Men's Grooming Kit: What Should Be in One, and What to Skip
A grooming kit has three jobs: clean, care and shape. Here is what to put in one for beard and body, what to skip, and the routine that uses it.
The Short Version
- A grooming kit has three jobs: clean, care and shape. Anything that does none of them is clutter.
- For a beard: a wash, an oil and a shaper. For the body: one trimmer with a trimmer blade and a foil blade.
- Skip the 20-piece sets. Most of the pieces never leave the case.
- The daily routine takes about two minutes once the kit is right.
Search for a man's grooming kit and you get two things: big leather cases full of small metal tools, and boxes of products with no explanation. Neither tells you what you need.
This guide does it the other way round. It starts with the jobs a kit has to do, then fills it with the fewest things that do them.
The three jobs of a grooming kit
- Clean. Skin and hair, without drying them out.
- Care. Keep hair soft and the skin under it calm.
- Shape. Length, edges and hold, so it looks the way you want all day.
Every item in the kit should do one of these. If it does not, leave it out.
A grooming kit for a beard
| Job | What to put in | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Clean | Beard Wash: cleans without stripping the natural oils | 3 to 4 times a week |
| Care | Beard Oil: a few drops keep the beard soft and the skin under it calm | Daily |
| Shape | Beard Shaper: a pea-sized amount for shape and hold | Daily, after the oil |
| Shape (length) | A trimmer with guards, to keep the length and the neckline | Every week or two |
| Shape (style) | Beard Forger, if the beard is curly, frizzy or will not lie flat | When you want it straight |
The first three come together in the Beard Care Kit: wash, oil and shaper in one box, made to be used in that order.
A grooming kit for the body
For body hair you need less than you think: one tool that can both trim and finish.
- A trimmer blade with guards takes hair down to an even length.
- A foil blade finishes close and smooth where you want it.
- Waterproof, so you can use it in the shower and rinse it clean.
The Stone Shaver has both blades in the box, four guards from 1 to 12 mm, and a foil blade made for sensitive areas. It also trims a beard, so it covers the "length" row in the table above.
Both blades in the box, four guards from 1 to 12 mm, and a foil blade made for sensitive areas.
Shop Stone ShaverWhat to skip
- Big tool sets. A nail clipper and tweezers are enough. The other eighteen pieces stay in the case.
- Hair shampoo for the beard. It strips the oils a beard needs.
- Three tools that do one job each. A beard trimmer, a body groomer and a separate razor can be one tool.
- Products you would not use daily. A simple routine you keep beats a long one you drop in a week.
The routine that uses the kit
- Wash. Beard Wash on a wet beard, 3 to 4 times a week. Massage in, rinse, pat dry.
- Oil. 3 to 4 drops of Beard Oil, rubbed between the palms and worked in from roots to tips.
- Shape. A pea-sized amount of Beard Shaper, warmed between the fingers.
That is about two minutes. For the full version with tips by beard length, see the beard care routine for beginners.
Build the kit by beard length
| Beard | The kit |
|---|---|
| Stubble | A trimmer with guards. Oil if the skin gets dry. |
| Short beard | Wash, oil, and a trimmer for the neckline. |
| Medium to long | Wash, oil, shaper, a comb, and a trimmer. Add the Beard Forger if it curls or frizzes. |
| No beard | A face wash, a moisturiser, and one trimmer for body hair. |
3 questions
Build your kit in three questions
Our picks
Stone Shaver
Both blades in the box, four guards from 1 to 12 mm, and a foil blade made for sensitive areas.
Shop Stone Shaver
A grooming kit as a gift
A kit is one of the easier gifts to get right, because it has the basics in one box and nothing to learn. Choose one with a few products he will use every day over a large set. Odenson products come with 60-day returns, and shipping is free.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a men's grooming kit?
Something to clean, something to care and something to shape. For a beard that is a wash, an oil and a shaper, plus a trimmer for length.
What is a good beard care routine?
Wash 3 to 4 times a week, oil daily, then shape. It takes about two minutes.
Do I need different tools for beard and body?
No. One trimmer with a trimmer blade and a foil blade can do both. Use separate blades for face and body.
Is a grooming kit a good gift?
Yes, if it is simple. Three products he uses daily are better than a case of tools he never opens.
The short answer
Clean, care, shape. For a beard, the Beard Care Kit covers all three. For the body, one tool with two blades, like the Stone Shaver, is enough.
