How to Care for Your Skin Like John Wick

With John Wick coming out of retirement to enact more revenge on villain assassins, the iconic, rough-and-tumble look gets another day in the spotlight. It may appear Keanu Reeves, who plays Wick on screen, rarely grooms, but the seemingly simple, just-rolled-out-of-bed, scruffy look, is purposely cultivated.

Whether you believe it’s science or simply anecdotal evidence, the general consensus is facial hair makes a man more attractive, and, believe it or not, could even have health benefits. If you’re ready to achieve the rugged, tough guy look, here’s our best guess at Wick’s daily routine.

Step one is to come to terms with the fact that achieving this look doesn’t mean forgoing all skin care efforts. In fact, it actually requires a bit more grooming care, but there are ways to simplify the process and it starts with taking care of the skin underneath the stubble.

1. Put a bounty on impurities. A good cleanse with a salicylic acid-based cleanser is a smart way to get started. A few days each week, follow the cleanse with a facial scrub.This will help eliminate dead skin cells and impurities, and provide a smoother shave for clean lines shaping your beard.

2. Harness hydration. A shave oil that boosts the skin with antioxidants will help prevent nicks and rashes, and keep your beard looking healthy rather than scraggly. When using during the shave, be sure to let the oil sit for about 30 seconds to absorb into the skin and soften the hair. A light application is also a great finishing touch to keep hair smooth. Alternatively, or in addition to, a toner will also help support hydration for the skin under the beard and double as an aftershave.

3. Stay in shape. There’s no doubt when he’s not fighting off assassins, Wick is cleaning up that meticulously groomed beard. Every great beard needs a little refining. To avoid razor bumps, consider shaving after a warm shower (and steps one and two). This will help soften the beard hair and ready the skin for the razor. And, this may seem rudimentary, but always shave in the direction of hair growth to prevent tugging and pulling.

4. Protect against criminals. Just as Wick stacks up his defenses against enemy assassins, you have to do the same for your skin. Ok, it’s not quite that intense, but protecting your skin against damaging elements like UV rays is imperative for maintaining healthy skin and thus a killer beard. On a daily basis, be sure to apply a mineral-based sun protection formula. This will not only stave the damaging effects of UV rays, it will also help protect against environmental elements for all you urban dwellers.

Now that you're set in the beard department, you’ll have to turn your attention to nailing that slicked-back hairdo.