Important Grooming Tips for Athletes

Strength and speed are critical in sports, but you should also consider your appearance. Hair, skin and nails go a long way in determining your comfort and confidence, so grooming isn’t something to take lightly. How can you look, smell and feel your best before and after workouts?

What Grooming Tips Should Athletes Know?

Caring for your body before and after workouts is key. Incorporate these grooming tips daily to improve your hygiene, whether you’re heading to work or a date after working out.

Try Cold Showers

The thought of cold showers can be intimidating. I’ll admit that I wasn’t a fan, but I’ve become accustomed to chilly water. I can’t go back because now I embrace it.

Why do people take cold showers? Research has demonstrated the benefits of sitting under a cool waterfall in your bathtub. A 2022 report shows cold water exposure can aid your immune system by producing T-cells and antibodies. Your immune system will thank you even if the cold water initially feels too much to handle.

Athletes benefit from cold showers because they help muscles after a workout. Soreness is commonplace after physical activity, so immersing yourself in cool water constricts your blood vessels and mitigates swelling.

The benefits sound great, but acclimating yourself to cold showers is challenging. Make the transition easier by gradually lowering the water temperature with each bath. This strategy was more sustainable for me than quitting hot showers cold turkey.

Wear Good Deodorant

Working up a sweat is the goal of your workouts. However, body odor is an unfortunate side effect of exercise. Your skin starts to smell bad when bacteria mix with the salt and water from your sweat. Various medical conditions — such as overactive thyroid or kidney disease — can exaggerate and worsen the scent.

The athlete’s solution for body odor is a powerful deodorant or antiperspirant. These products are essential if you exercise outside in the summer. Antiperspirants wield aluminum salts to reduce the amount of sweat coming from your underarms. While it won’t stop the smell completely, you’ll feel more confident that those around you can’t detect it. I always keep antiperspirant and deodorant on hand. Exercising before work necessitates this grooming routine for me.

Consider Your Sport

Body hair is a crucial detail for athletes and comes with differing opinions. Some guys prefer a clean-shaven face and well-groomed hair, whereas others don’t mind flowing locks and a Viking beard. Preference is critical here, but you should consider your sport when trimming your hair.

For instance, swimmers often remain clean-shaven to improve performance in the water. Michael Phelps and other elite swimmers have meticulously shaved to become more hydrodynamic, akin to marine life. Shaving hair can improve your lap times because you’re reducing drag.

Safety is also a consideration when it comes to dangerous contact sports. The CPSC reports that American football leads to almost 400,000 serious injuries each year due to its physicality. While beards are common among athletes, most elect to keep them carefully groomed to avoid having them caught or pulled in a tackle. Some sports teams, most notably the New York Yankees, have gone as far as to have strict rules about their players’ facial hair.

Develop a Routine

Regardless of your preferences, a routine is vital to keeping your appearance sharp. Find time in the morning, afternoon, or evening to shave or trim your hair. Maintaining your hygiene will make you feel more confident in your workouts and during the rest of your day. Creating and sticking to a schedule has benefits that extend to your mental health. Experts say effective routines help your stress and anxiety levels and improve your well-being.

Many swimmers prioritize pool time at least 1-3 times weekly. Lap times are typically better when shaving body hair, making swimmers up to two percent more aerodynamic. Shaving before swimming has also been shown to increase skin sensitivity and help prevent friction resulting in chafed thighs.

Care for Your Beard

Beards have a long history of male confidence. Research shows our ancestors associated facial hair with strength, attractiveness and health. If you have a beard, don’t take it for granted because physical activity can affect it. For example, friction from a helmet can cause ingrown hairs and unwanted pain.

Your routine should include beard maintenance to help your comfort and athletic performance. Trim your beard before matches and practices to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your vision.

Shower and apply beard oil when your workout is over. My favorite has a soothing sandalwood smell and conditions and moisturizes my beard while keeping a well-groomed appearance.

What Lesser-Known Tips Do Some Guys Forget?

Beard care and antiperspirant may be obvious for hygiene. However, a holistic approach to your cleanliness is vital for comfort and performance. Here are some lesser-known areas guys forget to check.

Feet Washing

Most sports require shoes and socks to protect your feet and enhance athletic performance. One downside is your feet can get sweaty and risk infections — such as athlete’s foot — if you’re not careful. You could contract this infection from someone else, so thoroughly wash your feet and socks to care for your body. Athlete’s foot is more pressing if you share shoes or walk barefoot in the locker room, so be mindful of this infection.

Sunscreen Spots

Sunscreen isn’t only for beach days. This product is essential when you’re outside for long stretches, so get the SPF best for your skin. Remember to apply sunscreen behind your ears and other easy-to-miss areas because sunburn is the last thing you want. Athletes with photodamage may wrinkle and lose skin tone because of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Chafing

If you don’t skip leg day, you probably know what chafing feels like. Frequent movement can cause chafing and rashes after exercise, so use balm before your workout. This product is useful when running or cycling because you repeat the same leg movements.

Feeling Cool and Confident

Grooming is standard for job interviews, dates and weddings. However, body care also affects athletes and their performance. Maintaining proper hygiene can boost your confidence in the weight room and the workplace. Center your routine on what works for you and stick with it. Your body will appreciate it.

Posted on April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 by Jack Shaw

Signs That Your Beard Isn’t Getting the Care It Deserves

Men wear a beard for several reasons — one is to look masculine. While it makes you look manly and ruggedly handsome, maintaining facial hair requires intensive grooming, much like scalp hairs.

Are you noticing beard problems cropping up now and then? Do you see flakes or split ends? These are indications your fuzz needs extra loving and care. Here are prevalent signs your beard isn’t getting what it deserves.

Itchy and Red Skin

As your beard gets longer, it’s harder to reach the skin underneath when washing your face. What typically happens is instead of clearing away dirt, it gets trapped in the jaw and chin. Over time, oil combines with dirt and clog your pores. When hair follicles are blocked, it causes itchiness, redness, and sometimes acne.

Proper exfoliation can resolve this problem. It’s one healthy habit your beard will thank you for. Exfoliate your face fuzz like a boss in these four steps.

1. Wet your face with warm water.

2. Grab your go-to beard wash and create a lather.

3. Spread the shampoo to your mustache using a scrubber and gently brush the area.

4. Rinse and pat dry with a towel.

5. Apply beard oil or conditioner to hydrate the skin below.

Flakes or Dandruff

Men don’t get flakes on the scalp alone. The beard skin can also get dandruff, medically known as seborrheic dermatitis, leaving you feeling unhygienic. When yeast grows on the chin or jaw, the result is scaly and grainy skin.

Up to 40% of men experience beard dandruff. Proper beard care is vital to prevent this from happening. Otherwise, you’ll need to shave your beard away. Choosing a good shampoo is the easiest treatment method. Look for a variant with 1% ketoconazole, pyrithione zinc or selenium sulfide. These active ingredients have antifungal properties that kill and stop yeast growth on the skin.

Here’s how to achieve the best results by using antifungal shampoos.

1. While dry, apply enough shampoo to your beard. Ideally, do this a few minutes before showering.

2. Massage the shampoo thoroughly, making sure it reaches the skin. Use a beard scrubber if necessary.

3. Rinse it thoroughly. Ensure no residue is left on the skin. You can reapply the shampoo on wet skin if you want.

Dry and Brittle Hair

One of the signs of poor beard care is dry, brittle facial hair. Looking at them is as uncomfortable as having them. You can sometimes solve it by switching to another brand of beard wash, as your current product could be drying the hairs out or irritating the skin.

In other instances, dry and brittle hair can be caused by dehydration, overswimming and extreme weather.

Not drinking enough fluids can affect the skin under your facial hair. Meanwhile, pools and salt water have chlorine and salt drying to the hair. Lastly, extremely hot or cold weather makes your beard vulnerable to damage. Here are some solutions to this problem.

1. Swap to a different beard wash or shampoo. Consult a dermatologist if you need help picking out the right brands.

2. If swimming, coat a layer of beard oil first to protect your fuzz from harmful chemicals. When you leave the pool, wash and condition it by applying an oil or a balm.

3. If you live in an area with harsh weather conditions, moisturize your mustache frequently. Choose absorbent products so it doesn’t leave a sticky feeling.

Hair Loss and Patchy Beard

A patchy beard is most likely due to alopecia barbae — a condition related to alopecia areata — characterized by hair loss. In such a case, the immune system sees hair follicles as foreign objects needed to get rid of. As it attacks, the damage results in signs of hair loss, including patchiness, thinning and loosening of follicles.

Alopecia barbae is an auto-immune disorder with no cure but is treatable through medications and other means.

Corticosteroids are immune system suppressors injected or applied topically to the bald spot. You may see effects within one to two months after treatment.

Minoxidil is a topical cream used to treat baldness. It encourages hair growth.

Beard care is essential during treatment as these products can make your hair feel greasy. Blot your fuzz with a dry paper towel and use a gentle beard wash to combat this.

Split Ends

Split ends are a disheartening sight on your face after following the best beard care advice on the internet. Facial hair split ends make your beard look unkempt, dry and coarse.

The sebum produced by the sebaceous gland coats facial hair to retain moisture. Since the skin only secretes a limited amount, nourishing the beard is harder after it gets past a certain length. The ends can become dry and brittle, eventually followed by split ends.

Apart from this natural cause, using low-quality and harsh beard products and improper grooming habits can cause the problem. Unfortunately, split ends are not repairable. The only way to get rid of them is by trimming the broken hairs.

Prevention is key to side-step split-end problems. Here are some tips:

1. Use a gentle beard wash that doesn’t strip natural oil.

2. Moisturize it with beard oil or balm.

3. Brush your beard to maintain its shine.

4. Eat a balanced diet.

Positive Lifestyle for a Healthier Beard

The growth of facial hair is influenced by testosterone, a hormone dominant in men. If the body has less of it, the beard grows poorly.

A healthy lifestyle can help maintain an equilibrium in the body’s hormonal levels. Here are some tips.

Diet: Good nutrition, including lean protein and zinc- and iron-dense food sources, like liver and nuts, can contribute to a healthy and fuller beard.
Exercise: Physical activities promote blood flow, stimulating hair follicles.
Sleep: The body produces testosterone mainly during sleep. Interrupted rest may disturb the process.
Supplements: If you’re not getting adequate nutrients from food to support beard growth, talk to your doctor about oral supplementations.
Regulate stress: High cortisol levels are a sign of hormonal imbalance that can affect your beard.

Effective Beard Care Combines Grooming Habits and Lifestyle

Your beard requires proper grooming to look its best. It means spending a few more minutes in the bathroom to apply oil and balm to nourish it. Be wise in choosing your beard products. It’s safer to pick brands with gentle and natural ingredients as they generally suit various skin types. Ask a dermatologist or beard expert if you need guidance in selecting the best items.

A positive lifestyle also affects its appearance. Exercising, getting enough shut-eye and eating nutritious foods can help maintain its glory naturally.

Posted on September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 by Jack Shaw

To beard or not to beard, that is the question.

Thinking about letting your facial hair grow wild? Let us break it down for you…

There’s one question that has plagued men since time immemorial: Are beards the best, or is a clean shave the way to go? Throughout the history of civilization, beards have gone in and out of style dozens of times. These days, men can choose their facial hair styles freely, but this freedom comes with a cost; as a modern man, you are burdened with the responsibility of deciding between shaving cream and beard oil whenever you shop for grooming goods online. In this guide, we’ll answer all your questions about beards, and we’ll help you make the hard decision between a smooth, clean shave and a beautiful beard dripping with beard oil.

Do Women Like the scruff?

Let’s face it, guys: Most of the things we do, we do to impress members of the opposite sex. Whether we’re looking for girlfriends or trying to show our wives that we’ve got what it takes, we’re constantly on the lookout for new techniques to impress women with our rugged manliness.

However, do women like beards, or do they prefer the smoothness that comes after a meticulous wet shave? According to Psychology Today, the answer to this question is anything but simple. It seems that women prefer men with light stubble as long-term partners, but they view men with long beards as the most aggressive and socially mature. What’s more, women think that men with short facial hair are the most dominant.

The good news for men who like a nice wet shave or who have stocked up on a lifetime supply of shaving cream is that you have to shave relatively frequently to get the stubble that women desire in sexual partners. While women might not give you the time of day for the first 24 hours or so after you shave, once your clean shave wears off and your stubble sets in, the time will be right to hit the club or flex at the gym.

If you’re looking for a long-term relationship or you’re trying to show the mother of your children that you’re an epic provider, however, you might want to ditch the shaving cream temporarily and invest heavily in beard oil. The research is clear that women see men with full facial hair as being more aggressive, dominant, and mature, and your committed partner might even lose respect for you if you say goodbye to beards and end it all with a luxurious wet shave.

While the allure of a clean shave might fit in well in a boardroom or a job interview, beards are the way to go if you want to hit it off with the ladies. Just don’t forget to keep some shaving cream on hand in case the science on this subject ever changes.

Long Beards vs. Neatly Trimmed Beards

Modern life can be hectic, and it can seem like you don’t have enough time for a wet shave every morning. Beards can look great in professional environments, but just make sure that you don’t overdo it.

No employer likes scraggly beards. This doesn’t mean that you should try to have a clean shave every time you show up for work, but you also shouldn’t let your facial hair run amok. In certain industries, long beards might be perfectly acceptable, but you should keep your facial hair well-trimmed no matter how long it gets.

There’s nothing worse than being forced to give yourself a wet shave after you suddenly learn your employer doesn’t like beards. If you like your beard, take care of it, or you might have to make a choice between a clean shave and losing your job sooner than you think.

Can You Have the Best of Both Worlds?

Please, we beg you: Don’t go for the neckbeard! Anything else, however, is fair game. Who said that you have to grow a long, scraggly beard? As long as you have a razor, there are a million and one different ways that you can creatively rock your facial hair.

Just because you have a beard doesn’t mean you have to abandon the luxury of a wet shave entirely. In fact, many men keep their beards in check by applying shaving cream to the areas around their necks and shaving every other day or so. Beards with clearly defined perimeters look more professional, and you can also use a straight razor or a safety razor to explore your facial hair possibilities to your heart’s content.

Employers might like cleaner beards better than wild beards, and the ladies will appreciate the contrast between the ruggedness of your beard and its manicured edges. Just don’t get too creative; complicated mixes of facial hair and cleanly shaved skin look downright weird, and they’re hard to maintain day in and day out.

A World of Stylish Beards to Choose From

Every man should go down the bearded route at some point in his life. The question is, should you stop shaving now and let your beard go wild? As you debate the pros and cons of being bearded, consider some of the best beard styles that celebrities rock without a care in the world.

The ZZ Top/Duck Dynasty Jungle
These men know how to grow some serious facial hair! If you’ve ever been to a ZZ Top concert or watched an episode of Duck Dynasty, you probably stared in amazement at the waterfall of facial hair cascading off these famous celebrity faces. Not everyone can grow a beard like Dusty Hill or Phil Robertson, but if you can, you might as well flaunt it.
The Mel Gibson Jehovah
If it’s always been your dream to look like a biblical figure, you could learn a thing or two from Mel Gibson. This famous Hollywood actor and director has been cultivating his facial hair for decades now, and he so fully looks the part that it would only be natural to see Mel rolling in on a thundercloud shooting bolts of lightning from his fingertips. The Mel Gibson beard is anything but tame, but it’s polished enough to look right at home in a board room or a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The Chris Hemsworth Stubble
Remember what we said about women and stubble? Actor Chris Hemsworth pulls off this effect perfectly. While you’ll sometimes see Chris clean-shaven, he ditches the shaving cream just as frequently and lets a short beard grow out. If you want to remain popular with the opposite sex, just remember to give yourself a wet shave every week or so to keep things from getting out of hand.
The LeBron James Masterpiece
If you don’t mind taking half an hour out of your day to sculpt your face every day of the week, you might want to emulate the look that LeBron James has been perfecting. While he never lets his beard get much longer than thick stubble, he expertly deploys a clean shave around his mouth to disrupt the overpowering look that so many beards end up having.
The Daniel Radcliffe Lounge
This former Harry Potter lead proves that you can do a lot with very little. While the density of Radcliffe’s facial hair is nothing to write home about, his refusal to keep up with a daily wet shave has resulted in a thin layer of hair covering his upper lip and chin. Even if you can’t grow a full Mel Gibson beard, you can take a page from Daniel’s book and rock a short beard that will make you look as rugged and manly as possible.

Nobody Likes a Dirty Beard

There’s a very simple reason many men end up avoiding beards altogether. The longer your facial hair becomes, the harder it is to maintain, and there’s nothing more embarrassing than a dirty beard. While beard oil keeps the skin under your beard healthy and makes sure that your facial hair stays nice and soft, applying this oil every day doesn’t do much to keep your beard clean.

If you want to make sure that your beard doesn’t get too dirty, you’ll need to wash it every day. Even though your facial hair is different from the hair on your head, you should use a beard wash and you may also want to bring a beard comb into the shower with you to make sure that you get all the accumulated gunk out of your facial hair.

Men with beards understand that having rugged facial hair requires constant vigilance. You have to be extra careful when you eat, and even spilled drinks can ruin the masculine appeal of your beard and drag strange smells with you wherever you go. Nonetheless, sporting an immaculately maintained beard is much more mainstream than it used to be, and as long as you can grow enough facial hair, the sky is the limit in terms of the epic beard styles you can try out.

Posted on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 by Sean Mason — 1 Comment

What Makes a Good Shaving Set?

What Makes A Good Shaving Set?

Each morning, millions of men from around the world wake up, take a razor blade and use it to shave themselves before starting the day. The fine art of shaving used to be a laborious but very manly ritual that extended from generation to generation. However, this wet shaving event has lost some quality and enjoyment due to the proliferation of poor quality shaving cream, cheap razors, razor burn and the pace of our society.

The importance and enjoyment of shaving is not lost though. In fact, shaving is back on track and is more popular than ever with funny commercials from shaving subscription companies who promise you shaves as cheap as dollars a month.

The shaving process is something that should be enjoyed and all you need is a few quality minutes to get a good shave in the morning. This is really possible with an excellent shaving set which includes all the shaving essentials you need.

What Should A Good Shaving Set Comprise Of?

At this point, you are probably asking yourself what a good shaving set is comprised of right? The main ingredient in a good shaving set is the one that makes it all happen, the razor. Wet shaving razors are made for different shaving experiences and if it is your first time, then you may want to try a few to find one that’s perfect for you. You can get a close wet shave experience with some of the razor choices available which are Straight, Safe, Fusion or Mach3 blades.

Next comes the shaving brush. A good brush for shaving should have water retentive features, excellent lathering capabilities and should be soft to the touch. You’ll have many choices here like synthetic and natural brushes with different hair types. For example, badger brushes have different hair applications such as the SilverTip Badger, Super, Best and Pure to both stand up and provide the closest shave since your hair follicles are ready to be cut.

Pre-shave solutions are essential to prepare the skin for cutting facial hair. This will depend more on a man’s skin type than anything else. So if you have sensitive skin, you’ll want pre-shave products like oils, creams or lotions that will make it infinitely easier to get a close and irritation free shave.

A shaving cream or soap is what you’ll lather your face with before putting the razor to skin. When the manly deed is done, employ an aftershave oil for a soothing finish. Like pre-shave products, the aftershave you get depends on your skin type and preference.

A Safe and Chemical-Free Shaving Set

A shaving set that is free from harmful chemicals is definitely what you need to look for. Check the ingredients of a shaving product you’re interested in before buying it. You can do so by contacting us before your purchase. Is it Triethanolamine, Parfum and Phthalates free? You’ll need some answers to your questions to make sure the shaving set you are looking to purchase is right for you.

As mentioned, there is a way to get all your shaving set essentials safe and free from harmful chemicals. A good shaving experience is modified and actually enjoyable when you take the time for it and use only natural ingredients. What’s great is that OriginalShaveCompany.com provides a wide variety of shaving products that you can bundle together for a special shaving experience. You can save time, money and get everything you need at the quality you can expect from us. Our mission is to bring back the high art of the ultimate shave for each and every man.

Posted on April 8, 2016October 23, 2017 by Sean Mason