Times have changed and so have the grooming regimen for men. Men were never groomed in ancient times like they are today. From untidy, rough hair & crabby unshaved beards to their customized products for their skin type. Men have come a long way to adopt the perfect grooming habits finally. Modern men prefer to keep themselves all groomed and stylish, with maintained hair, well-suited moustache, and thoughtfully sculpted beard.
But let’s find out how ancient men maintained themselves and have a look through the evolution in grooming.
Ancient Egypt Grooming
The originating traces of Men’s Grooming can be found back to 10,000 BC. Egyptians were obsessed with bathing milk, fragrant oils, and the aloe vera plant back then. Egyptians were concerned about protecting their skin from the sun; for that, they applied kohl on their face in a way similar to the black lines footballers apply on their face. The males of Egypt were keen on maintaining the fragrance of their body and their physical appearance. Egyptians used to cover themselves with fragrance oil to hide the odour of their body. These oils were infused with myrrh, marjoram, chamomile, lavender, Lily, rosemary, rose, aloe, and olive oil.
The Roman Grooming
The Romans were keen on maintaining overall cleanliness, unlike the Egyptians, as they built communal baths. Those communal baths later became a unique place for men to share their grooming secrets. Roman men were the first to experiment with hair dyes. The color they liked the most was blonde, but the dyes were so harsh and harmful that most men went bald after using those dyes.
The Romans were explicitly interested in warm water and steam. They believed in removing the dirt buried under the layers of skin; they also used oil-based fragrances to dilute the bathing water. Although they were not well- aware of treating their acne breakouts, and used only barley flour and butter to treat them.
Grooming From The Middle Ages Till The Elizabethan Era
In the middle ages, men faced a significant challenge in maintaining and grooming. The church and some of the priests considered grooming as “Satan’s Work” and were against grooming. However, the men still kept themselves groomed with the help of techniques they had from ancient times.
In the Elizabethan era, male grooming again started accelerating. In that period, sage was considered effective for teeth whitening; rosemary water was a significant hair care product. Vine bathing and egg-honey masks were popularly known for reducing wrinkles.
Also, some male grooming products were formulated with arsenic and lead. However, the usage of these products caused significant early deaths.
Grooming Trends In The Victorian Era
In this era, grooming products gained popularity among the masses. In that period getting a blemish treatment was in vogue. Soaps reached a massive number of households. Due to technological advancements, anti-ageing products came into existence. However, they were mostly for women at this time.
‘High-brown powder’ was also created by the Hygienic manufacturing company owned by Anthony Overton in 1898, which was highly appreciated and targeted the African-Americans.
The Period Of 1900s
In the 1900s, Hollywood came into existence. Male Hollywood celebrities with slicked-back hair, milk-white teeth, cleanly shaven beards, and well-maintained style substantially impacted the male population. Men started getting more and more interested in grooming with the outburst of Hollywood. The fragrance industry got to its peak in France. In the 1900s, very minimal yet comforting razors also spread all over the market. Those razors made shaving an enjoyable experience for men. Also, it was the first portable option for shaving, which made male-grooming a lot easier. Wonder beauty creams claiming to transform skin similar to an actor’s skin were also in trend.
Grooming And The Modern Generation
In the world of Millennials, science, technology, and research have given birth to the advanced men-grooming industry. In today’s times, everything is acceptable, which was forbidden earlier. From moisturizing skin to shaving chest, underarms, and even the intimate areas are included in the grooming routine. Now men do not have to use products from women’s skincare; they have products and brands customized for their needs.
They have their daily beauty and style trends to follow. There are also beard and moustache trends spreading all over the world. There are salons for enhancing men’s beauty. And, men are using haircare, skincare, and body care products massively.
The Craze for Cruelty-Free and Natural Products
In simple words, the “male-grooming” industry is booming. There is also a trend for ‘cruelty-free products in modern days, which is very thoughtful to protect animals and not use any products that include anything related to animals. Products with natural ingredients are in high demand. The majority of grooming products are packed with chemicals and harsh ingredients, which produces different skin issues, leading men to buy more products to solve these newborn problems and again waste money.
Products that are “cruelty-free” and are manufactured using natural ingredients are the best to use; they help to keep your skin much away from any issues like acne, inflammation, and roughness. Also, hair grooming products with natural ingredients keep your hair healthy and make them thicker.
An Option for You to Consider
Man Arden is a well known Indian men-grooming brand with cruelty-free, vegan products, entirely made up of natural ingredients. For example, the Man Arden beard oil contains organic Morrocan argan, cold press oil, organic extra virgin olive, grapeseed, sweet almond, and rosemary essential oils. All these are safe and natural ingredients. They have everything you ask for, ranging from skincare, haircare to body care and beard grooming products that are vegan and skin /hair friendly. Furthermore, Man Arden is also a devoted part of PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies program, and its products are never tested on animals. So, become the king of your empire and own everyone with your well-groomed masculine appearance. Good luck!
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