Cold, Wet Winter Grooming

We had a nice run with the Indian Summer, but it’s finally getting really wintery.  And one thing that means is shifting our grooming habits until spring has sprung.  It doesn’t matter how nice your coat is if your skin looks like hell.  So look in your medicine cabinet and adjust.

How fussy you want to get with your grooming routine is up to you.  I’m not a manicure loving guy, and I can count the number of “masks” I’ve done on one hand, but there’s not glory in pretending you don’t give a damn about your body.  Masculinity and little jars of cream have less than nothing to do with one another.

Whatever you choose to do above a beyond there are a few requisites.  Moisturizer, lip balm, face wash, and your shaving products aren’t really an option.

While the advertisers will try to get you to believe that only super-premium branded products will keep you from looking like a baseball mitt, it’s not always the case.  Perfect example: Cetaphil face wash.  It comes in sensitive and regular strength, and both do a good job getting the dirt off your face without taking your skin away too.  Lubriderm isn’t a bad choice for hand-moisturizer either.  The bottles aren’t so great to look at, but the stuff inside is top of the line.

That Burts Bees lip balm at the checkout counter is another easy-on-the-wallet option – and there’s really nothing better to keep your lips from cracking in the winter wind.  When the cold first hits I always learn the lesson the hard way, but I’ll only get cracked lips that one week a year.

Now my winter moisturizer of choice is a little pricier.  Kiehl’s Ultra is the bet I can find, and it’s not crazy expensive.  You only need a tiny amount, and it gives your skin a moist but not wet feeling when you put it on.  It also works as a decent aftershave if you’re traveling and want to carry fewer bottles with you.

Finally, just a word of warning.  If you’re not growing a winter beard (which, just to clarify, I don’t advise you do), be careful with shaving.  I’m sure you know your own skin best, but you might want to step up the pre and post shave routine.  A little extra moisture before and after should help you keep the nicks and irritation to minimum, even with the brutal weather outside.

So don’t run out and buy a whole new cabinet-worth of bottles, but do make sure you care for your skin when Mother Nature isn’t so kind.