Greetings, Dear Readers, I do hope you are well. Like I promised last week, today I am writing about essential grooming products and practices for men.
Now I know that most men think grooming is something that only women do but come on gentlemen this is 2014, the age of the Metrosexual man.
Metrosexual refers to a man who is comfortable enough in his masculinity to not balk at looking clean and good.
Look here I am not saying that you need to sit and powder your nose but basic grooming is essential and look; truthfully speaking, there is nothing better looking than a clean shaven man in a perfect fitting suit.
Anti-perspirants and deodorants are a must-have for any man, it is not enough to merely spray perfume on your clothes, you need to banish the smell of sweat back to where it belongs, the middle ages.
Anti-perspirant is best because it stops the very unsightly sight of sweat on your shirt besides men have overactive sweat glands, thus this is basically a necessity.
Be clean shaven, remove all unsightly hair, and try and shave in the same direction as the growth of the hair.
Also soften your facial hair before shaving it by shaving in the shower or applying some lotion or conditioner to the hair before you shave.
This will ensure that there aren’t ingrowths and also reduce the possibilities of getting cut, while shaving.
A good after shave is an essential as well because a lot of men experience bumps and break outs on the skin after they shave.
A tip also is to put a warm facecloth on your skin after you shave in order to soothe it because after shaving one can get a lot of bruises and abrasions.
After that apply some after shave cream or gel and you are good to go.
Invest in a good moisturising lotion and use it regularly, men’s skin tends to be drier than women’s so find a lotion that works and stick to it.
In the same way, add a little bit of water and some glycerine or olive oil to your lotion or cream.
The reason why people add glycerine and water to lotion is to seal in the moisture because lotion most times alone just does not do the job.
Have some hair products at hand in the house, a good hair gel, a conditioning shampoo; a lot of shops now stock hair care products for men.
Try and concentrate on your and the area just behind your ears as this is where the scalp mostly produces oil.
Dry, chapped lips are never ever attractive or healthy, gentlemen I know that most of you would never be caught dead applying anything resembling small and cute on your lips, but lip balm is a Godsend.
Carry a lip balm or a small bottle of Vaseline in your car and office drawer, lip balm is very small and usually quite affordable, your (softer) lips will thank you.
Carry some mints or gums to ensure that you do not have any smelly breath, we all know that one person whose breath can choke a new born baby, don’t be that guy.
Have a good cologne, one that is subtle and not over the top, smell good, it is one of the bastions of being a gentleman (next to a good watch).
Drink a lot of water to keep your skin looking bright and healthy and also to be sufficiently hydrated.
If you are a heavy drinker, then ensure that after two drinks, have some water, it will not only prevent a nasty hangover but it will also ensure that your liver is in top condition and your health lasts.
Add some colour to your wardrobe, wear proper fitting suit and shine your shoes gentlemen.
A gentleman is always prepared so please if you are not married, carry protection with you ensure that you stay safe.
I would like to share with you something I learnt last week and that is the importance of going for regular check-ups.
I am doing a 30-day carbon footprint reduction challenge and this involves quite a lot of changes, most notably eating a lot of green foods, reducing on alcohol intake, sorting out my waste and reducing on electricity consumption.
The reason is simple; to try and heal the planet of the hectic damage done by global warming is not just a national or multi-corporational thing, it is also a personal responsibility.
I was also a bit ill for some time and anybody who knows me will tell you that I have popping pills.
Anyway I don’t mean to digress but here is something I learnt; very often, we go to a doctor only when we are really sick, and rarely just for random check ups.
The thing is that by doing regular check-ups, you can find underlying problems before they erupt into serious complications. This goes for both men and women.
So that’s it for today,till next week meanwhile, read up past tips on my blog at divadiarys.blogspot.com, email me questions at divadiarys@gmail.com and lets tweet @Arushapot.