Men's Daily Grooming Routine: What to Do and in What Order
How long should a daily grooming routine take?
A man's daily routine is five steps in the morning and one at night. Morning: shower, wash your face, shave if you shave, moisturiser, then sunscreen. Night: wash your face again. Hair and beard fit into those same steps, and once you are out of the shower the whole thing takes about ten minutes. The order matters more than the products. Warm water softens the hair before the razor touches it, and sunscreen goes on last because it has to sit on top. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says to wash your face twice a day, morning and night, and again after sweating, using lukewarm water, a cleanser applied with your fingertips and a soft towel to pat dry. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist gives the sequence for the face as cleanser, then moisturiser, then sunscreen, in that order. The AAD advises SPF 30 or higher that covers both UVA and UVB, put on before you leave the house, since skin needs about 15 minutes to absorb it. Cloud makes no difference: the AAD notes you are exposed to UV even on cloudy days and in winter. If you spend the day outside, reapply every two hours. Which cleanser and SPF suit your skin is another question, and our article on skincare basics answers it.
Hair first, the shave after the shower, beard oil last
Hair comes first, in the shower, and only as often as the scalp needs it. The AAD says a man with straight hair and an oily scalp may shampoo every day, while dry, curly or thick hair can wait, as long as it gets washed at least once every two to three weeks. Put shampoo on the scalp rather than the whole length, and conditioner on the ends if your hair is fine or straight. Shaving comes straight after the shower. The AAD calls that a good time because the skin is warm and moist, and tells you to wet skin and hair first to soften them. Then apply shaving cream or gel, shave in the direction the hair grows, rinse the blade after each stroke, and change it, or bin the disposable, after five to seven shaves. Moisturiser and sunscreen follow, as above. With a beard, the same steps cover the skin underneath: the AAD says to wash face and beard, pat dry so the skin stays a little damp, and put moisturiser on the skin and the beard straight away. While the beard is still stubble, use a moisturiser with SPF 30 or higher. Once it has grown in, a few drops of beard oil go on last, and the AAD says to use it sparingly because you can always add more. Style your hair after that, then comb the beard.
Wash again at night and keep the weekly jobs separate
At night the routine shrinks. Wash your face with the same gentle cleanser and lukewarm water, and wash the beard with it, since the AAD advises washing face and beard every day. Add moisturiser if your skin feels dry or itchy. After the gym or a sweaty commute, wash as soon as you can, because the AAD says to wash after sweating. On the busiest day a short version still works: wash, moisturiser, sunscreen, about two minutes. A few jobs belong to the week, not the day. Tidy the neckline and the edges of the beard once or twice a week, check the razor blade, and wash out styling product if the hair feels heavy. Keep to these six steps until they run on their own, then add one new product at a time so you know which one did what. At 044 Barbershop in Kyiv you can book a haircut and beard trim together, and we sell some cosmetic products, so you can ask which oil suits your beard. Come in for the pair: a barber sees your neckline and both sides of your jaw, which the bathroom mirror hides, and sets the lines your morning routine then only has to maintain.