Looking for cheap hygiene recomendations

Hi all,

I'm just starting to look at becoming in general a cleaner, better smelling person.
The problem is I'm only 17, which means I have very limited money and time to spend looking for, buying, and trying products.
Now I was wondering if you guys could give me some recommendations of products that have either worked very well for you, or that you've heard great things about; the key thing though is value and very low price are key. I've heard great that Gillette can generally be trusted from a few friends, is that reputable?

As a preface, I have fairly oily skin, although acne isn't too big a problem. My hair is medium length and fairly thin/fine, more thickness and texture would be nice, I'm normally a fan of hair that looks messy or wet with a lot of texture. I also have a problem with over sweating, not sure if there's effective products for that? I know Gillette has "clinical" deodorant, is that effective or something else maybe?

Looking for suggestions on:
Shavers
Shaving Cream
Shampoo/Conditioner
Soap
Cologne or scent of some sort
Tongue Scrapper
Tooth brush/paste
Listerine, mints, or other breathe fresheners
Nail trimmers/care
Deodorant
Anything else you guys consider "essentials", I'll take any advice

Cheers!
Kevin

Also forget to mention looking for suggestions for:
Teeth whitening
General Skin Care
Body Wash
Aftershave
Hair product
Thanks!

Shavers - get a double edge razor...the razor itself will cost you a bit more than your standard mach 3, but the blades cost pennies, so you save big in the long run and your face will never be smoother...

As for shaving cream, look into mama bear soaps. It's inexpensive, have some great fragrances, and will last you for ages.

I don't live in the US, so brands may vary, but my bodywash gets compliments and is just a supermarket Johnson's ph 5.5 stuff. If it made it here, I assume it's available worldwide...I buy the giant bottle, lasts a few months.

For Cologne or scent of some sort, go with any Creed to start you on that journey. Creed Green Irish Tweed is a staple of any person starting his Sartorial self

Gold Bond

I don't like anti-perspirant deodorants because they turn your shirts yellow. I just use Old Spice Red Zone deodorant (NON-antiperspirant). I also use Old Spice body wash.

For teeth brushing, I use Oral-B brushes with the gum stimulator things on the sides...they're good stuff. I don't really have a favorite toothpaste, but I usually switch between Crest and Aquafresh whitening pastes (Aquafresh seems slightly better to me). Really, brush 2-3x/day (and do a good job) and you're fine. I like Scope White mouthwash, but I don't use it every day. I chew sugar-free gum during the day fairly frequently and that also helps keep things fresh and clean in your mouth (my preference is Wrigley's React series).

For facial skin care, I use benzoyl peroxide-based face wash (AcneFree) and face cream (I use a prescription one, but there are a bunch out there OTC), which is good for oily skin and acne. Neutrogena makes a pretty good alcohol-free toner. Stick with alcohol free stuff and stay away from salicylic acid products...they're no good.

Soap = Dove.

Shampoo & conditioner = Garnier.

Other hair products = L'Oreal.

I also use a Bodygroom (Norelco) and a "Groom Mate Platinum" nose and ear hair trimmer (and no, I'm not a hairy ape man...I just like to keep things trimmed).

Seconding the dove soap. It's basic, it keeps your skin nice, and it works. Feel free to use it on your face too, it's all I use these days, along with a washcloth and some half decent shampoo.

Honest question. Does all this **** really make a difference? I buy whatevers cheapest/on sale at the supermarket.

It depends on the person I think.

Some people need the stuff. Depending on what products I use, my face dries out and I get dry skin around my mouth. Certain products seem to fix this.


-I think a strict diet can fix a lot of skin problems, too.

Originally Posted by ConcernedParent

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Honest question. Does all this **** really make a difference? I buy whatevers cheapest/on sale at the supermarket.

A number of things - soap, toothpaste, floss, pain relievers etc are best bought at the 99Cents Only store. A few things are probably better bought at the local Target - shampoo, razors, deodorant.

Whoa looked up Irish Tweed, thats far out of my means though
Any other suggestions for very cheap scents though?
I know the cheapo brands get a bad rap, but how about axe, old spice and Gillette?
I would think I would want all scented things on my body to be the same brand/go together, are there any specific products from them that surpass the sterotypes?

thanks for the help so far guys, like i said i know the best solution is just go out and buy em all, but i figured this could save me a lot of time and money

Originally Posted by ExurKun11

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Whoa looked up Irish Tweed, thats far out of my means though Any other suggestions for very cheap scents though? I know the cheapo brands get a bad rap, but how about axe, old spice and Gillette? I would think I would want all scented things on my body to be the same brand/go together, are there any specific products from them that surpass the sterotypes? thanks for the help so far guys, like i said i know the best solution is just go out and buy em all, but i figured this could save me a lot of time and money
You can get Cool Water instead. It's not as good as Green Irish Tweed, but there are definitely similarities. Rumor is the same perfumer created both scents. You can find a bottle for $25 http://www.target.com/Cool-Water-Dav.../dp/B000MN2GDE Everlast Original is a very pleasant scent and you can get the gift pack with shampoo and deodorant for $20 or just the cologne itself for $14 . A very good cologne for fall and winter, smells much more expensive than the $ you bought it for. Much better than the Axe route. http://www.overstock.com/Health-Beau...7/product.html Reviews of the scent: http://www.basenotes.net/ID26122748/reviews.html

Originally Posted by willpower

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You can get Cool Water instead. It's not as good as Green Irish Tweed, but there are definitely similarities. Rumor is the same perfumer created both scents. You can find a bottle for $25

http://www.target.com/Cool-Water-Dav.../dp/B000MN2GDE

Everlast Original is a very pleasant scent and you can get the gift pack with shampoo and deodorant for $20 or just the cologne itself for $14 . A very good cologne for fall and winter, smells much more expensive than the $ you bought it for. Much better than the Axe route.
http://www.overstock.com/Health-Beau...7/product.html

Reviews of the scent: http://www.basenotes.net/ID26122748/reviews.html

Thanks a lot for the pointers man! Could you give me a quick rundown of the personality of each and what age group theyre best for?
A couple others that caught my eye were curve and paris hilton line for men (I was skeptical but heard it might be good), anyone have experience with those?

Originally Posted by ExurKun11

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Thanks a lot for the pointers man! Could you give me a quick rundown of the personality of each and what age group theyre best for? A couple others that caught my eye were curve and paris hilton line for men (I was skeptical but heard it might be good), anyone have experience with those?
You don't want anything too strong. You don't want to be "that cologne guy" in high school. You just want people to notice if they're standing right next to you. Light on the application. After 4 hours, your nose might not smell the cologne anymore but others will still be able to smell it on you. This is called olfactory fatigue. Cool Water is green and fresh, kind of like a bar of Irish Spring soap. All ages, but perhaps a better cologne for warmer weather. Depends where you live. Everlast starts clean like a grapefruit-mint thing, then morphs into a cinnamony nutmeg scent after a few hours. For the fall and winter, this is good stuff. All ages. Curve is OK, a bit on the common side, a tad synthetic. It's actually in the same vein as Cool Water. But if you like it... Don't get Paris Hilton on principle. She's yucky. Acqua di Gio is loved by millions. Perhaps too common again, but safe. All ages, smells like eating a watermelon at the beach. A bit more expensive but discounted online. Try them and see what you like. You can't try the Everlast, it's only available online. Get it and if you don't like it, give it to someone for Xmas. It's $14 http://www.overstock.com/Health-Beau...8/product.html

Originally Posted by ConcernedParent

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Honest question. Does all this **** really make a difference? I buy whatevers cheapest/on sale at the supermarket.

I used to do that, but Dove leaves a lot less residue than other bar soaps I've used except for the glycerin-based ones which are very expensive for normal day-to-day use on your body. I would recommend only using glycerin soaps on your face or acne-prone areas, but they are the best.

Glycerin is found naturally in soaps, but it's skimmed off so the companies can sell it for more money in moisturizers...which is why bar soaps dry your skin out. Dove, on the other hand, is not actually "soap" like most bar soaps out there. See: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0092508AAOnRhL