It’s hard to be confident and collected when you’re worried about sweat, bad smells, and skin problems. That’s why good hygiene is the perfect complement to any ensemble. Today, we’ll share 7 products that will help you step up your personal hygiene to look, feel, and smell your best!
- 1. Scrub in the Shower with a Body Brush ($9.99)
- 2. Shampoo Sensibly with a Shampoo Brush ($7.58)
- 3. Steam Your Skin for a Deep Clean or the Ultimate Shave ($29.99)
- 4. Round Out Dental Hygiene with Therabreath Mouthwash ($25.50)
- 5. Never Neglect your Nails Again with Advanced Nail Care Products
- 6. Keep a Handkerchief Handy
- 7. Maintain Sleep Hygiene with Gamma Ray Blue Light Blocking Glasses ($16.99)
- Outfit Rundown
We’ve already explored an extensive amount of personal hygiene and grooming tips on our website, everything from acne problems to grooming mistakes. The products we’ll share today will take your hygiene routine to the next level.
Please note, this post and its accompanying video are not sponsored!
1. Scrub in the Shower with a Body Brush ($9.99)
Presumably, you already bathe regularly. How often you should is based on personal preference, how much you sweat, and daily activity. But just as important as how often you shower is how you shower and, of course, the products you might be using. That’s why our first recommendation is a Metene body brush.
When it comes to keeping your body clean, don’t trust gravity to do all the work. Standing under running water might feel very nice, but won’t get your body clean. You still need to scrub your body actively, and that’s where the body brush comes in handy.
Firm but gentle bristles wipe away dirt and oils. This helps to unclog pores by wiping away dead skin. The ergonomic design and strap help keep the brush under control in wet and soapy conditions, allowing for the firm and non-abrasive motion of superlative scrubbing. Add in a quality soap with a good lather for the best results.
As you scrub, focus on the neck, posterior, feet, groin, and armpits; basically, anywhere that sweat can get trapped on your body. If you have trouble reaching anything, consider investing in the long-handled model. It shouldn’t take long for you to notice your skin feeling cleaner and smoother.
We also appreciate that the brush is made from natural wood, bamboo, and flax. So, you’re not dirtying up landfills while you’re getting yourself clean.
While showering, unless relaxing your muscles, avoid extremely hot water. This will dry out your skin and damage your hair.
2. Shampoo Sensibly with a Shampoo Brush ($7.58)
Our next item is yet another brush–that’s right, we’ve got a brush for your body and your hair! The Maxsoft shampoo brush is designed to thoroughly help you cleanse your hair while showering.
When used with a shampoo and conditioner, it ensures that the product penetrates deeply into your hair. As a result, you won’t have to use as much product because it’s fully utilized. For some products to try, we made a list of some of our favorites.
Remember, you don’t need to shampoo every time you shower. Over-shampooing can damage your hair and make your scalp dry and itchy and even lead to dandruff. So, only use shampoo when needed, like when greasy or hard to manage. Healthy hair is our goal here.
You can, however, use a Maxsoft shampoo brush every time you shower. When used without product, it helps remove grime, dead hair, and skin flakes, ultimately keeping your scalp and hair clean.
We recommend using medium-firm circular strokes, but experiment to find what works best for you.
Since the brush is made of silicone, it’s appropriate for all hair textures. It’ll also last much longer and is much better for the environment than other plastics.
3. Steam Your Skin for a Deep Clean or the Ultimate Shave ($29.99)
Brushes are great for removing grime and dead skin from your hair and body, but they’re not suited for the delicate skin on your face. Whether it’s redness, acne, or flaking, many of the blemishes on our skin can be attributed to excess dirt and oil in our pores. So, a pore steamer is a perfect addition to a regular hygiene regimen.
Steam will gently and safely open up your pores, releasing excess dirt and oils. Not only does this eliminate the root cause of blemishes, but it also relaxes the pores and helps them appear less prominent.
Opening up your pores will also make it easier for your skin to absorb other skincare products, helping them work more efficiently. It’s also a great way to naturally hydrate your skin, keeping it firm and supple.
The pore steamer is also great for shaving. It ensures your facial hair is soft and smooth for the razor. And you won’t have to sit around with a hot towel on your face. For more suggestions on how to get the best possible shave, our guide has you covered.
4. Round Out Dental Hygiene with Therabreath Mouthwash ($25.50)
Taking care of your oral health will make sure your teeth and gums are healthy and help you avoid unsightly staining and bad breath. The fundamentals include regular brushing twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and trips to the dentist at least every six months.
An excellent tool to add to your arsenal against halitosis is a quality mouthwash, and we are big fans of the TheraBreath line.
Antiseptic rinses work by killing bacteria that might fester in your mouth. Unfortunately, many rinses cut costs by reducing the bacteria-fighting ingredients and replacing them with the highly-scented ones that just mask the problem. So, unless you want to be gulping down mouthwash all day, it’s best to eliminate the source of bad breath.
Formulated by Dr. Harold Katz, founder of the California Breath Clinics, the TheraBreath line includes a suite of rinses specially formulated to fight damaged gums, bacteria, and dry mouth. We may not be able to pronounce all the names of the ingredients, but we can say that they work!
TheraBreath can be used daily as part of an oral hygiene regimen or just before any event where you want your breath to be at its finest.
5. Never Neglect your Nails Again with Advanced Nail Care Products
We’ve already produced an extensive MANicure guide and how to care for your fingernails. If you want to derive an even greater value for your manicure or pedicure, Invest in the next level of nail care products.
To ensure your skin is the smoothest, invest in a pumice stone, which helps remove and exfoliate dry skin from your palms, the bottoms of your feet, and even places like your elbows and knees.
Pumice Valley offers 100% all-natural, pure volcanic rock pumice stones. They gently and effectively remove dead skin, and can also be used on calluses and corns.
The perfect complement to your smooth skin will be your smooth and shiny nails, and this is all thanks to a four-way buffing block. It uses variable levels of grit to buff and polish your nails. They’ll look clearer, healthier, and neater.
Swisa Beauty offers a very dependable model that keeps its grit after years of use. Well-buffed nails look best when neatly shaped. The variable grit in a pack of emery boards offers precise and finished results. So, experiment with topping-off or shaping-off with emery boards from Revlon, for example. They’re economical, and the grit provides a clean and smooth edge.
Remember that when it comes to filing and loosely shaping your nails, a durable file is more efficient and economical. And it just so happens that the Fort Belvedere manicure set travel kit comes with a German-made, INOX stainless steel nail file that’s ideal for your nail filing needs. The kit also includes all that’s gonna be needed for you to round out a healthy nail care system.
Complement this with the more advanced things we discussed today, and you’ll see results that are the envy of every nail salon.
6. Keep a Handkerchief Handy
We can’t go this long without talking about clothing or, at least, accessories. So, let’s consider the more utilitarian cousin of the pocket square, the handkerchief. They may not be as pretty as pocket squares, but handkerchiefs are an important part of a gentleman’s wardrobe. They can also go a long way with helping in your personal hygiene. It’s not just for your nose!
In the hot months, use a pocket handkerchief to mop up your sweat and prevent it from collecting and drying on your body. This will, in turn, reduce acne and odors. In the cold months, you can clean or blow your nose if you get the sniffles. This will keep you from snorting and snuffling, which can be distracting. It can also help remove phlegm, which can contribute to bad breath.
Keep in mind that a handkerchief is not a pocket square. A pocket square is a decorative article that is worn in the front pocket of your jacket. A handkerchief is a utilitarian object that is usually carried inside your jacket or your trouser pocket. As the saying goes, “One is for showing, the other is for blowing.” Or, “One is for display, and one is for dismay.”
We enjoy the comfort and durability of cotton handkerchiefs from RDS HANKYTEX. With a name like that, you know they have to be good. These 16-square-inch handkerchiefs are easy to store on your person. At a 60s yarn count, they’re soft enough for even the most sensitive of runny noses. If you consider carrying around a handkerchief dirty, try disposable tissues instead.
They’re also inexpensive enough that they won’t break the bank if you give them away. As Robert De Niro notes in The Intern, “The best reason to carry a handkerchief is to lend it. Women cry…so we carry it for them; one of the last vestiges of the chivalrous gent.”
7. Maintain Sleep Hygiene with Gamma Ray Blue Light Blocking Glasses ($16.99)
We’ll close our list with a different kind of hygiene, sleep hygiene, which refers to maintaining an environment and habits that are conducive to good sleep.
Good general tips for restful sleep include being consistent in your sleep schedule, sleep in a quiet, dark, and relaxing room, avoid large meals, alcohol, and caffeine before bedtime, and perhaps the most difficult, stay away from screens.
Many modern electronics release high levels of blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. But, if you like to relax at the end of the day by scrolling through social media or watching a video from your favorite menswear channel, you can take advantage of blue-light-blocking glasses.
The amber-tinted lenses of these eyeglasses filter out the blue light, producing their simulating effects. They can also alleviate general eye strain, which can come from extensive use of your computer when working or playing a lot of video games. Because they’re made of nylon, they’re extremely light and flexible. And this helps to ensure that your comfortable lights power out.
Good sleep hygiene will improve your hygiene–and your life–in general.
We hope that these products will help you maintain a good personal hygiene routine that will help you keep clean, confident, and composed because a “gentleman” is also a “clean man.”
Outfit Rundown
Today, I’m wearing a black dress shirt in a black and white, double-breasted, peak lapel sport coat from Hugo Boss as well as black trousers and black boots.
And, finishing off my entire outfit is a pair of Fort Belvedere socks. Check out the Fort Belvedere shop for socks like these.
I’m sure it’s mentioned in the linked shaving article, so I won’t go into nauseating detail, but use good shaving soap for shaving. Those cans of shaving foam crap are horrible in SO many ways.
And make sure your deodorant does not contain aluminum.
I couldn’t agree more!
Definitely. Not only do I get a better shave from shaving-mug soap, it’s a nice morning ritual while the rest of my brain gets moving.
Gentlemen — excellent advice and here are a few little additional ideas that may be of value. Tooth whitening. Requiring a DDS in-office adventure, but well worth it. Start out with a hygienist first to bring you to Ground Zero, digging out debris and repulsive calculus and then tooth whitening (my brothers/beaus get the one shot deal) bleaching out yellowing/grey stains and keeping you smile ready.
Eyeglasses: eyeglass parts and specifically nose pads. If you’re wearing glasses daily, particularly wire or metal rimmed models with clear nose pads, these tend to tarnish/oxidize with time turning a revolting patina. Same goes for the side bar if there is a clear plastic covering the temple/ear region. These are easily replaced and will make you more handsome. Also, if your eyes are reddened in the AM or with close computer work place a drop of OTC redness removing drops. Small bottles I keep one in car, bedstand, travel kit, wherever else.
B.O. — bathe yes, but there is an antibacterial soap “D_ _ _”, use it. Clean and sanitize first, then moisturize and anoint. Fragrance, yes and try spraying your upturned hands and then run your fingers through your hair or beard. The natural oils with retain the scent.
Manicure, pedicure, facial: good move. If reluctant then do the manicure first and how pristine your nail beds, cuticle and the application of a low sheen, neutral color is perfect. Facial – try and find a “European facial”, this is the deep cleaning pore-extracting maneuver as opposed to the steam, massage, masque action. You need to have the esthetician manually remove blackheads and milia. Yes, and there is a “back facial” in case you are cursed with back acne. Lastly, remove those unruly nasal and ear hairs and worse they grey with age. Gee. And now you’re truly good to go and after the initial investment then it’s all about maintenance. And what better investment than yourself? Think about it.
I like the cut of your jib, sir.
Hey guys!
Don’t forget eyebrow grooming. Shaping, trimming and unibrow elimination makes a huge difference in your appearance!
On the subject of errant hair…neck (get a trim in between regular haircuts), ear and nose hair is unsightly and speaking of nails, don’t forget your toenails! Have a professional pedicure once a month to keep nails length in check and cuticles trimmed!
Nice additions! Thank you, Andrea!
Great article. I have maintained for years that good hygiene can make the look while bad hygiene can break the look. I think good hand washing cannot be understated. I can’t tell you how many healthcare professional men I have seen exit the restroom without washing their hands. It is really mind boggling to see well dressed, well groomed men in a profession that spearheaded handwashing as an infection control measure not wash their hands after using the restroom.
I ama not sure if I was the one that started this discussion on the value of Mont Blanc Fountain Pens or not. I had asked a young lady in the church here about whether she would prefer money or something like a “pen set” for graduation. To my utter surprise she chose the pen set, and I got thoroughly back into my days of collection. The only real reason I ever had a collection was my profession–The Practice of Law. And a Mont Blanc is almost a necessity. And the value of a document that is signed by well practiced signature of an attorney with a Mont Blanc easily doubles the worth of the document. It is almost demanded. I enjoyed it, and studied the cheaper but just as good, in my opinion, pens, I learned a lot. I personally like the Parker quite well. But it takes the MB to sign it to make the act “LOOK” official. Anyway. Enjoyed my review into my former collection. Randal Coon
Cool story, but still trying to figure out how it fits in with personal hygiene…