How to Choose the Right Men’s Grooming Products
When you’re thinking about using a new product, how do you decide which one to pick? It can be overwhelming with thousands of options, all claiming to be the best. But of course, they can’t all be the best.
So how do you weed through the masses and find the platinum-level product that’s going to do exactly what you need it to?
You might walk through the aisles of a drug store, but that’s just a bit too limiting, and somehow overwhelming at the same time.
You may google it, but that will give you about 145,000,000 results, no really, that’s the number of results when you google “men’s grooming products.” This may lead you to google “best men’s face moisturizer” or “best shaving cream” and go with one of the first links, and then choose one of the top three on the first list. Don’t do that! Why would you want to pick a product based on how much money the company spent on advertising?
Another question is what exactly do you need? Do you need a moisturizer and a pre-shave oil, or just one? What kind of conditioner do you need? Basically, it’s lots of questions and options and frankly, you just want to have the right product in hand and move on. So let’s break it down, simplifying the process, so you can confidently choose the right products for you.
Identify the Problem
Maybe your hair is oily, or your forehead is peeling. Whatever it is, pinpoint the problem. Once you know the problem, you’ll know exactly which type of product you need. If it’s dry skin, you need a good moisturizer. If you have razor burn, you may need a pre-shave oil and a new razor.
Identifying the type of product you need is half the battle, now you can conquer the next part.
Four Things to Look For
Let’s continue with the guy who has dry skin and has deemed a good face moisturizer the solution. it’s time decide what he’s looking for in a face lotion. I’ll make it easier and tell you what’s important to look for in any grooming product you’re looking for. Quality ingredients, good reviews, compatibility with your specific issue, and pleasant smell and texture. Now for the breakdown.
#1: Quality Ingredients
Looking for quality ingredients in your grooming products is important simply because whatever goes on your skin, enters your body. Your skin is your largest organ, so doesn’t it follow that you should care about what you put on it?
I know it’s one more thing to have to think about, but once you pick the right products with quality ingredients, you won’t have to think about it again. Do it once, and do it right.
How do you know there are quality ingredients in product? Well, usually if a product or line of products uses good quality ingredients, they do two things: boast about the good ingredients they use, and boasts about the ingredients they don’t use.
Keep an eye out for those two things and you’ll start seeing it everywhere. When a product doesn’t do at least one of those two things you know you’re getting something comprised of chemicals and filler ingredients.
#2: Good Reviews
Another aspect of choosing a grooming product, in this case, face moisturizer, is finding one with good reviews. Whether you’re buying online or in a store, it’s important to take the time to read reviews on Amazon, Google, or the product’s website itself. Keep in mind that reviews on the product’s website may be skewed so going with Amazon or Google is probably a safer bet.
Just be sure you don’t go with the product with the highest number of reviews; just because it’s popular, that doesn’t mean it’s good. Also, be sure to read a couple of the negative reviews. If they seem to be issues with the one product that person got, ignore it. However, if it seems like all the negative reviews are about how the product actually works, take notice.
#3: Compatibility
Let’s look at the compatibility of the product with your specific issue. It sounds complicated, but it boils down to asking yourself one question: Based on the information I have about this product, will it work for the problem I’m trying to solve?
So, for the face moisturizer we’re on the hunt for, if we find one with quality products and good reviews, it’s time to see if this moisturizer will work for you. If it’s marketed for people with dry skin, and your skin has just been dry for the winter, maybe this isn’t the best one. If it’s marketed for those with sensitive skin, and your skin isn’t all that sensitive, it may not be a heavy enough formula to work for you. Focus on how the product is being marketed, this will tell you what you need to know.
#4: Smell and Texture
To learn about the product’s smell and texture, look for that information in three places: the product packaging, reviews, and your senses. The package usually mentions a scent, or the fact that product is unscented. So whatever you’re looking for, make sure to read with enough detail to get that information. You don’t want to end up with a raspberry-scented moisturizer if you absolutely hate raspberries.
Reviewers will usually mention smell or texture only if they love it, or hate it. If it’s just pleasant, or unmemorable, it won’t be mentioned. So, if you don’t see it mentioned, that’s probably a good thing. If you do see it mentioned positively, even better! If you see smell or texture mentioned negatively, keep that information in perspective. Each person’s senses are very different; an annoying smell or texture to one person may be perfectly fine for someone else.
This leads to the best source, your own senses. If you can sample a product from a friend or at a store, that’s great. But you have so many more choices online, so just buy what you think you’ll like! Most companies have some sort of guarantee and will refund or replace the product if you’re not satisfied.
Now is the Time to Make a Great Purchase
After going through that process, it’s time to pick a moisturizer. You’ve identified that a face moisturizer is definitely what you need and researched the above criteria and you’re down to a few products. Just pick one! You found one with good reviews, quality products, a seemingly pleasant smell, and it’s definitely going to work for your specific moisturizing-needs, so buy it.
You’ve done enough leg-work that you’re well-versed in what you’re looking for; it’s time to trust your instincts. While you’re looking at them, one of them will just seem like the right choice, so go with that one. It’s easy to be paralyzed by too many choices, but you’ve already whittled the list down. You’ve done the hard work, so trust that you’ve done the work well.
Whether you’re carrying it to the checkout line or clicking the “Look Good Now,” button on our site, do it with confidence. Who knows, you may just end up with your new favorite product.