A clean affair: men's routines for the bathroom

Hello, spring! The days are getting longer, the padded jackets are being put away in the wardrobe, and we’re getting a real adrenaline boost from the first warm rays of sunshine. Many people are using this energy to leave the grey winter behind them – both physically and mentally – and to kick off the new season in style with some fresh routines. One area we definitely shouldn’t forget is the bathroom – after all, it plays a central role in our well-being. Do men spend only a fraction of the time in the bathroom compared to women? That’s not quite true (anymore), as this survey shows: Although women still spend more time in the bathroom on average, men are only there for around three minutes less. Men spend 24.6 minutes in the bathroom, not just to attend to their basic needs, but also to perfect their look. We’ll tell you which must-haves you shouldn’t be without in your bathroom!

Everything you need for wet shaving in your own bathroom

Whether you use a straight razor, a handy cartridge razor or an eco-friendly safety razor – wet shaving allows you to create a wide variety of beard styles, tidy up your contours and even shave off a full beard. But you won’t get very far with just a razor, a blade and a leather strop for sharpening. To make wet shaving as gentle as possible, a few grooming products are essential for this stylish procedure. “For the past year, we’ve been using our new pre-shave oil in the salons, which perfectly prepares the skin and beard for shaving,” explains master barber Anthony. It cools the skin, forms a protective layer and, at the same time, ensures that the hairs stand on end, allowing them to be removed as close to the skin as possible. This preparation is perfectly rounded off with freshly whipped shaving foam, which softens the hair and thus cushions the irritating effect of the razor blade. A shaving mug and a wooden-handled shaving brush are ideal for a stylish preparation – and as an eye-catcher in the bathroom. After shaving, the skin pores should be closed with cold water and the skin patted dry with a fresh towel. A nourishing, alcohol-free aftershave moisturises the shaved area and ensures that regrowing beard hairs do not get caught in a flaky patch of skin, which can lead to rashes. “As a rule, a pea-sized amount of aftershave is sufficient,” says Behar, head of the HafenCity salon. With high-quality oils from argan fruit, eucalyptus leaves, lavender blossoms and tea tree plants, the Eric:Barbier aftershave also helps to relieve skin tension.

The full beard’s best friend

If you have a full beard, you can keep it in shape regularly with a trimmer. You should stick to the “template” that the barber shaved during your last salon visit. Beard expert Behar recommends “starting with the trimmer’s highest setting and slowly working your way down to the right length.” However, it’s not that easy to replicate the transitions exactly as they do at Eric:Barbier salons. “For round face shapes, for example, we cut the beard shorter at the sides than at the chin to make it look longer,” explains Behar. Don’t forget to adjust the moustache: a line about one millimetre wide along the upper lip helps prevent stray hairs in the mouth area. But how do you find the right beard trimmer? “Models with fine-toothed comb attachments are very efficient. Thanks to the smaller gaps between the teeth, the hairs don’t bend away but are cut cleanly. It’s like a fine-toothed comb, which catches far more hairs at once than wider versions,” says Behar. To achieve different looks, trimmers with various attachments or those with infinitely adjustable settings are also ideal.

Everything you need for beard care at home

Once your beard is back in shape, proper care is essential to ensure you can enjoy it for a long time. After all, nothing is more annoying than dull hair or a musty-smelling beard. A special beard shampoo helps here. Unlike products for the hair on your head, it has been specially developed for thicker beard hair and removes bacteria, dirt and styling residue. Behar recommends using it every two to three days to thoroughly cleanse the beard and provide sufficient moisture. Moisture is a good keyword when it comes to beard oil. This arguably best-known grooming product is a must-have in any bathroom; after all, it provides both skin and hair with essential nutrients and prevents them from drying out. “Compared to other manufacturers, it’s immediately noticeable that our beard oil has a slightly creamy consistency due to its composition. To achieve this effect, many use glycerine, which dries out the skin in the long term – we deliberately avoid this,” says Anthony. The beard oil is best applied thoroughly and deeply using your hands and a beard brush.

Men’s grooming

Whether you’re a “hot bather” or an “ice diver” – in the shower, it’s the inner qualities of the care products that count. For men with sensitive scalps, Anthony recommends Eric:Barbier’s lavender shampoo, which smooths the hair’s natural cuticle layer and soothes the scalp without artificial ingredients. Just like the argan oil shampoo, it removes styling residue without drying out the skin or hair. “The morning shower is rounded off with our body wash, which is silicone-free and has a masculine mahogany scent,” says Anthony, offering a glimpse into his own routine.

Start the day with the right styling

Is the hairstyle on point? Is the beard in place? Styling, of course, mustn’t be neglected. However, it can be made a lot easier with the right products and the correct application. “Many men use wax incorrectly, for example,” notes Anthony. Instead of digging deep into the tin, the master barber recommends starting with a hazelnut-sized amount. Rub the wax between your palms and then work it into wet or towel-dried hair. For fine strands, you can increase hold beforehand using a sea salt spray. Your beard also benefits from a special treatment in your own bathroom and can be shaped with natural beard wax. Fancy tackling ‘Project Beard’ this spring? With our guide, anyone can find the beard that suits them perfectly in three simple steps.