I was going to call this week's column 'beauty products for men' but then I thought better of it. 'Beauty' is such a feminine word. Should we call them 'handsome products', maybe?

Whatever we call them, my father's generation didn't have time for them. A quick shave and a scrub with soap and water, use a bit of water to slick the hair down, that was it.

Fortunately men have a few more options these days. One of those options, for instance, is deciding not to shave. A whole load of products have been created to help the mustache or beard wearer look good. Beard cream, including moisturizer to stop your beard getting scratchy or itchy; beard balm, mustache wax, beard brushes, beard trimmers - keeping your facial topiary in trim is a real man's job!

Moisturizer is something women know about and men often ignore. But letting your skin dry out isn't clever - for a start, you'll show your age a lot quicker. Grab a good moisturizer  - and if it's winter time, get a heavy-duty moisturizer, as cold, dry air means your skin will need extra hydration. You might get a cream that includes SPF protection (which will greatly reduce your chances of getting skin cancer, as well as wrinkles).

If you wash your hair every day, you may think you're doing things right - but actually you're drying your hair out quite severely. Got frizz? Or dry and uncontrollable hair? You need a conditioner. This puts the oils you need back in your hair, and can also deliver fragrance - look for manly scents like tea tree oil, pine, birch, sage, or eucalyptus.

Now my father used to have a loofah in the bath for giving his back a good scratch. But nowadays, you might want to grab an exfoliating shower towel, or a good exfoliating cream. These remove any dead skin cells, leaving your skin feeling lively and healthy.

You might also want to have a body cream or lotion for after the shower. Getting clean is good, but you want to make sure you 'feed' your skin too. It's like weeding the garden and then spreading a bit of fertilizer. Too much soaping and scrubbing, and you'll end up feeling raw.

And you'll want a deodorant too. Look for one without aluminum, which can cause stains. Many now also come in plastic-free packaging, great news if you care about the environment.

Do you need to buy male-orientated products? Or can you use women's beauty products too? Apart from the packaging, the main difference is likely to be in the fragrances; some women's products use a lot of floral perfumes, which is most likely not going to suit your taste or style. But there's no reason you shouldn't use a standard moisturizer or conditioner - which can be useful if there's a bulk buy available or your girlfriend uses the same brand that you do.

(You may not want to explore eyeliner and mascara too much. But then, she probably doesn't need a beard trimmer.)

Before you spend a bundle on funky mustache styling products, though, take a look at Vipon. You may find some good discount offers. And if there's one thing better than looking good, it's looking good and having a full pocketbook!