Manscaping.

I Love it. Seriously. Since I was 18 years of age, I've had a deep down desire to stay clean all over. Well manicured hands and feet, shaved torso, arms, and legs. When it comes to my face, I'm one of those guys who's tried to grow a beard, but alas, my face tends to appear more like the patterns on a Holstein cow than any semblance of a beard. So, I've resolved to a life of being clean shaven and it suits me just fine.

At 18, when I discovered ‘manscaping' from a friend of mine (who I liked very much at the time) said she preferred guys that ‘took care of themselves'. As I prodded I learned about the intricacies of pruning, shaving, and shaping. THIS was all new to me. You have to understand, ‘going to the salon' was something that my mother did with her friends every Saturday, it wasn't for guys like me. Realizing the most I ever spent on a haircut up to that point in my life was about $11.99 at the local in-and-out Quick Clips shop, definitely, says a lot. But, I really liked this girl, and attraction does strange things to a man, doesn't it? So I jumped all into this manscaping thing, and you know what I found out? I liked it. I liked it A LOT!

But it goes well beyond just appearances, which I later found out. We sometimes fall in and out of love, but feeling confident in one's skin is timeless if we choose it to be a priority.

It may sound a little superficial but being selfish about taking care of oneself is anything but superficial if we acknowledge why it's truly important to us. In the following article, I share some of my own observations of why I love being clean and smelling my best. Life is a journey, and one I love to travel with friends, family, and my tribes, but as much as I give of myself to these important people in my life, I have to look after me too, otherwise, I compromise my ability to be the best version of me. So enjoy the following…

3 Reasons Why Manscaping will Make You Feel Better in Life (and Love)

1) A clean body makes for a clear mind

I have to say, there's something cathartic about manscaping. I have a routine – like a walking meditation – my shower ritual is a 20-minute energy (and body) cleansing. It starts with a full Body scrub with Dove Men+Care's Elements Body and Face Wash (loaded with minerals and sage). I love the feel of my skin after a good exfoliating as it cleanses without feeling tightness or dryness while hydrating my body's largest organ – the skin.

Next, I take a full 5-minutes for a deep, refreshing scalp scrub with the Dove Men+Care Elements Shampoo + Conditioner that's formulated with caffeine and menthol for an invigorating, refreshingly clean, leaving my head tingling with ideas… some of my best and most creative ideas become crystal clear during this hyper-focused, mindful moment.

Clarity of mind comes through calmness.

Alone, in my shower, doing a routine that requires little to no thought, allows my mind to wander. I love the way I feel and cherish this cleansing ritual.

2) A Clean and Healthier You, Means a More Awesome You

Can you remember the last time you spilled coffee on yourself? Maybe some spaghetti sauce while out for dinner with friends? Or maybe you had impeccable luck while out and about at the local waterfront boardwalk and that seagull just happened to target your left shoulder perfectly? Do you remember how you felt in that moment?

There have been many times when I've messed up my clothes due to an accidental mishap or something outside of my control. In the moment, I felt upset, frustrated and more than often self-conscious of the obvious dirtiness on my attire (and body).

In hindsight, I think that's pretty funny. After all, my clothing can be washed and cleaned. It's really not that big of a deal. Yet, a simple bit of off-coloring from a drink, meal or animal can put us in a sour mood. What's even more interesting is many people walk around with body odor, unkempt hygiene both oral and bodily, and this is completely within our control for the most part.

I remember going to an event when I was in my teen's and feeling incredibly self-aware, and not in a good way when I caught a whiff of my own body odor. I shrunk into myself. You know it's a bad day when you can smell yourself so distinctly, right?!? I swore to myself that I'd not allow for that to happen again and have made it a priority to be confident in my cleanliness, especially when attending a function, event, or as simple as being out for an afternoon with my family.

Let's be frank, there's not only an increase in sex appeal but also health appeal through physical cleanliness and smelling good. If you don't agree with me, I'd love to know why. It's near impossible to be our genuine self when in a social environment if we are offending people with our odor. As hard as we try to be our awesome selves, we're not stacking the deck in our favor if our smells are keeping people away from us.

There have been days where I've been out and about, working up a sweat, and don't have time to get home for my pre-event shower. I pack 3 things in my bag, just in case this situation arises: Degree Ultraclear Dry Spray, (no more white and yellow stains on my clothing based on their anti-yellow, anti-white mark technology) Dove Men+Care Elements Deodorant Stick with Minerals + Sage, and Dove Men+Care Sensitive Face Cream.

Trust me, if, in a jam, a quick wash of the face and neck, and application of face cream and a deodorant spray and you're good to go. Smelling awesome and feeling confident in your own skin!

3) Selfish acts of self-care make you a better person

There are a few non-negotiable moments in my life. One, in particular, is my commitment to daily exercise as a way to improve my mental, physical and spiritual fitness. Health isn't just about the body, as anyone who has a regimented routine of moving their body with purpose regularly. Fitness allows me to manage and eliminate stress from my life.

Can you remember the last time you had a great workout at the gym, hike in the woods, or run around your neighborhood? How well did you feel afterward? I know you felt awesome. There's something to be said about moving the body with purpose. Study after study has shown that not only is daily exercise a fantastic way to reduce stress, it also increases dopamine in the brain. This is the feel-good neurotransmitter which many of us strive to increase through artificial means. But just moving the body with purpose is the best – and cheapest – way to get a dopamine hit each day!

I encourage moms, dads, business owners and everyone in-between that daily exercise has to be something that takes priority on your schedule above all else. There's no negotiating or compromising this! If your health suffers, you know you won't be able to give your best to those that you love, those that you work with, those that you lead… and especially to yourself. All it takes is one illness or disease to sneak up and throw your health for a loop, and you'll realize how valuable your health truly is. Don't be a martyr, TAKE control of your schedule and MAKE time for your health. Your family will thank you for it, and most importantly, your body will thank you for it too.

In summary

Manscaping isn't a negative. Wanting to take care of oneself is perfectly natural and an important part of self-love. Being the best version of ourselves is also dependent on being confident both inside and outside of our own skin.

What daily rituals or practices do you commit to doing to keep yourself feeling (and smelling) your best?

This post is sponsored by Unilever. The opinions and views are wholly my own…

And to be absolutely clear, this is my disclaimer: “Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t  share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn't matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.” ~ Coach Moose