Skip to content

Changes To My Grooming Routine Due To The Rona

Listen to this article

The current health crisis has temporarily closed a lot of businesses, including barbers.  As a result, my hair has gotten longer…a lot longer.  I’ve discovered a few minor changes to my grooming routine has helped it stay reasonably tidy.

Before

[Note: Amazon links are affiliate.]

I admit that my non-shaving grooming routine had become, well, routine.  I had settled in with products that worked well for me and only occasionally wandered off to test something (like when a PR rep. sent me something–usually unsolicited).

Shampoo: Cremo Juniper & Eucalyptus thickening Shampoo, alternating with a Stirling shampoo bar;

Conditioner: none;

Soap: Stirling liquid body soap;

Pomade: Cremo Matte.

I found this combination worked well for me with my fine, greying, starting-to-thin hair and the hard water of my area.

During

Then the ‘rona hit, closing the area barbershops indefinitely.  And I discovered that as my hair started growing out the products I was using didn’t seem to be as effective.  So I started re-testing with some old favorites and some new contenders.  And I had a few surprises along the way:

Shampoo: St. James Of London. This had been a favorite of mine for some time until I tried the Cremo thickening shampoo for my starting-to-thin hair.  I decided to go back to the St. James Of London and discovered why I liked it so much–it performs really well for me.  Since my hair was getting longer the ‘thickening’ aspect of a shampoo wasn’t as important.

Conditioner: I normally eschew hair conditioners as something that just doesn’t seem to make a difference for me but coincidentally my friend Antonio Centeno of Real Men Real Style had just launched the Vitaman grooming line in the U.S. and had sent me a few things to try, including their hair conditioner, so I gave it a shot.  Although I tested other conditioners too the Vitaman product really stood out for me as a product that “tamed” my longer hair without being greasy.  Their shampoo is pretty solid as well.

Pomade: another surprise.  I had been using a light hold product so I assumed that as my hair got longer I would need more hold.  Nope.  I found out that Rascal’s Light Hold Paste #1 (which is actually a lighter hold than the Cremo pomade) actually kept my hair tidier, for a longer time, without getting my hair curly or oily-looking.

Shower soap: Stirling.  No change there.  It’s a real “soap,” not a detergent, and cleans well without drying out my skin or leaving a filmy residue.

After?

So what am I going to do after the barbershops re-open?  Obviously, get a haircut.  🙂

Will I go back to using the products I had previously settled on?  I honestly don’t know at this point.  I’m certainly going to see how my “new kit” performs with my “old hair” though.  I guess the old saw of YMMV and “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” continues to play itself out.

How has your grooming routine changed during the current health situation?  Have you tried different products or discovered new techniques to staying well-groomed?  Leave a comment below so that all may benefit!

Author

Shave tutor and co-founder of sharpologist. I have been advocating old-school shaving for over 20 years and have been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Lifehacker. Also check out my content on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!View Author posts

6 thoughts on “Changes To My Grooming Routine Due To The Rona”

  1. Well, this china flu hasn’t changed my life much, as I’m retired and we live in a small mountain community in the Smoky Mtns. Being bald on top, I cut my own hair and my wife outlines the back for me. Years ago I bought a Oster Fast Feed and a Wahlberg Peanut trimmer. Same one’s a professional barber uses. I’m not a cheapskate, but years ago, when I was paying fifteen dollars for a trim that took 5 minutes and the guy before me had a whole head of long hair that took half hour to cut, for the same 15 dollars, I decided I could do it much cheaper. The initial investment was pricy, but they’ve paid for themselves many times over. The upside is, I save $$$ and don’t have to wait in a line for a “chair” to open. Shave routine stayed the same. ATT razor, most any Razor Rock soap with a dollop of Creamo cooling, witch hazel and finish off with Lucky Tiger Face tonic!!!👍 Semper-fi & This We’ll Defend, Mike

  2. Try Nancy Boy’s conditioner. I use it in the shower more as a beard softener prior to shaving than for my hair which is pretty thin but it seems to have helped as my hair has gotten longer as well.

  3. Brian Fiori (AKA The Dean)

    I stopped shaving, for the most part. I vow to not shave my beard until the stay at home orders are lifted (and not just relaxed).

    Full disclosure, I got a bit sick of the scruff on my neckline, so I am just trimming that up every few days.

  4. I usually get a crew cut. And this is the first time in 15 years that my hair has touched my collar. So now I have to give it an organizing brush after I shower in the morning. Other than that, no real changes. I’m real simple in my grooming needs. Shower. A good shave and I’m good to go.

Comments are closed.