Skin

Moisturiser. You’ve heard that word before. You’ve pulled your nose up at it. When your ex told you to put on some cream because your skin’s dry, you just said meh. Given that you’re reading this, it means you’ve put your ‘meh’ away and you want to learn how to start taking care of your skin. To start, there are four types of moisturisers: humectants (for hydration), emollients (softening and conditioning), ceramides (anti-ageing) and occlusives (prevent moisture loss). But before you dash off to buy ointments and creams, take a look in the mirror and figure out what type of skin you have. It’s either oily or dry. Most men have fairly oily skin but even if your skin is oily — guess what? You need to moisturise, just not as much as those with dry skin. If you have dry skin, you should apply cream at least twice a day.

Hair

First rule: don’t over-wash. Second rule: make sure your conditioner matches the shampoo. Third rule: skip the 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner combo unless you want grass instead of hair on your head. When it comes to cutting and styling your hair, you need to pair the cut with the shape of your face. This means not everyone can pull off a bald head. A square face is best with a casual cut and don’t be afraid to grow a bit of hair over the ears — it stops the jawline from being too pronounced. For round faces, a fade up the temple is a great way to create angles that break away from the roundness. If you have an oblong face, get the barber to cut your hair on the sides so it barely touches the ears, in other words, short on the sides and longer on top.

Whiskers

Just like the hair on your head, your facial hair also needs taking care of. Grabbing a bar of soap you just washed your armpits with and scrubbing your beard with it will do more damage than a razor blade would. What makes or breaks a hefty bit of man mane is a beardline. Most guys just grow their facial hair hoping they’ll look like Ernest Hemingway but end up looking like Zach Galifianakis. There are two lines you need to find and maintain — the cheek and the throat lines. Try to visualise where your ideal cheek line should be. This is easier if you use a trimmer. Visualise the start and end points of your cheek line — A is where it begins, at the bottom of your sideburns, and B is where it meets the sides of your moustache. To find the neck line, you place your index and middle finger on top of your Adam’s apple and where the index finger touches should be the centre point of your neck line. Easy.

Nails

Stop biting your nails. We know it’s hard but you need to stop. Use a nail clipper to keep those suckers short and don’t cut too deep. Your cuticles are the thin layers of dead skin at the top of the nail plates and if you ever go for a manicure, they will be removed. If that’s not your style, we’d like to stress the importance of moisturising your hands and nails to prevent cuticles from getting out of control. Another tip is to invest in a quality handwash and hand cream.

Smell

For this one, you need to ignore the price tag. A good cologne is a good investment. Scent triggers memory, which means you become more memorable to those you meet. Whatever your choice, DO NOT bathe in the stuff! It’s off-putting and a waste. Quality cologne is made to last and each small spritz amplifies the last.

By Shawn Greyling