face moisturizer to hydrate the skin pre-shave. With each stroke of your blade, you deplete the skin of moisture. Moisturizing pre-shave prevents skin dryness, which is a well known cause of post shave irritation and redness.

Use a natural, non-lathering men’s shaving cream. A shave cream that contains lather or foam actually has microscope air pockets that allow your razor to make direct contact with the skin. It should be a no-brainer that you do not want this to happen. A non-lathering shave cream offers a protective, thin cushion between your blade and the skin to prevent any irritation.

#2: Don’t shampoo every day, but condition daily.

Despite what you’ve read on a shampoo bottle, rinsing and repeating is not healthy for your hair. Naturally, your hair was never meant to be shampooed (or filled with any type of hair product), so it’s not built to withstand a cleansing. In fact, when shampooing your hair, you strip it and your scalp of essential oils and nutrients they need to promote healthy hair and growth.

A better course of action is to wash your hair every other day, and only use a men’s natural shampoo. It may take a week or so to get used to not washing your hair daily as your hair may feel slightly oily, but stick with it and your hair will adjust.

You can however, condition your hair daily with a men’s hair conditioner. Conditioning your hair daily means you’re feeding it the moisture and nutrients it needs to look as healthy, full, and shiny as possible.

#3: Have a basic skincare routine.

There’s no excuse anymore to not have at least a basic skincare routine that includes cleansing, moisturizing, and prevention.

Cleansing your skin with a men’s face wash in the morning and before bed will help remove oil, bacteria, and impurities from your pores, preventing acne and brightening your overall complexion.

If you want to go one step further to clearer skin, use a men’s face scrub one to three times a week to remove dead skin cell build up. Using a men’s face scrub pre-shave also allows for a closer shave and prevents ingrown hairs.

Moisturizing your skin after washing it helps allow for a firmer looking face, along with anti aging benefits. You only need a little and make sure to especially target the forehead and around the eyes, where men age the most.

Prevention means using sunscreen with at least SPF 15 every time you’re going to be outside longer than 30 minutes. Nothing will damage and age your skin faster than the sun. If you’re really concerned about aging, use a men’s eye cream and anti-aging cream each night to help reduce wrinkles, tighten the skin, and have a firmer looking face.

#4: Having body hair is manly; having excess body hair is terrifying.

Having body hair makes a man, well, a man. However, there’s no excuse for not keeping your body hair trim.

Chest: Nothing is manlier than chest hair and a good amount usually is a turn-on for your partner. Just be mindful that a full blown bush on your chest should be on some level kept in check monthly.

Back: Back hair is not - and never will be - in style. If you have the pliability, shave your shoulders and back. If it looks like you were born with a rug on your back, get some expert hair removal done monthly.

Hair: All men should get a haircut at least monthly. In between haircuts each week you should make sure you are keeping your neckline and side burns tidy and well kept.

Pubic Hair: This goes without saying, each month, take the time to trim your pubic hair. There’s no need to shave away hair down there, but a trim bush will most certainly keep your partner happy.

#5: Learn your skin type.

Most men don’t know their skin type, and in fact, many men don’t realize skin has “types.” Save yourself a lot of money and face irritation by learning your skin type.

Men’s skincare products are usually formulated with a skin type in mind – oily, dry/sensitive, combo, normal, or aging. While a dermatologist or skin care professional is the best person to determine your skin type, a quick summary is:

• Normal skin – Your skin is never really dry or irritated and doesn’t have any oily shine. You’ve won the skincare genetics card.

• Dry/Sensitive – Your skin is often easily irritated (from water or the wind even) and sometimes shows signs of redness in certain spots.

• Oily – Shine is your middle name. Your skin often has pools of oily build up and residue and perhaps some acne.

• Combo – Your forehead and nose are usually oily, but your cheeks are often dry or irritated.

• Aging – Your skin is showing many wrinkles, fine lines, age spots and other signs of aging.

 --

About the Author

Josh Meyer is the co-founder of Brickell Men’s Products, high performing natural skincare and grooming products for men. They use powerful, natural & organic ingredients to help men from all around the world look better, everyday.