“My grooming essentials are simple: a good night’s sleep, clean teeth and a well-maintained appearance.”

“For me, a consistent skincare routine is non-negotiable. A fresh breath and a bright smile always stand out.”

“My number one must-have grooming product is lip balm. It not only provides moisture, but also offers versatility.”

“When it comes to grooming, my top essentials are all about quality. A great fragrance and effective skincare.”

With highly purified lanolin, vitamin E and beeswax, this quick-app balm is a proven antidote for cracked and chapped lips. You can also slather on a thin layer on parched patches of skin to resuscitate these problem spots (yep, even if your skin has hit Sahara Desert status).

This serum is like hitting the weights room for your outer layer. Each drop (aka rep) contains biomimetic peptides, antioxidants and squalane to fortify barrier defenses. “Oh my goodness! The texture, the feel, the way it melts into the skin – I’m obsessed,” said one tester. “It leaves my face feeling hydrated, strong and deeply nourished. A must-have in my routine.”

Late nights are the name of the game whether you’re putting in long shifts at work or longer hours at the gym. This silky-soft eye cream helps give the lymphatic drainage around your eyes a gentle nudge to reduce puffiness and firm up contours. It’s super effective at taking the edge off bags and circles, raved our testers.

With its trifecta of potent ingredients – asiatic, lactic and mandelic acids – that tighten skin, lighten pigmentation and firm up your outer layer to rewind the clock, you’ll quickly see why it’s been nicknamed “facelift in a jar”. “Luxe”, “glow up” and “new go-to” were just some of the terms thrown around by our panel. Just be sure to introduce this gradually.

Cleansing is a crucial part of any grooming routine. It removes dirt, oil and dead skin cells to prevent acne, clogged pores and gloomy dullness. This soap-free, foaming cleanser was a top dog in our tests, achieving all of the above without stripping away natural moisture. “I absolutely love how gentle this foaming cleanser is,” said one tester. “It leaves my skin feeling incredibly smooth and refreshed after every use.”

Salicylic acid has been a gamechanger in the skincare world. It exfoliates, penetrates deep into pores to dissolve excess oil, plus packs anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The result: reduced appearance of blackheads, pores and blemishes for clear skin that doesn’t buckle under pressure. Our testers loved this one, highlighting its breakout-busting perks.

After you’ve reset your skin with a cleanser, buff it up with a few drops of this turbo tonic. It’s suitable for dry, oily, sensitive and combination skin – and addresses everything from pH imbalances, harmful bacteria and sluggish immune cell activity. The special ingredient: peptides. These act as building blocks for collagen and oestrogen, improving elasticity and firmness.

Formulated with 16 powerful African botanicals, oils and active ingredients, strike rich with this tuned-for-renewal salve that boosts skin regeneration, hydrates deeper and improves texture. Oils tend to lock in moisture for longer while balancing your natural sebum production.

This’ll keep your skin hydrated while putting a buffer between ‘U’ and the UV. Baobab and aloe vera make this a soothing salve to smear on after your morning shave.

Boasting ultra-broad spectrum daily sun protection, the star of the show here is its velvety, melting texture that absorbs easily in your skin for up to eight hours. It’s fragrance-free, too, so won’t clash with your carefully selected cologne.

Smooth out blemishes with this fast-acting spray that’ll root out problem areas in, even, the most hard-to-reach spots. It unclogs pores – ensuring you aren’t sporting an unsightly back pimple as beach season hits its stride. Exfoliating salicylic acid removes dead skin cells, while soothing Moroccan argan oil, witch hazel and tea tree oil reduce redness and balance oiliness. Works magic as a post-workout full-body refresh.

This has been a go-to for guys struggling with extremely dry skin for a while. As a gel, it’s even more effective than its creamy counterparts, remaining 100% active to ensure those dehydrated swathes – shoulders, elbows, knees and, um, toes – are quickly dealt with.

This vitamin is a miracle worker when it comes to your skin, boosting collagen production, protecting it against pollutants and reducing hyperpigmentation. This BodyLab oil was a favourite among our testers. “It locks in moisture for hours,” said one tester. They recommend pairing it with BodyLab’s body lotion for an all-in-one solution that’ll help you save major space in your dopp bag.

Made up of 97% natural ingredients, this body moisturiser contains handcrafted shea butter from Ghana and organic babassu oil from Brazil. “It left my skin feeling way softer,” noted one tester. “And that effect didn’t flinch through everything – from my 9-to-5, late night jog and last-minute errands.”

There’s a dark side to manscaping – ingrown hairs. These painful eyesores are caused by follicles that change course and grow back into the skin. Thankfully, WAXIT’s formula frontloads the African botanicals to help reduce the inflammation, scarring and bruising that usually marks ground zero for cursed hairs. “Calms and treats bumps incredibly well,” says one tester. “It reduces redness fast and smoothes skin, too.”

A blend of five beneficial oils – avocado, vitamin E, evening primrose oil (to name a few) – this is your all-purpose toolkit to fix dry patches and uneven skin tone. In other words, you’ll definitely notice the results.

Dry, itchy and uncomfortable skin kills the vibes – period! This lotion is suitable for all skin types and helps restore the skin barrier to minimise these pesky symptoms. “This takes the crown,” said our tester. “The scent, the texture and the instant moisture – everything about it screams luxury. I started seeing visible results within just seven days.”

Shore off the day’s dirt with this wash made up of plant-based ingredients that cleanse, hydrate and soften your skin. It’s also free of parabens, dyes, artificial scents and sulphates – so, you won’t have to worry about any unexpected allergic reactions turning your scrub downs into flare-ups.

Lathers up into a more mileage foam, this tried-and-tested soap is not only gentle on your skin, but has been enriched with glycerin and natural oils to keep your outer layer feeling smooth. It’s been dermatologically tested, too, and – in certain circles – is a go-to facewash thanks to its unrivalled skin-friendly properties.

Boasting 72-hour odour-fighting prowess, this stayed strong through workouts and worklife alike. The water-based formula goes invisible as it hits your skin.

This one packs a clean scent and serves up 48-hour of funk-busting freshness – keeping you confident from the first spray until COB and beyond. Dermatologically approved, by the way.

This sulphate-free conditioner is designed to revitalise the scalp and strengthen strands. Our tester noticed an instant improvement as the rinse’s formula of camphor crystals, bergamot and black pepper jump-started their scalp. “I have fine hair, but this conditioner didn’t weigh it down,” they added.

Achieve a strong hold even over the wildest strands without a shiny finish. Best part: it’s easy to reapply and rework throughout the day, giving you the power to mould your doo anywhere at any time.

Two-in-one solutions tend to do neither particularly well. But this body-wash-slash-shampoo was a pleasant surprise. Our testers noted it cleansed their hair diligently without leaving behind any residue.

Healthy hair starts with a flourishing scalp, and this serum addresses your hair concerns at the roots. Crammed with natural ingredients, it provides instant relief from itching while promoting healthy growth. Our tester described it as “a breath of fresh air”.

Enriched with black carbon, this doesn’t just cleanse your skin but your mo’, too. Work the anti-bacterial formula into your beard to help maintain moisture balance and protect your skin against the excess sweat and bacteria that tends to build up around your facial strands.

“A must-have for all bearded men,” raved our tester. “A great consistency and consistent application throughout the beard – it delivers glowing facial hair all day long.” Drip two to three drops onto the palm of your hand, rub your hands together to get the elixir warm and massage your beard hairs from root to tip.

The brand is synonymous with getting a clean shave, and this is probably our favourite in their entire range. Sporting SkinGuard tech to minimise irritation, two lubricating strips enable smooth gliding.

We made sure to give this one to a tester who truly loathes shaving. They’ve come back a changed man. The aloe-rich gel softens and cushions to-be-tamed terrain to make every swipe through your mow feel effortless.