HER
MADISON THOMPSON The 21-year-old is best known for portraying Erin Pierce in Netflix’s beloved Ozark. Most recently, she was cast in Paramount+’s upcoming Grease prequel. Here, she answers our reader’s question about a man’s daily hygiene and self-care routine to make him stand out.
Interesting you ask. I actually think a person’s commitment to self-hygiene can be one of their sexiest features. This is because hygiene is a direct representation of 1. Your self-care/love, and 2. The organization/balance in your life.
Obviously, we have the basic hygiene requirements like showers, brushing your teeth, etc. You would be surprised how many men stop right there, but I am happy to share that there are a lot of other hygiene tips you can implement in your routine—even once a week—that will help you feel more confident and help women take notice. Many of the tips I am going to recommend come from what our makeup team on productions suggest. They use these with many actors on set (of almost all ages and backgrounds). So yes, let’s get you men movie star ready.
Daily
1. Face Wash. Yes, you need it! There are great affordable options that you can use every day such as Cetaphil. Note: Take the time to read the bottle. Many different types of washes are used for different skin types. You know your skin the best. If you have oily skin, use the face wash for oily skin. Keep the face wash in your shower and make it part of your daily routine just like a shampoo or conditioner. Keeping your skin clear will not only help minimize, but also prevent breakouts and blackheads and make you feel more confident.
2. Good Moisturizer. Now that you are using a great face wash, it is important that you pair it with a good moisturizer. Again, there are a lot of amazing, affordable moisturizers out there. For example, pick up one that goes along with the brand of face wash you bought. Apply this after you get out of the shower or before you go to bed. This will help replenish the moisture on your face from your routine washes and keep your skin balanced—not to mention help prevent things like wrinkles and dead skin.
3. Deodorant & Cologne. Wear your deodorant every day. Trust me. Please. And I also suggest that guys invest in a cologne. You do not need to wear cologne every day. I really recommend that you don’t. But think of it as your “fancy deodorant” that you wear when you have nicer events or are going out. For me, a good smell is attractive. I have a sharp sense of smell, and one of my favorite things is when my man is wearing his cologne on a night out. It is very sensual.
Bi-monthly
4. Pedicures. Keep your nails AND TOENAILS trimmed!! There is a stigma in the male community about getting nails done that I think needs to end. That doesn’t mean you need to paint your nails, but getting a regular pedicure can just mean getting dirt under your nails cleaned out. Go and ask for a basic cleaning. It does wonders and trust me, women notice. Now, if going to get a pedicure is not an option for you, then there are great and affordable tools you can pick up at your local drug store that can also do the trick.
5. Eyebrows. This is my favorite one to talk about to men: shaping those eyebrows up. You can easily do this yourself at home. When you go to the drug store to pick up your nail clippers, you might as well add some tweezers and a ‘spoolie’ brush to your bag. Use those tweezers every couple of weeks or so to remove stray hairs and the spoolie brush to brush them into place. This doesn’t mean you need to have perfectly manicured eyebrows, but if there is eyebrow hair not near your eyebrow—far underneath or above or even in the middle (unibrow vibes), feel free to clean it up. Don’t go too crazy, a little goes a long way. Another favorite trick is the clear eyebrow gel. It is completely clear gel that you can brush through your eyebrows to hold them in place. This simple trick will help your brows stay neat throughout the day without anyone even noticing.
Overall, personal hygiene is about what works best for you. Tailor these tips and tricks to what works best for your schedule or your hair and skin. It is time that society starts shedding the idea that self-care is feminine. Self-care makes everyone look good—including men. Good self-care promotes confidence which is by far one of the sexiest traits in a man. You are essentially “helping yourself by helping yourself.”
