Most "grooming routines" aimed at men are either a single sad can of foam or a twelve-step skincare regimen nobody keeps up for more than a week. Neither was built for you. What actually works is a ritual — short enough to repeat, deliberate enough to matter. Three steps. Ten minutes. Done consistently, it changes your skin.

Here's the ThatsSmoooth ritual, and the thinking behind each move.

Step 1 — Prep (never skip this)

The shave is won or lost before the blade touches your face. Start with warm water to soften the hair, then work in Pre-Shave Oil. It softens coarse, textured hair and lays down a protective layer so the blade glides instead of scraping. Skipping prep is why most men fight their own face every morning. Ninety seconds here saves you the bumps.

Step 2 — Shave (with the grain, with a real lather)

Build a proper lather with the 3-in-1 Shaving Cream Mask and a brush — the brush lifts each hair and the lather cushions the blade. Then shave with the grain using a single blade and zero pressure. This is the opposite of what the drugstore taught you, and it's exactly why it works: you're cutting each hair cleanly at the surface instead of burying it under the skin to become an ingrown.

Step 3 — Restore (this is where the glow comes from)

Rinse cool and seal with the Aftershave & Facial Balm. This is the step that separates a shave from a routine: it calms the freshly-shaved skin, locks in moisture, and doubles as your daily facial moisturizer. Melanated skin that stays hydrated looks even, sharp, and healthy — and fights off the dark marks that bumps leave behind.

Why a ritual beats a routine

A routine is a list of tasks. A ritual is an identity. When these three moves become automatic — same order, same standard, every time — you stop "trying to look good" and simply are a man who takes care of himself. That consistency is the whole secret. The men whose skin always looks right aren't doing more; they're doing the same three things without fail.

Make it effortless

The fastest way to lock in the ritual is to have every step matched and ready. The Essentials Shaving System puts prep, shave, and restore in one kit — built end to end for textured hair and melanated skin, so there's nothing to think about except showing up.

This is the standard

The grooming world never made a ritual for Black men. So we did — simple, repeatable, and built for the way your skin actually works. Ten minutes. Three steps. Run it daily and let your face make the argument for you.