5 Grooming Habits to Remember During the Ber-Months

The Ber-months are officially here, bringing with them the annual gauntlet of endless social gatherings and being photographed by people you barely know. To ensure you look your absolute best, consider this GQ Philippines guide for your essential grooming warm-up. Fix these five habits now before the holiday chaos truly begins.

Red Is Merciless

The festive palette of red, green, and gold flatters a clean smile—but highlights a neglected one. Most men overlook regular flossing and booking a dental cleaning once a year, so be sure to take that extra step before every dentist in Manila fills up by the second week of December. Coffee, red wine, and the odd cigarettes contribute to poor gum health. Your teeth should be maintained at all costs. Only then should you wear the red suit.

Your Shelf Is Not a Laboratory

Constant product-switching isn’t caring. It’s a waste of money. Stick to a practical routine. Cleanser, serum, moisturizerMoisturizerA skincare product that hydrates the skin and helps lock in moisture, available as lightweight gels, lotions, and richer creams. Even men with oily skin benefit from a moisturizer, andGo to Moisturizer Glossary, sunscreen. Keep what works; bin whatever has been open on your shelf since the last administration. During the ber-months, skin exposed to extreme indoor air-conditioning dryness and outdoor humidity doesn’t need an academic thesis. Just simple products that keep your skin effortlessly good and healthy.

The Ears Nobody Checks

Take note: When you wash, be mindful of the spaces you don’t get to clean. Blind spots behind the ear are where sweat, wax, and bacteria can quietly accumulate. Wash there. The neck too, while you’re back in that neighborhood. Remember, every time you greet someone at a party with a holiday hug, you are unwittingly introducing them to the scent behind your ears. If it’s off, it’s an immediate dealbreaker. A surprising number of men still get this wrong.

Trim, Don’t Fade

The ultra-sharp skin fade has had its run; the trend cycle calls for a more natural, intentional grow-out. A clean, classic trim that allows your hair to settle into its organic shape projects the image of a man at ease—not one who just fled the barber’s chair. Next, combat seasonal dryness. As the ber-months bring shifts between stale office air-conditioning and weekends in the sun, invest in a premium leave-in conditioner or hair serum to keep your hair from looking like straw this December. A quality face moisturizer wouldn’t hurt either, since that same AC is draining your skin of life.

Flakes Are Not a Personality

Great hair starts at the scalp, yet men will spend forty minutes on pomadePomadeA styling product that holds hair in place and adds shine, available in water-based, oil-based, and clay-based formulas. Pomade is used for classic slick-backs and side parts, and water-based versionsGo to Pomade Glossary and ignore the buildup underneath. Flaking and thinning are the scalp’s way of sending an urgent memo. Read it. Dandruff on a black suit is the one accessory you can’t take off, so reach for an anti-dandruff shampoo, massage it in, and leave it on for the full two minutes the label asks for.

Fix it now, and by Noche Buena, the only thing landing on your shoulders will be compliments. Nobody remembers the gift you brought. They remember how clear-looking your head is.