Words: Jonathan Wells
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Men have many grooming lessons still left to be learnt. Despite our best interests, we're still mostly at a loss when standing in front of the bathroom mirror. Should we be exfoliating every day? How often should a man wash his hair? And what particular products should we be investing our money and mornings into?
Thankfully, there are several different ways to scope out the finest male-focused grooming products. And the best of these are brands; companies that collate and curate the very top options to help you wash, scrub and cleanse your way to grooming proficiency. Humanery is one such online platform, a start-up that scrubbed up in 2021 — and has been educating us how best to bathe, shower and freshen up ever since.
So, before you buy that same old shampoo-conditioner, or restock your existing razor cartridges, let the London-based experts teach you the four key rules that every man should follow when kitting out his bathroom cabinet.
Where you can, buy products made specifically for men
It sounds a little strange. After all, what difference does a label make, and how distinct can a balm or body wash really be from its female-focused equivalent? But, once you study the science, you’ll find some major changes in male-marketed grooming products.
Some are packed with nutrients that men need more than women, such as zinc, thiamin and vitamins from A to K. Others are formulated to help tackle common male health problems, including hair loss, acne and ingrown hairs. And Humanery, in all its well-groomed wisdom, has sought out the best male-specific products.
There’s a cedarwood-scented post-shave balm from Adam Grooming Atelier, a brilliant beard conditioner from Murdock London and even a tousle-teasing salt spray from Alott. And each of these products has been hand-picked purely for men who are “overwhelmed by complexity, and frustrated with female-focused products”.
With every product, look beyond the skin-deep benefits
There are plenty of highly perfumed and handsomely packaged products available to modern men — but do these attractive aesthetics actually indicate any real benefits? Often not. So, instead of plumping for a certain shave gel because of its vibrant colour, or buying a face wash for its appealing aroma, do some worthwhile research.
Try seeking out some options that will satisfy not only your surface-level senses — but also enhance your overall wellbeing. Happily, Humanery has positioned its entire enterprise to focus on the concept of self-care. In order to look your best, its founders believe, you must also feel your best. “It’s not about vanity,” they say.
And that’s why almost every product available on the platform has wider wellbeing applications. And that goes double for the supplements. It could be TenT’s brown-bottled sleep supplement, Anatomē’s joint boosters or The Grey’s ‘Daily Vitamin Intake System’, but a great grooming regime must start inside — and work out.
Put your focus on products with organic ingredients
This one should go without saying. In a world where microbeads have been banned from our showers, and substances from mercury to methylene have been prohibited in the production of all grooming products, the industry as a whole has pivoted away from pollutants, and started creating safer, more sustainable alternatives.
And Humanery, with its unwavering commitment to high-quality natural ingredients, is at the vanguard when it comes to such organic offerings. Take this naturally exfoliating toner from Haeckels as an example — brimming with the vitamin-rich extracts of Bladderwrack, a type of seaweed hand-harvested from the Margate shore.
Or John Masters’ nourishing shampoo, which volumises with low impact rosemary and peppermint oils rather than any potentially harmful chemicals. And, the last of our all-natural recommendations? Baz & Co‘s ‘Skin Food’, which boasts a blend of botanicals, including antioxidant juniper and antifungal frankincense.
Broaden your horizons to find the perfect products
Perhaps the most resounding benefit of platforms such as Humanery is that they do the hard work for you. These platforms travel the globe — testing out serums, scrubs and salves from every corner of the Earth. This means that, even if you’re unsure about a new product, anything you buy will improve your wellbeing.
You can also guarantee that every product stocked — from hair products to hyaluronic moisturisers — has made the cut; and will be a welcome addition to the bathroom cabinet of any modern man.
Among the remedial treasures we’ve dug out on Humanery are Patrick’s ‘M3’ matte finish pomade, expertly crafted in Australia, Augustinus Bader’s restorative ‘The Scalp Treatment’, blended to life in Germany, and a black-bottled aftershave from Captain Fawcett, a collaboration between the Norfolk-based brand and a New York-born barber. And there are many more worldly, wellness-boosting options on there — just waiting to be discovered.
Want more grooming tips? What is ‘LED therapy’, and could it be the key to de-ageing?
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