Fellas, do you remember that one Sunday afternoon when your dad taught you how to shave like a man? Unfortunately, this is about the only formal lesson you got in personal hygiene and grooming…. so from that point on, you were probably on your own.
As the temperature outside gets warmer, we men tend to sweat a bit more to the point where we start smelling like sweaty apes without dousing ourselves in cologne and deodorant. Or maybe it’s just not very cool for bros to sit around and brag about their personal hygiene. Either way, there are some serious personal hygiene tips and habits that are missing from the average male’s daily routine.
Here are FIVE tips that will help keep things fresh all day:
1. YOUR MOUTH – We stress FRESH BREATH: Invest in a decent electric and/or regual toothbrush. Also, see your dentist to get a cleaning at least twice per year.
2. FLOSS – We all know that flossing is important, but few of us do it consistently and some NOT AT ALL. But it’s really, really worth it!
3. SHOWER – You don’t have to do it every day:
Via PrimerMagazine: Showering feels like hitting the “reset” button on your accumulated stank. But chances are, you’re doing it wrong. Consider changing it up:
Don’t shower everyday. Your mileage may vary on this, but most people don’t need to shower every day. In fact, showering every day strips away the necessary oils in your skin and hair, which makes your body produce more to compensate. You can probably get away with showering once every other day. If you can’t swing that, skip the shampoo every other shower. If your hair gets greasy spots, try sprinkling some baby powder around the roots between shampoo days.
You might also want to consider a dry shampoo for no-shower days. You can make your own by grinding together 1 cup of oatmeal with 1 cup of baking soda. Sprinkle it on your roots, wait a few minutes and then comb it out. Fresh!
4. COLOGNE AND DEODORANT – not the cheap stuff. Wearing cologne and deodorant will definitely have you turning heads in and outside of the office. On a similar note, you should consider a quick spray of cologne on the front and back of your boxers before you head out. Your crotch is like the armpit of your legs, but unlike your pits, it doesn’t get deodorant. Chances may be slim that anyone will be close enough to notice the cologne down there, but if someone is, then odor may be mission critical. As for the back of your boxers, there’s apocryphal testament that cologne can CYA in case of gas. How true this is depends on the circumstances, and perhaps what you ate…
And lastly, number 5. Invest in baby wipes and fresh underwear. You can never have too many draws.
Pop a squat. If you’ve been to the non-touristy parts of Asia or Africa, then you’ve likely encountered a squat toilet. To you, these may seem primitive, possibly gross. But in reality, squatting is the most natural position for taking care of business, with numerous health benefits. It requires less straining and leaves less residue behind. In fact, many public squatting toilets don’t even provide toilet paper, since it’s often not necessary when you’re popping a squat.
Use baby wipes. And use them for the same reason a baby uses them. Fellow Primer contributor Justin Brown already covered this one in his Five Readily-Available Products You Should Try rundown.