How to Create a Complete Skincare and Grooming Routine

Complete doesn’t mean complicated. If your goal is an effective skincare & grooming routine that you will actually follow on a daily basis, this is for you.

There are lots of ways to upgrade and improve on a basic skincare routine. And that’s great for guys who have been taking care of their skin for years and want to make small tweaks.

Maybe you’re new to the idea of skincare. Maybe you’ve been told by loved ones, co-workers, or society in general that you need to care more about your appearance. Or maybe you’re just curious about what this skincare & grooming thing is all about.

Regardless, it’s time to get started. Here’s everything you need to make a complete routine that improves your appearance, reverses some effects of aging, and makes you look your best every day.

First, you need face wash.

This is your basic skincare workhorse. It’s what you’ll use every morning and evening to get the crud off your face - dirt, oil, bacteria, and whatever other debris has landed there.

Using a face wash for men twice daily is non-negotiable. The rest of your routine will be severely crippled if you don’t start by washing your face. It’s the difference between painting on a clean canvas or one that someone stomped all over in dirty boots. Which would you rather compare your face to?

Look for natural and organic ingredients in your face wash for men. That includes aloe vera, activated charcoal, geranium, and olive oil. You want a wash that effectively removes dirt and oil without stripping your skin bare.

For the best results, use a face wash that is designed for your skin type. If you have normal skin, this isn’t a major concern. If you have oily skin, you want a face wash for men with oily skin that will get rid of oily buildup. For guys with dry or sensitive skin, it’s important to avoid harsh ingredients that strip away moisture and natural skin oil.

Face wash may seem too basic to be related to anti-aging, but it’s true. If you don’t have a solid routine of washing your face twice daily, the aging process is going to go into overdrive.

Next, use face serum.

Yes, you should be using face serum if anti-aging benefits matter to you. Face serum for men is a powerful, concentrated, quick drying product. It gets deep into your skin’s tissues to attack the underlying causes of wrinkles and fine lines - including dehydration, skin inflammation, and decreased collagen production.

This is not the same as face moisturizer. That sits on your skin’s surface, forming a protective cushion that holds in moisture. Which is exactly why you use face serum for men first. The serum’s vitamin C, plant stem cells, protein peptides, and other ingredients improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of the common signs of aging - all of which happens below the skin’s surface.

When choosing your face serum, consider it’s ideal application time. A daytime face serum for men is designed to energize your skin for the day. A nighttime face serum for men has repairing ingredients that are most effective when allowed to work on your skin overnight.

Yes, you’ll still get results if you use them out of order. But why make this whole process harder on yourself?

Now it’s time to moisturize.

Your skin needs moisturize. It craves moisture. That’s why you need to apply a face moisturizer for men every day after you wash your face and use serum. Moisturizer locks in your clean, nourished skin. It prevents sweat, oil, dirt, and environmental debris from undoing all the good you just did with face wash and serum.

When it comes to anti-aging, moisturizer is your heavy hitter. It’s what will prevent fine lines from turning into Grand Canyons on your face. The earlier in life you start using it, the better its effects will be.

Too many guys put off a skincare routine because they look fine. They think, “I don’t need skincare products, that’s a waste of money.” But 10 years later, those same guys realize they should have invested in their appearance.

Don’t miss out on your chance to start hydrating and nourishing your skin now. Dry, dehydrated skin gets wrinkled and worn faster than necessary. It creases and sags. It looks bad.

Use a natural face moisturizer for men that you can be comfortable applying to your face day after day. You want a lightweight, oil-free formula that absorbs quickly and is made with natural and organic ingredients. Look for aloe vera, jojoba, and hyaluronic acid.

Already seeing significant wrinkles? Want to upgrade your approach to moisturizer? Use a lightweight face moisturizer for men in the morning. If you’re going to spend 30 minutes or more outdoors, use a face moisturizer for men with SPF. Make sure it’s mineral based SPF - that way you won’t be exposing your body to potentially harmful chemicals.

In the evening, use an anti-aging cream for men that offers deeper moisture. Anti-aging cream has ingredients that make it best used overnight. You’ll wake up with refreshed, well-hydrated skin.

Perk up with eye cream. 

The eyes are the windows to the soul. If you have tired, dull eyes with dark circles and puffy bags, you’ve definitely got an old soul. You won’t be able to convince anyone otherwise.

Instead, keep your eyes bright, the skin around them tight, and eye bags away. This instantly knocks about 10 years off your perceived age - for real. Most guys think just using face moisturizer is enough. But the sensitive skin around your eyes requires special attention - and doing so offers special results.

The thin, nearly translucent skin under your eyes is susceptible to discoloration and inflammation - because of genes, poor circulation, fluid retention, and just the aging process in general. According to Scientific American, there are a variety of reasons why puffy eye bags are so common as men get older.

“As we age, fat comes out of the space enclosed by the eye socket, called the orbit, and forms a puffy area under the eye. This fatty tissue can fill with water. Thus, it becomes more noticeable when water is retained, which can occur for a variety of reasons including eating too much salt, lying flat in bed, not getting enough sleep, allergies, and monthly hormonal changes.” 

Similarly, dark circles can appear and become more pronounced because of many factors:

"The skin there is much thinner than skin elsewhere on the body and becomes looser under the eyes as we age. This very thin skin also sits on top of underlying purple muscle and blood vessels and thus appears darker. In addition, some people have hereditary pigmentation in this area.”

Clearly, your skincare routine should include a product specifically designed for the skin around your eyes. So use an eye cream for men that hydrates and firms. Brickell’s Restoring Eye Cream also includes caffeine to promote circulation and prevent fluid buildup. Use it in the morning to perk up your appearance - and then again before bed to help prevent overnight inflammation.

Get thicker hair.

Another sure sign you’re getting older - thinning hair. It’s a fact of life for most guys. But it doesn’t have to mean doom for your appearance or personal confidence.

Once you notice that you’re losing your hair or it’s starting to thin, you need to take action. Switch to a thickening shampoo for men with natural ingredients. One to look for is hydrolyzed wheat protein; it helps thicken and strengthen your hair.

Harsh chemical detergents in most shampoos dry out your scalp and hair strands. That gives your hair a dull, dehydrated look. No good.

You can also experiment with washing your hair less often for better results. You may find that using the best shampoo for men every other day helps keep your hair looking its best. That’s especially true if you have dry hair. Shampooing less often will help keep it hydrated and strong. Using hair conditioner for men a few times each week is also important.  

And better body wash.

Still using your old soap bar in the shower? Upgrade to a natural body wash for men and you’ll notice the difference. Most soaps are made with strong detergents that suck the moisture out of your skin. You end up with dehydrated skin.

The best body wash for men is different because of its ingredients. For example, our Invigorating Mint Body Wash is made with glycerin, jojoba, and aloe vera. Why? 

• Glycerin - Attracts moisture to your skin instead of stripping it away. Promotes skin cell maturation.
• Jojoba - Rebuilds your skin’s natural protective cushion after cleansing it of dirt and bacteria.
• Aloe Vera - Restores moisture and key vitamins to your skin.

If you want an even simpler approach, go with an all in one wash for men. But be sure to choose one that’s mild enough to be used on your hair, face, and body. You don’t want a strong soap that gets you clean but leaves your scalp dehydrated or your skin dry.

Prevent dehydration with hand cream and body lotion.

Face moisturizer is critical to keeping your mug handsome and youthful. But you need moisture in places beyond your face. Your hands especially.

Your hands can reveal as much about your age as your eyes do. What do people see in them? Wrinkles, cracks, and dryness? If so, you’re not doing yourself any favors.

Think manly hands are cracked, calloused, and rough? Time to catch up. Modern, professional men are more interested in being presentable than showing off their nasty hands. Smooth, youthful hands are still impressive and powerful. They show you care about your appearance and the way you present yourself to others.

That’s why hand cream for men should be part of your grooming routine. Use it daily to prevent dryness and stave off the aging process for as long as possible. Because hand wrinkles happen - but they don’t have to happen so soon. 

These same principles apply to using body lotion for men. Keep your skin hydrated - it will thank you in multiple ways. Focus on areas that tend to get dry and flakey - like your elbows, knees, and heels. Dry, cold air is especially hard on your skin, so make sure you’re ready for the winter months with body lotion.

For the best results, choose a natural body lotion for men that hydrates with vitamin E, aloe, and other ingredients you don’t have to be afraid of. 

Maintain and restore your appearance with your grooming routine. 

A good men’s grooming routine focuses on maintaining and restoring your appearance. None of these products or grooming habits will alter your natural appearance. Instead, they help slow the aging process and enhance your features.

You don’t have to spend an hour in the bathroom each day to see results. Using all of the products outlined in this article only takes about 10 minutes each day. It’s a small investment of time - but a big reward in the long run.

Remember, the products you use matter. You want the best natural skincare and grooming products for men. Don’t settle for less.