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The Manual Selects: Our Favorite Grooming Products This 2021

Great grooming takes work. That’s why The Manual team tests and vets countless soaps, moisturizers, colognes, and more to find the best personal care products for men, so you don’t have to. Every month, our writers highlight some of their favorites. Read on to learn more.

Aesop Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator

Aesop Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“As someone who has sensitive skin, I love using Aesop’s gentle moisturizer, which is low on irritating ingredients, reduces redness, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed.” — Ty Gaskins

Buy at Aesop

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The Ordinary AHA and BHA Peeling Solution

The Ordinary AHA and BHA Peeling Solution
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“Since we can’t see our aestheticians, this is the perfect 10-minute exfoliating facial for my at-home treatments.” — James Love II

Buy at Ulta

John Masters Organics Calendula Hydrating and Toning Mask

John Masters Organics Calendula Hydrating and Toning Mask
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“The first product to ever make my husband say, unprompted, ‘Your skin looks amazing. What did you just do?’” — Chelsea Batten

Buy at John Masters Organics

RE:P Organic Cotton Treatment Toning Pad

REP Organic Toning Pad
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“After cleansing, I use these toner pads from Korean skincare brand Re:p, and they leave my skin feeling very refreshed; almost like I’ve just had a facial.” — John Jones

Buy at Ulta

Osea Malibu Blemish Balm

Osea Malibu Blemish Balm
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“Banish all thoughts of nostril-burning, tacky-feeling, dermis-drying blemish cream. Osea’s version is like an acne stealth operative, blending unnoticed into your skin and making pimples subtly disappear.” — Chelsea Batten

Buy at Osea

Oribe Signature Conditioner

Oribe Signature Conditioner
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“Pre-quarantine, one of the many reasons I loved going to Barry’s Bootcamp classes was so I could use their Oribe products. This conditioner is one of my favorites.” — Vanessa Powell

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Kiehl’s Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum

Kiehl's Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum
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“Kiehl’s just launched a serum that lives up its name. I’ve been using it for the past few weeks, and I’ve already noticed my skin’s texture improve.” — Christian Gollayan

Buy at Kiehl’s

Hellen NYC Bath Brew

Hellen NYC Bath Brew
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Each of these bath formulas uses a proprietary combination of premium-grade salts, oils, flowers, and even semiprecious stones to help clear energy blocks and strengthen your inner being. If you like your grooming rituals with a side of woo-woo, you need this right now.” — Chelsea Batten

Buy at Hellen NYC

Dior Homme Eau de Toilette

Dior Homme Eau de Toilette
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“I’m obsessed with Dior Homme’s latest fragrance, which smells like a luxurious cabin. A great father’s day gift.” — Christian Gollayan

Buy at Sephora

Cetaphil Pro Oil Removing Foam Wash

Cetaphil Pro Oil Removing Foam Wash
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“This cleanser is perfect for oil-prone skin like mine. The foam also adds some fun to my skincare routine.” — James Love II

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Seen Shampoo

SEEN Shampoo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Shampoos and conditioners can be really irritating for guys with sensitive skin, which is why I’ve been really loving this haircare line by Seen, which was developed by dermatologists. This shampoo doesn’t clog your pores, and is made with natural ingredients.” — Christian Gollayan

Buy at Seen

The Manual Staff
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The Manual is simple – Showing men how to live a life that is more engaged. Whether it be fashion, food, drink, travel… Read Full Bio
How The Beard Club Helped Me Grow a Beard
John Jones after beard growth

I was a failure … the facial hair equivalent of a 90-pound weakling. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t grow a beard; it was more that whatever facial hair I did grow felt like a Velcroed-on Brillo pad: super uncomfortable and leaving my skin itchy and broken out. As Movember and No-Shave November came and went, I made two separate attempts at beard growth … each ending with a sprint into the bathroom when I could stand it no more, trimmer in hand, welcoming back the clean-shaven face I know so well. It wasn’t the first time I’d given up on hirsute happiness. 

When December rolled around, I decided to pay attention to an email I’d gotten for something called The Beard Club, a subscription service for beard care products. The Club’s premise was “helping first-timers as well as seasoned hirsute gentleman to up their grooming game.” I couldn’t resist and threw down the gauntlet. Could they help even me? After all, the site’s tag line is “Don’t Grow it Alone.”

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The best-selling colognes for men (because some things are popular for a reason)
mens cologne on black satin

The way you smell is the message you send before you even open your mouth or shake a hand. When someone meets you for the first time, your style can give them a great first impression from a distance. But then your cologne will be the storyteller up close. Smelling good is one of the main points of men’s grooming. Soaps, shampoos, lotions, all fragrant and elevating your attractiveness, and ultimately, your memorability.

That is why popular men’s colognes become, well, popular. These are the scents that stand the test of time. The ones that linger on your shirt when you leave, and your girl wears it to bed. The kind that stays around in the office (subtly, not drifting throughout the office because you take a bath in it) after you have gone. And the kind that sparks memories of great dates in the past when she smells it on you before leaving the house. Of course, the best of the best sell like the best of the best. And these are the colognes that sell better than any other year in and year out.

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The Manual’s Grooming Awards Are Open for Submissions
Head, Person, Face

For eight years, The Manual’s Grooming Awards have done one thing: told readers which products actually work. Not which ones arrived in the nicest box, not which brand bought the most media. Which ones survived months of daily use on our own faces, in our own showers, and were still worth reaching for at the end.

This year, we’re opening the awards to submissions.

Read more