The grooming industry is growing. Men are spending more money on their hair and skin than ever before and, as investment in the science behind skincare grows, new active ingredients and products are appearing. Here, we present a short primer on what you could be doing for your appearance in 2020 that you perhaps haven’t done before. Some of it may sound scary (the LED face mask makes for a brilliant Halloween costume), but if you incorporate this lot into your routine, you’ll have barely changed at all by the time we get to 2030.

What do you mean you’re not using retinol? Ask any woman in your orbit and she’ll likely tell you the stuff has changed her life. Essentially a concentrated form of vitamin A that works to smooth out fine lines, reduce redness and scarring and combat acne, retinol is something of a wonder ingredient. Apply a little of 111Skin’s Celestial Black Diamond Retinol Oil at bedtime to revamp your skin. Be sure to wear SPF the following day, however, as retinol increases the skin’s photosensitivity. You could also try glycolic acid wipes, such as the Glycolic Exfoliating and Resurfacing Wipes from Anthony, which work by exfoliating and dissolving any impurities on the skin, leaving it as smooth as a boiled egg.

It might feel impossible to resist the urge to take a selfie when you’re wearing one, but if you’re just using face masks for Instagram, you’re missing out. From sheet versions to LED contraptions, masks are everywhere now and they’re some of the most revolutionary innovations in the beauty industry. Jaxon Lane’s Korean-inspired Bro Sheet Mask, which is a membrane-like film coated in collagen, vitamin B3 and plant extracts, does everything from soothing sun damage to getting rid of redness. The Light Salon’s Boost Advanced LED Light Therapy Face Mask, which, despite looking like a Jason Voorhees costume, brightens and rejuvenates skin with the click of a button by utilising red and near-infrared light technology to stimulate collagen production and even skin tone.

Much like you would smarten up for a wedding and not wear, say, a scruffy pair of jeans, so your fragrance should match the occasion. The idea of a fragrance wardrobe has been become popular in recent years and, with so many innovative brands doing brilliant things with perfume, there’s no reason why the modern man shouldn’t build a fragrance portfolio of his own. Timothy Han / Edition, for instance, bases its fragrances on works of literature. The washed-out floral notes and dark woody scents of its Heart of Darkness fragrance are perhaps as close as a man can get to smelling well read. Or try Byredo, whose varied portfolio of scents spans everything from the subtle Super Cedar, which is brilliantly fresh and light and works well as an everyday scent, to the more pronounced, heady Slow Dance, which, with base notes of patchouli and vanilla and a heart of geranium, is the perfect choice for a night on the town.

A shampoo and conditioner are a great start, but to get the most out of your haircare routine, there are plenty of other unguents you can deploy. Styling products can promote healthy hair too, so a hair cream with moisturising ingredients, such as Baxter of California’s Grooming Lotion, which contains nourishing grape, sunflower and jojoba oils, is always a sensible choice. Next, minimising hair loss. As Ms Joni Mitchell sang, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Has your hairline always been that high? Keep your scalp, and therefore your hair follicles, healthy by investing in a volumising, strengthening serum. Sisley Revitalizing Fortifying Serum is a cult favourite, and with good reason. Massage three pipettefuls of this stuff once a week into your scalp and you’ll have nothing to worry about.