Refreshing your shaving knowledge from time-to-time is a great way to stop bad habits from creeping into your morning routine. And itās always a good idea to check out new products that you could add to your male grooming kit. National Menās Grooming Day (Friday 16th August 2019) is the perfect opportunity for both.
If youāve had a lifetime of shaving rash and razor burn, then this is the time to learn how to shave properly; if you donāt always feel that you look your best, discover how to tidy up your appearance; and if you often feel frazzled, itās time to embrace self-care.
Although shaving and skincare can play a big part in how you look after yourself, self-care should be so much more than that.
Our Everyday Menās Grooming Advice
If you often experience shaving rash, make sure youāre using the best shaving products for your skin type. If you find your skin getting red, itchy and irritated, you probably have sensitive skin, and should be using a razor thatās designed to be kinder to it.
SkinGuard Sensitive is Gilletteās first razor specifically designed for sensitive skin. Its blades are raised to limit their direct contact with your skin, which can help to shield it against irritation, and it can also help to reduce tug and pull.
Whatever your skin type, and regardless of how many years youāve been shaving for, it never hurts to remind yourself of the best way to shave:
- Always wash your face first to soften your skin and your facial hair or stubble
- Apply shaving gel or foam to hydrate your facial hair before shaving
- Use gentle strokes to reduce your chance of razor burn
- Shave with the grain (in the direction that your hair grows) to lower your risk of shaving rash
- Finish up with a quick post-shave routine
If youāre always on the go and donāt have much time to shop to replace your razor blades, stop yourself from ending up with dull ones and sign up for a Gillette shaving subscription.
Manscaping Advice
Your shaving routine doesnāt have to stop with your facial hair. Body grooming, or manscaping, can help you to show off your best features and improve your body confidence.
You might just want to trim your chest hair before a holiday. You might want to regularly shave your back. Or you may want to trim your pubic hair. But however far you decide to take your manscaping routine, use the Gillette All Purpose Styler to trim, shave and edge your body hair for the best results.
You can also use the All Purpose Styler to tidy up your eyebrows, nasal hair and any other body hair that bothers you, so you can feel like the best version of yourself, all of the time.
Read our guide to manscaping for more in-depth advice on how to shave your body hair.
6 Self-Care Tips for Men
There should be so much more to your self-care efforts than just showering, and shaving and trimming.
Remember that any steps you take now to look after yourself mean youāre taking care of future you, too.
1. Find a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Itās great if youāre passionate about your job, but you need to occasionally switch off. In todayās always-on world, itās important to give yourself a break every now and again.
Commit to leaving the office on time and switching your work email notifications off for a few evenings each week. Focusing on something else instead, such as reading a book, unwinding with a movie or cooking a nutritious meal from scratch to help reset your mind ready for the next day, and you might even find that you sleep better.
2. Look Out for Signs of Stress and Burnout
Learn to recognise your stress triggers and signs of burnout, and take action when you notice them.
Signs could include tensing your shoulders, clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth in your sleep, or a sense of fatigue that you canāt shake off.
If you spot any of these, acknowledge that itās time to take a step back; go to bed early, turn your phone off for the evening, go for a run, or just spend time with your loved ones.
Different types of self-care will help different types of people - take the time to discover what works for you.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Your body and mind canāt function properly on too little sleep. Let your brain recharge and refresh by making sleep a priority, especially when youāre feeling stressed or burnt out.
Get into a bedtime routine if you find it difficult to nod off. Set yourself a screen ban for at least half an hour before the time youād like to go to sleep, have a warm milky drink or chamomile tea before bed, and consider trying a pillow spray featuring calming lavender.
4. Nourish Yourself from the Inside Out
Self-care needs to start from the inside out. Be mindful of what youāre eating and drinking, as this can have a huge impact on how much energy you have and how you feel about yourself.
Staying hydrated is especially important - itās good for everything from your digestion to helping your razor glide across your skin more easily when youāre shaving, so aim for the recommended eight glasses a day.
5. Protect Yourself from the Sun
Sun damage can age your skin massively, so try to get into the habit of wearing sunscreen on your face every single day - even in the UK, and even in winter. This is also important for avoiding unfortunate tan lines in your beard area if you regularly change up your facial hair!
6. Make Time for Yourself, Every Day
Modern life is so busy that it can be easy to forget to make time for ourselves. Self-care can be as simple as making a little time for yourself every day.
This could be spending half an hour in the gym, listening to an uplifting podcast on your commute, or just spending five minutes with your own thoughts while you shave in the morning.
And if you want a real treat to start your day, use the Gillette Heated Razor to give yourself a proper pamper that will feel just like youāre getting a hot towel shave - you deserve it.
When you subscribe to our shave club to receive Heated Razor blade refills, you'll save on your blades, and you'll get access to exclusive discounts over in our members' area, allowing you to treat yourself even more.
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