Grooming · personal care

The routine — hair, skin & sweat

A low-effort personal-care system on the same office + training week as the health plan. One rule runs through all of it: gentle daily care, the right active for each specific problem, lukewarm water everywhere, and never over-treat.

// source of truth is grooming-plan.md — this HTML is a view of it. Edit the markdown first, then re-sync this page so nothing drifts.

// 01 every day (fixed)

The daily baseline

Independent of badminton. The face routine runs morning + night on its own clock; bath timing flexes around the game.

Morning

Face: Cetaphil cleanse → light moisturizer → Minimalist SPF 50 (last, generous ~2 finger-lengths, ~15 min before going out).

After main bath

Body: Cetaphil lotion on slightly damp skin within ~5 min, on dry-prone zones (shins, forearms, back). Winter / very dry days: Cetaphil Cream.

Night

Face: Cetaphil cleanse → light moisturizer. Underarms: Dove Men+Care antiperspirant on clean, dry skin before bed.

Anytime

Hair: neem wide-tooth comb, gentle. Lips: balm (esp. winter).

bath timing Main bath is the evening one, after badminton or strength (when sweat + scalp actually need it). A morning shower is an optional quick water rinse — keep soap/shampoo for the evening, never double-cleanse. Sunday (gym is morning) the main bath is the after-gym oil session.

// 02 the hair week

Weekly schedule

Four washes a week — anti-dandruff twice, gentle twice, two rinses. Badminton Mon/Wed/Fri, strength Tue/Thu, gym Sun, rest Sat; the wash lands on the post-session shower.

Day	Activity	Main bath	Hair
Sun	gym	after gym	Pre-wash jojoba oil 30–60 min → anti-dandruff; comb through
Mon	badminton	eve · post-game	Gentle shampoo
Tue	strength B	eve · post-workout	Water rinse
Wed	badminton	eve · post-game	Anti-dandruff — scalp, 2–3 min soak
Thu	strength C	eve · post-workout	Water rinse
Fri	badminton	eve · post-game	Gentle shampoo
Sat	rest	morning	No wash

why this shape Anti-dandruff lands on Sun + Wed (3–4 days apart) — close enough to control the dandruff, far enough not to over-treat. Oil pre-wash is Sunday (gym is morning, so there's time for the soak before washing). Gentle Mon + Fri (post-badminton). Tue + Thu are water rinses after strength sessions — lighter sweat than badminton, no shampoo needed. Sat is rest, no wash.

// 03 wash & oil

How to wash

Wash & oil procedure

AD Lukewarm soak → coin-sized blob to whole scalp → fingertip massage ~1 min → leave 2–3 min (active needs contact time) → rinse well.
gentle Same, but no 2–3 min wait.
conditioner Optional — pea-size on the 3" top only if it feels dry; never scalp/sides.
Sun oil Few drops jojoba to scalp, fingertip massage 2–3 min, comb through, leave 30–60 min (never overnight, no coconut on scalp), then wash out with the Minimalist shampoo.
rinse days Lukewarm water rinse of the scalp after the game — no shampoo.
towel Blot/press, never rub. Air-dry over heat styling.

// 04 body, skin & sweat

Below the neck

Body, face, sweat & occasional itch

Body wash: Cetaphil Gentle / Dove Sensitive. Lukewarm; soap the zones that need it, water for the rest.
Moisturizer: Cetaphil lotion year-round on damp skin after main bath; Cetaphil Cream in winter.
Antiperspirant: Dove Men+Care at night on dry underarms. Clinical-grade not needed.
Face: Cetaphil cleanse AM/PM, moisturizer, SPF 50 AM. Sunscreen is the highest-value step.

occasional groin-crease itch Mild fungal, not recurrent. Keep dry after washing. Flare → clotrimazole cream + Candid powder before badminton.

// 05 products & links

The kit (India / Amazon.in)

Products & purchase links

Item	Product	Link
AD shampoo	Minimalist Anti-Dandruff 3.5%	amazon.in ↗
Gentle shampoo	Deconstruct Nourishing (or Re'equil / Earth Collective)	amazon.in ↗
Conditioner	Deconstruct Nourishing Conditioner (optional)	search amazon.in
Jojoba oil	WishCare / Soulflower cold-pressed (optional)	amazon.in ↗
Comb	Neem wooden wide-tooth (Rufiys / Nat Habit)	amazon.in ↗
Body wash	Cetaphil Gentle Body Wash / Dove Sensitive	amazon.in
Body lotion	Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion	amazon.in / Nykaa
Winter cream	Cetaphil Moisturising Cream (or Nivea/Vaseline)	amazon.in
Face cleanser	Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser	amazon.in / Nykaa
Sunscreen	Minimalist SPF 50 PA++++	search amazon.in
Antiperspirant	Dove Men+Care Roll-On (or Rexona Men)	amazon.in ↗
Antifungal cream	Clotrimazole cream (as needed)	pharmacy / 1mg
Antifungal powder	Candid Dusting Powder 1% (as needed)	amazon.in ↗

Brand tier: derm/science — Minimalist, Deconstruct, CeraVe, Cetaphil.

// 06 after ~3–4 weeks

Settling into maintenance

Maintenance notes & disclaimer

Once flaking is gone, drop Minimalist to once a week (keep Sunday) and make Wednesday a gentle wash.
Introduce new products one at a time, a few days apart.
Give the switch 4–6 weeks before judging hairfall — changes show on a lag.

not medical advice A sensible general routine, not a prescription. Persistent dandruff, flare that won't clear, or sustained shedding → see a dermatologist.