9 Grooming Essentials Every Man Should Have in His Bathroom

Grooming isn’t about vanity. It’s just taking care of yourself.

Men today generally take better care of their skin, hair, teeth and appearance than their dads or grandfathers did — and you don’t need a bathroom cabinet full of lotions, potions and mysterious little bottles to do it.

When it comes to men’s grooming, most men only need a handful of decent basics to get the job done.

Nothing fancy. No 12-step morning routine. Not an hour in front of the mirror. Fifteen minutes, the right basics, and you’re good to go.

Here are the nine grooming essentials worth making room for in your bathroom:

Toothbrush and Dental Floss

Believe it or not, even the simple act of brushing your teeth counts as part of grooming. You can have immaculate skin, a perfectly trimmed beard, and a great haircut, even a great smile – but if your teeth aren’t clean and you have bad breath, you’re not cutting it. 

The basics still matter: brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day and floss. Those tiny bits of food hiding between your teeth don’t just magically disappear. Bacteria get to work on them like tiny compost heaps inside your mouth — and we all know how unpleasant those can smell. You can look like Brad Pitt, but if you have bad breath — well, let’s not even go there.

An electric toothbrush can make thorough brushing easier, particularly if it has a timer and pressure sensor, but you don’t need the most expensive toothbrush on the shelf. Many rechargeable models last for weeks between charges and come with different settings, like sensitive, whitening, or polishing, and gum-care or massage modes. They’re useful extras, but you don’t need every bell and whistle to get your teeth clean.

And don’t forget your tongue. Bacteria and debris can build up there too and contribute to bad breath, so give it a gentle brush while you’re at it. You can also use a tongue scraper, or even an ordinary spoon if you prefer.

A good manual toothbrush used properly and consistently still gets the job done.

And don’t forget the thing no grooming gadget can replace: regular dental checkups.

A Proper Face Wash

Yes, soap gets things clean. So does shower gel. But that doesn’t necessarily make either of them the best thing to wash your face with every day.

The skin on your face is exposed to sweat, sunscreen, pollution and oil throughout the day, and a basic facial cleanser is designed to remove that buildup without stripping away too much of the skin’s natural oils.

Good grooming doesn’t need anything elaborate.

If your face tends to feel tight or dry after washing, look for a gentle or hydrating cleanser. If you’re particularly oily, a foaming cleanser may suit you better.

A Decent Trimmer

At some point, male body hair seems to take on a mind of its own.

There may be less of it growing where you want it and considerably more turning up in areas where you don’t want it, like your nose, ears or those scary-looking bushy eyebrows.

A decent trimmer makes keeping everything under control considerably easier. You don’t want to grow a wild meadow; you want a neatly kept golf green. That’s really what good grooming is about — keeping things under control rather than trying to look perfect

You don’t necessarily need separate gadgets for your beard, nose, ears, eyebrows and every other patch of hair. A good multipurpose trimmer with the right attachments can handle most everyday jobs.

Cordless or corded? Both get the job done. A rechargeable cordless trimmer gives you more freedom and is more convenient on the go, while a corded model means you’ll never find yourself halfway through a trim with a dead battery. If you travel regularly, cordless is probably the more practical choice.

What matters is that it’s easy to use, easy to clean and suitable for whatever you’re actually trimming.

And remember, you don’t have to start sculpting your eyebrows into works of art. But if even one eyebrow hair has grown long enough to blow in the wind, trim it. 

A Razor or Electric Shaver

A trimmer keeps things tidy, but if you’re after that baby-bum smoothness — or just want to tidy up the edges around your beard and neck — you’ll need something that can give you a closer shave.

Neither is automatically better; it depends on your skin, your facial hair and how much time you want to spend shaving.

A manual razor generally gives you a closer shave, but it also takes a little more care and can cause cuts, razor burn and irritation if you rush it. Don’t just drag the blade across dry skin like a cheese grater and hope for the best. A shaving cream or gel helps the razor glide over the skin with less friction.

An electric shaver is quick, convenient, and considerably harder to nick yourself with, although you may not get quite the same close finish. Many modern electric shavers can be used wet or dry, so you can shave with or without shaving cream or gel.

And remember: BBB — blades become blunt. If your skin starts complaining every time you shave, it may be time to change the blade. You won’t win the war against facial hair with a blunt blade. 

Change your razor blades regularly, shave in the direction of hair growth if you’re prone to irritation or ingrown hairs, and let the razor do the work rather than pressing it into your face.

Once you’re done, rinse your face and give your skin a little TLC. A fragrance-free moisturizer can help if shaving leaves your skin feeling dry or tight, and if you’re heading outside, don’t forget the sunscreen.

Keeping your razor or shaver clean is one of those basic grooming habits that’s easy to overlook. Rinse a manual razor thoroughly after use and clean an electric shaver according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Moisturizer

Moisturizer isn’t just for dry skin — and it certainly isn’t just for women.

Skin naturally becomes drier as we get older. Shaving, hot showers, cold weather, air conditioning, and plenty of time outdoors can make matters worse.

A basic moisturizer helps keep water in the skin and supports the skin barrier. That’s useful whether you’re 25, 45, or 75.

And there’s no need to complicate it.

There are plenty of moisturizers marketed specifically for men, but you don’t necessarily need one with “For Men” written on the bottle. What matters is finding one that suits your skin and that you’re happy to use regularly. If you hate thick creams, don’t buy one. Try a lighter lotion or gel instead.

If you don’t like scented skincare, look for a fragrance-free option. And if you’d like a little extra help making tired or uneven-looking skin look healthier, you can even find lightly tinted moisturizers that add a subtle bit of color without looking like you’re wearing makeup.

The best moisturizer isn’t necessarily the most expensive one. It’s the one you’ll actually use.

Sunscreen

If you’re only going to take one skincare habit seriously, make it this one.

UV radiation doesn’t just cause sunburn. Over time, repeated exposure contributes to skin cancer as well as wrinkles, age spots, and other visible signs of sun damage.

And sunscreen isn’t only for beach days. UVA rays are around on cloudy days and can even reach your skin through car windows. Yes, those buggers can get you almost everywhere.

The simple rule? If it’s exposed, protect it. Your face, ears, neck, hands — and, if your hair is thinning, don’t forget the top of your head.

Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays, and choose one you don’t mind wearing. The sunscreen you’ll actually apply is more useful than the supposedly perfect one that stays on the shelf.

Worth knowing: We’ve gone into this in much more detail in our guide to sunscreen for men, including SPF, UVA and UVB, how much to use and the areas men commonly miss.

Nail Clippers

Not a luxury manicure set.

Not six mysterious-looking stainless-steel instruments in a leather case.

Just simple, ordinary nail clippers, well, and maybe also a simple nail file.

Actually, make that two pairs. Smaller nail clippers are easier to control on your fingernails, while larger, stronger clippers are better suited to thicker toenails. Keeping separate clippers for your hands and feet is also a sensible hygiene habit.

Fingernails can be trimmed following their natural, slightly rounded shape, then any sharp edges smoothed with a nail file so they don’t snag on your clothes, towels or anything else they come into contact with.

Toenails are different. Cut them straight across rather than rounding or digging into the corners, which can increase the risk of an ingrown toenail.

And while you’re down there, have a quick look at your feet. Cracked skin, fungal infections, discolored or thickened nails, and other foot problems have a habit of getting worse when they’re ignored.

Grooming, after all, doesn’t stop at your chin. 

Deodorant or Antiperspirant

Let’s face it, if people can smell you before they see you, you’ve missed something important.

Deodorant is one of those grooming basics some men seem to either overdo or forget altogether. 

First of all, deodorant and antiperspirant aren’t the same. Deodorant primarily helps control body odor, while antiperspirant reduces how much you sweat. Many products combine the two, so if you want help with both sweat and smell, check the label.

And here’s something worth knowing: fresh sweat doesn’t usually smell. That musty, pungent smell develops when bacteria on your skin break down components of your sweat. Your armpits provide a perfect environment for that little operation.

Spraying half a can of deodorant over already sweaty armpits is an absolute no-go. Start with clean, dry skin and apply your deodorant or antiperspirant as directed. If you’re someone who sweats heavily, an antiperspirant may be more useful than a deodorant alone.

Roll-on, stick, spray or cream? That’s mostly personal preference. Choose something that works for you, doesn’t irritate your skin and has a scent you can live with. Fragrance-free versions are available too if you’d rather not smell like Arctic Thunder, Extreme Mountain Ice or whatever else someone in the marketing department came up with.

And do not confuse deodorant with cologne. Cologne can make you smell nice, but it doesn’t replace washing or deodorant. Apply the golden rule: Less is more! Smothering yourself in fragrance to overpower your body odor isn’t grooming — it’s just trying to camouflage the evidence.

Your Get-the-Job-Done Grooming Kit

You really don’t need much.

#	Grooming Essential	Why You Need It
1	Dental floss	Gets between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t, helping to keep your teeth, gums and breath in good shape.
2	Toothbrush	Keeps your teeth clean, your smile looking good and your breath worth getting close to.
3	Face wash	Gently gets rid of the day’s sweat, oil and grime without leaving your face feeling stripped.
4	Trimmer	Keeps your beard tidy and nose hair, ear hair and those rogue eyebrows under control.
5	Razor or electric shaver	Gives you a closer shave, cleans up beard edges and keeps unwanted facial hair in check.
6	Moisturizer	Keeps your skin hydrated and supports your skin barrier, leaving your skin feeling comfortable and looking its best.
7	Sunscreen	Protects the skin you expose to the world from everyday UV damage, helping to prevent premature skin aging and sun spots while reducing your risk of skin cancer.
8	Nail clippers	Keep your hands and feet neat, clean and ready to be seen.
9	Deodorant or antiperspirant	Helps keep body odor and sweat under control, so you stay fresh — and people don’t smell you before they see you.

That’s it.

You can certainly add beard oils, eye creams, serums, exfoliants, fancy razors, and whatever else you enjoy using — and for some men, those might be essentials. But for many they’re useful extras, not necessarily basics.

You can spend as little or as much time and money on grooming as you want. Just remember: looking good for a date is one thing. Taking longer in the bathroom than your date is probably pushing it.

Good grooming doesn’t have to mean spending half an hour in the bathroom every morning or buying a bigger bathroom cabinet.

Keep yourself clean, protect your skin, look after your teeth, trim the bits that need trimming and cut your nails.

Nine things.

Clean teeth, fresh face, trimmed, shaved, and sunscreen on? You’re done. Now you’re ready for that morning coffee.