Gone are the days when a splash of water and a borrowed squirt of moisturiser passed for grooming. Today’s bathroom cabinets are a battleground of serums, scrubs and scents – and our team has tested the lot. From skin-boosters and hair-thickeners to blades that mean business, these are the standout products worthy of a spot on your shelves.
Meet the Judges
- Luke Chamberlain, Ecommerce editor: Luke has reviewed hundreds of grooming products for MH.
- Perdita Nouril: With a decade of product-testing under her belt, MH’s grooming editor can spot a show pony from a workhorse.
- Dr Anjali Mahto: A consultant dermatologist and founder of Self clinic, Dr Mahto offers her expert take.
- Andrew Tracey: For our hirsute fitness director, grooming isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. Andrew is a beard and haircare pro.
Skin Saviours
Your skin’s your MVP – so treat it that way. Our edit will keep you looking fresh, even when you don’t feel it.
It’s a splurge, but one that earns its place on your shelf. This powerhouse formula blends argireline, ectoin and peptides to smooth fine lines and improve skin texture. A smart delivery system means active ingredients penetrate deeply and neurocosmetic tech interacts with the olfactory and limbic systems to lift your mood, too.
This was a standout thanks to its science-backed green‑to‑beige colour‑correcting formula that instantly neutralises redness and calms sensitive skin with soothing centella asiatica. It delivers complexion balance while reinforcing the skin’s barrier – it’s the top redness-reducing candidate.
Science-backed thiamidol inhibits melanin production, helping to visibly reduce blotchy light and dark patches. Combined with hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing licochalcone, thiamidol is gentle, so it’s ideal for sensitive skin and everyday use.
This isn’t your teenage toothpaste trick – this overnight paste is the grown-up solution to surprise spots. Powered by 2%salicylic acid and volcanic mineral extract, it dries out blemishes while helping calm redness and inflammation. Dab it on before bed and let it work while you sleep.
Whether you’ve got a full lumberjack situation or just a five o’clock shadow, this clever multitasker keeps both skin and stubble in check. Packed with soothing aloe vera and exfoliating willowbark extract, it lifts away dead skin cells and grime without turning your face into the Sahara.
An excellent formulation featuring 0.1% retinol and longoza extract, housed in innovative triple-chamber packaging that preserves potency after opening. While it comes at a higher price point, its stable formulation and powerful ingredient combination make it well worth the investment.
This featherlight SPF is ideal for sensitive skin. Powered by UV Air technology, it offers broad-spectrum protection against UVB and UVA rays. The serum-like texture, infused with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, hydrates as it shields, plus it’s water- and sweat-resistant.
Slather this on before you head to bed. Think of it as a night shift for your skin. Sodium hyaluronate keeps skin hydrated and elastic– gently plumping – while vitamin E and beta-glucan protect and strengthen your skin barrier. The lightweight gel texture won’t go rogue on your pillow, either.
This powerful lotion blends hyaluronic acid with three essential ceramides (fats or lipids found in skin cells) to fortify your skin barrier and deliver lasting hydration. Fast-absorbing and non-greasy, it soothes dryness and helps calm post-shave irritation. A sensible morning staple.
Bearded Wonders
Maintaining your beard shouldn’t be a battle. These sharp tools will turn messy into mastered.
With black cedarwood and fresh juniper, this fragrance sticks around but not in an overpowering way. It’s made with skin-kind ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and shea butter, softening your face so your razor glides with ease. Your face, and nose, will thank you.
When it comes to precision, this shaver is in a class of its own. Armed with six ultra-sharp Japanese steel blades and responsive beard sensor tech, it adjusts power 220 times per second to deliver an impressively close, irritation-free shave, wet or dry.
This isn’t just any aftershave fix, it’s a serious bump-busting hero. Loaded with salicylic and glycolic acid, it sweeps away dead skin and clears out blocked pores so trapped hairs can finally escape. Just dab it on after shaving and wake up to smoother, calmer skin that’s ready to face the day.
This razor genuinely changes the shaving game. Its built-in stainless steel warming bar mimics a hot towel shave with every glide, delivering soothing heat and a supremely smooth finish. Flex Disc technology adapts to every angle of your face, ensuring a precise, comfortable shave.
A Swiss army knife for face fuzz, this high-tech trimmer comes with 50 settings and a built-in adjuster, allowing it to handle everything from stubble to full-on beard. Plus, there’s 12 attachments, so whether you’re shaping, trimming or detailing, your beard game will be sharp.
Body Essentials
Feeling good in your skin isn’t all about the biceps. These bathroom-cabinet saviours have you covered – protecting, cleaning and keeping your and mouth smelling fresh.
This light weight, non-greasy formula disappears into skin without leaving that dreaded white cast. Whether you’re hitting the park or dodging the office window glare, it blocks out UVA and UVB like a pro. It’s packed with vitamin E antioxidants to keep your skin barrier safe.
This deodorant glides on like silk, then dries to a fresh, powdery finish that keeps you smelling great without looking chalky. The perfect sidekick for busy days, workouts or, you know, just not wanting to smell like you ran a marathon when you didn’t.
If your mornings tend to move a little slowly, this spicy black pepper shower gel is your wake-up call. It has notes of zesty pepper and a woody punch that leaves you feeling energised and smelling like you just stepped out of a spa.
This LED kit comes loaded with enough formula for 30 treatments, so you’re all set. What sets it apart? The triple LED lights. The blue light speeds up stain-busting by boosting the whitening ingredient’s effect, while the red light calms gums and reduces bacteria.
Ultrasonic tech blasts away plaque and gunk from tricky spots. Five pressure settings are gentle for sensitive gums but tough enough to leave your mouth squeaky clean. The 200ml tank provides a solid minute of non-stop action, and a quick charge gets you back in business.
It’s packed with tech thatreads your brushing style tocustomise your clean in realtime – like having a PT foryour teeth. It harnessespowerful sonic vibrationscombined with adaptivesensor technology to getdeep between teeth andalong the gumline. Plus,the app gives you feedbackto make your brushingbetter over time.
Crowning glory
From thickening to styling, these low-lift products will make a big difference, without looking like you’ve tried too hard.
Good hair starts with a healthy scalp, and this scrub is like a mini facial for your head. Packed with pink Himalayan salt, paraprobiotic and shine-enhancing citric acid, it buffs away build-up and flakes, leaving your scalp balanced and clean.
Even the best cut will be undermined by dandruff. This shampoo combines clinically proven pyrithionezinc with a scalp-calming formula that soothes irritation. It’s dermatologist-developed, too, so you get serious scalp care.
The ultimate all-in-one grooming essential. With 15 tools in one sleek device, it handles everything from hair, beard and stubble to body, nose, ears and brows. It’s built tough, with a solid metal handle and powered by lithium-ion tech for up to five hours of cordless use.
Lasting definition, without any crunchy residue. Made with wheat protein and aloe, this fights frizz, boosts moisture and defines curls to enhance natural shape, whether you’re rocking loose waves or tight coils. It’ll even hold up against the British weather.
This formula uses patented Healthy Hair Molecule (OFPMA) technology to smooth frizz and fight humidity while your hair air-dries. It delivers soft texture with zero crunch, so your strands stay bouncy and light, not stiff or sticky. It even cuts drying time.
When it comes to fixing dry, damaged hair, this product means business. Loaded with ingredients such as hemisqualane – a plant-derived emollient that helps to lock in moisture and prevent frizz – it hydrates deeply without leaving your hair feeling heavy, flat or greasy.
The prescription service known for its game-changing skincare is now doing the same with hair. After an initial consultation online, you’ll receive either capsules or drops, depending on which treatment pathway your pharmacist prescribes.
Game Changers
These innovations take your routine up a notch. Because good grooming should be easy, effective and maybe a little fun.
Not your average zit zapper, this clever device uses advanced LED light therapy to treat spots at the source.Blue light targets bacteria, while red light helps calm inflammation and speedup healing. It’s the same clinically proven tech used in professional treatments.
Natural-looking lightweight and built to last, this cover-up masks dark circles, spots and redness without anyone knowing you’re wearing it. It blends like a dream, stays put all day and gives you that, ‘I’ve had eight hours of sleep and drink green juice daily’ kind of face –even if you didn’t and don’t.
Tired of waking up feeling like you ran a marathon? This science-backed supplement is packed with vitamins, minerals and calming botanicals, such as chamomile and lemon verbena, that work together to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer. It’s free from melatonin and is formulated with clinical rigour.
