Soap, shower gel, scrubs, moisturisers and trouble-shooters. Keeping yourself clean and smelling fresh is simple. Check out the grooming matters guide to the best of the best across all the categories:
Soap: Magno Classic Black Beauty Soap – Define yourself with a product that defies logic – black soap! Magno Classic Black Soap was created in the 1950s utilising the salts and minerals from the famous La Toja therapeutic hot springs in Spain. Surprisingly, a white lather is produced out of the black with a distinctive fragrance based on fleur-de-lis.
Stick deodorant: Vetiver by Guerlain. This stick deodorant is one of our personal favourites and has been worn faithfully by our founder and his father for years. The scent is deep, earthy and woody with a faint hint of lemon, which is what gives it its fantastic freshness. We also like it because it's hard to find and therefore rather unique!
For the botanists among you, Vetiver is a type of grass native to the Indian subcontinent. The essential oils are obtained by steam-distilling dried, chopped roots. It is also known rather glamourously as The Oil of Tranquility in India. Try it out - you have the grooming matters personal assurance that you won't be disappointed.
Shower gel: Molton Brown Re-Charge Black Pepper Body WashMolton Brown says “get ready for a deeply aromatic adventure” and they are not wrong. The heady infusion of essential oils – vetiver, basil, bergamot, galbanum, amber and vanilla – and the primary active ingredient, detoxifying and antiseptic black pepper oil, are guaranteed to re-awaken your senses and re-charge your energy reserves. The gel formulation should be actively massaged across your body towards the heart for the best circulatory boost.
If you prefer to keep the bathroom minimalist on the product front, then you could try the brilliant
Body Buff Gloves from Menscience. The graphite grey gloves slip easily over your hands to instantly imbue your favourite shower gel or soap with all the powers of a scrub.
Moisturisers: try sweet almond oil from your local health food shop or online at
nealsyardremedies.com. Sweet Almond Oil is a base oil in aromatherapy and skin loves it because it is smooth, natural and easily absorbed. It is best used just after a shower to seal in moisture, give it a minute or two to dry and your away for the day.
Trouble shooter: Brave Soldier Antiseptic Healing Ointment – see
www.bravesoldier.com. An American company that prides itself on being at the cutting edge (no pun intended!) of the science of wound healing. A product that lives up to the age old adage of the ‘original and best’, Antiseptic Healing Ointment was the first product from Brave Solider and was developed to be an antidote to the ‘road rash’ often experienced by sporting enthusiasts.
Utilising a unique blend of healing botanicals and powerful pharmaceuticals this ointment helps heal wounds to heal up to 40% faster than they would without treatment. It also greatly reduces the chances of scarring. Great for scrapes, bumps and bruises as well as shaving nicks and cuts.
Hands: whilst you may not be the type to go for regular manicures it is still smart to invest in a good hand cream. We like the one form Clarins Men, see
www.clarinsmen.com. Small rough patches from cycling, dryness from central heating, irritation from DIY - you name it and its probably hard work for the skin on your hands. The non-oily texture of the Clarins hand cream is reassuringly masculine and features active Pro Vitamin B5.
groomingmatters top tip Don’t trim the cuticles on your finger nails. This encourages growth that quickly becomes unsightly and annoying. Just gently push them back with your thumbnail after bathing or when you apply your hand cream.
Feet: not many people would rate their feet as one of their best assets. They quickly develop rough skin and long toe nails and, because they are at the furthest point from our eyes, we may not always keep them quite as nice as we'd like to. However, it does not need to be a hardship to keep them looking passable. Just follow a couple of simple tips to be sure they are never a complete embarassment.
Try massaging sweet almond oil (see above) into your feet prior to putting your socks on before sports. This will not only protect the skin against chafing but will also prevent your toe nails hardening from the constant pounding against the end of the shoe.
Use a pumice stone whilst soaking in the tub or an Opal foot smoothie when your feet are dry, see
www.thinknatural.com. This will keep your feet supple by preventing any build-up of dead skin that can lead to those ever so ugly and painful calluses and corns. Easy as one, two, finish!
