Words: Jonathan Wells
Forget dusting down your shelves and cleaning out your cupboards; real spring cleaning starts in the bathroom. Whether it’s testing out new salves and serums, switching up your signature scent or just firing up your foil shaver for a fresh trim, now is the perfect time for a good grooming shake-up.
And there’s never been a better time to overhaul your morning routine. From beard-trimming to toothbrushing, we’ve done a sweep of the best brands for your bathroom cabinet — and discovered how to deploy them to the best streamlined springtime effect…
Combine your face wash and exfoliator for speed
When we hit spring, things start to speed up. Offices reopen, holidays jet off and the bells of wedding season start ringing. As such, you should be streamlining your grooming routine to protect every minute of your precious time. And that means cutting out any wintry comforts and making the most of multi-purpose products.
Blending your face wash and your exfoliating scrub is a great place to start. Heath, especially, has the perfect product for this; a vegan, charcoal-based formulation with mineral rich Brazilian papaya extract to sluice off dead skin. Neal’s Yard also forgoes microbeads for an all-natural option, and Kiehl’s ‘Oil Eliminator’ face wash uses crushed apricot seeds to create an all-in-one skincare solution.
Go matte with your hair
With brighter weather comes higher temperatures. And with higher temperatures come hair-styling problems. The hotter it gets, the weaker your hold tends to be; with wax melting and gel losing its sculpting strength. But we’ve found a springtime solution to this hair-raising problem; matte styling products.
From Patricks, this featherweight formula instantly works to volumise and sculpt your hair; adding texture and affording every strand a perfumed scent. From Fudge Professional, this dry matte hair spray is humidity-resistant to ensure your style stays in place all day. Or, from Malin + Goetz, this warm weather-ready pomade is created using all-natural beeswax.
A multigroomer makes for a smooth grooming session
But it’s not just your tubs and tubes of grooming products you can consolidate. From your beard clippers to your nose trimmer, perhaps it’s also time to clear your bathroom cabinet of excess grooming gadgetry and invest in one marvellous multigroomer to keep you snipped, sheared and smooth from top to toe.
Braun lead the rechargeable charge here. With 4D blade technology and up to 450 movements per second, the ‘Series X’ will make short work of your trims and tidy-ups. From Wahl, this 11-in-1 option can tackle everything from stubble to hair edging. Or, if Philips is your most trusted brand, this showerproof multigroomer has 18 different functions.
A natural mouthwash with freshen things up
It may not appreciably speed up your morning routine, but there’s something refreshingly natural about an organic mouthwash that makes these new, sustainable swillers feel perfect for springtime. Alcohol-free and carbon-neutral, the handsome bottles also make for sightly additions to your bathroom cabinet.
None more than Aesop’s squared-off, brown-bottled mouthwash; with the look of liquor — but none of the gum-damaging, breath-ravaging alcohol. Waken’s peppermint mouthwash is equally eco, and contains sodium fluoride to help protect against cavities. Or, for something a little different, Neal’s Yard’s herbal mouthwash is floral in flavour, and brimming with gently astringent, antiseptic properties.
Open your eyes to these quick-fix serums
With spring’s earlier mornings and lighter nights come longer, more challenging days. And that means fatigue. Thankfully, there are products to pep up your grooming routine and your energy levels — and chief amongst these is a good, invigorating eye serum.
These indispensable roll-ons are incredible things; pocket-sized but packing perk-up punches like no other grooming products. Heath has the most affordable option, infused with ingredients which shield you against harmful blue light. Dr Sebagh’s ‘Supreme Eye Serum’ corrects dark circles, alleviates puffiness and soothes the skin — and La Mer’s luxurious option is like a mini face lift in a tube.
Put your aftershave in another products
And, for the final fold in this product-consolidating crusade, why not blend your aftershave with any number of other grooming products? Whether you’re adding a signature scent to your deodorant, beard oil or shower gel, it’ll shave precious seconds off your morning routine, and cap off your spring cleaning overhaul in fragrant style.
Nobody does it better than Floris; with the British brand infusing its rich-lather shower get will the iconic ‘No. 89’ scent. Creed, too, has chosen to formulate a bar of simple soap — but elevate it with the sweet-smelling ‘Creed’. Or, from Penhaligon’s, this ‘Endymion’ deodorant is practical and packed with aromas of coffee, bergamot and geranium.
Want more grooming advice? Here’s how to work out the best beard style for your face shape…
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