If you’re the kind of gentleman who needs to organize everything he does, you’ve probably got a place set aside in your bathroom or medicine chest that has everything you need already tucked inside. But if you’re just getting focused on your grooming regimen, if you’re planning a trip out of town (especially abroad) and need to get all your grooming essentials lined up, there’s no better time to build your grooming toolkit.

It’s one of the male mysteries that the same gender that works so meticulously on organizing the tools they need to clean and wash their car, their hobbies, and their clothes would care for themselves with complete chaos. So what follows takes that same principle of structure and organization – the right tools for the job, stored in the right place – and applies it to everything needed to transform you into a gentleman. Or at least, a man who’s got his act together.

Use an appropriate toolkit for your toolkit

Your grooming toolkit should be large enough to safely contain all your grooming essentials but compact enough that it doesn’t take up too much space on your shelf or inside your suitcase.

Most department stores and big box retailers carry collapsible shaving kit bags in a variety of materials. You don’t have to get the all-leather valise and the bag itself doesn’t have to be particularly expensive. It should be large enough to handle several items at once and include a watertight zippered pocket where you can store a damp toothbrush or razor blade.

For a non-travel option, simply get a plastic box with a snap-top lid. They’re usually in the dollar price range.

The right tools for the job

Now that you’ve got the toolkit, it’s time to stock it up. From top to bottom, your grooming kit should include shampoo, conditioner, styling gel/moose, nose hair trimmers, razor blades, aftershave gel, deodorant, soap, body wash, fingernail clippers, nail cleaning brush, a pumice stone, and toenail clippers.

The importance of the smaller items

They say the Devil’s in the details, and keeping your skin smooth and free of the stray runaway hair and your nails clean with the cuticles cut back shows your attention to taking care of yourself.

Yes, it’s important to shampoo and use conditioner. Your hair needs certain nutrients to stay lively looking and fresh. Shampoos can strip its natural oils away, but conditioners replenish.

The soap is to clean your skin while the body wash will keep it moisturized. Like your hair, your skin cells need certain emollients to stay young and healthful. The pumice stone is to scrape away dead skin cells, which has obvious benefits.

It’s also a good idea to keep a small pair of sewing scissors that you can use to trim stray hairs around the face, ears, and neck. These little details often go unnoticed – until they are noticed, and then they’ll really stand out against all the other time and effort you’ve put into looking your best.