Staying kempt can be a tricky business. Our award-winning grooming editor, Leo Petaccia, answers your questions.

How Cologne Keeps
A buddy of mine recently told me that fragrances should be stored in the fridge. Is this true?
Lars, Toronto, ON

Somewhat. Here’s the deal— fragrances have three enemies: sunlight, heat and air (which is why spray bottles last longer than splash bottles; once air gets into the mix, the scent starts to evaporate). Heat and light make them go rancid, just like anything else with alcohol. Keeping them in a cool, dark place, say your closet or dresser, is just as effective as storing them in a fridge. Know that all fragrances oxidize over time, and most of them have a shelf life of three to five years anyway, so you should check the date on the bottle before you buy one; some retailers will try clearing out their expired stuff by slapping sale prices on them. Be wary of these deals.

Whiter Whites
I smoke and drink coffee, and I know those two things stain teeth (yes, I’m working on quitting the former). Aside from visiting the dentist for bleaching, are there any home whitening kits you’d recommend?
Rob, Edmonton, AB

Ex-smoker here, and I run on coffee, so I feel you. Luckily, I’ve a couple of pals who happen to be dentists. One of them once made custom mouldings for me. I’d have to fill them with bleaching gel and wear them twice a day for half an hour each time. My gums would burn something fierce, but they worked, plus it saved me the five hundred bucks it costs to get it done at his office. I hear nothing but good things about Crest White Strips, so it wouldn’t hurt to try those. I use Listerine Extreme Whitening mouth rinse religiously and it’s helped, big time. There are always veneers, which are terribly expensive, but you’ll have white teeth for at least 10 years.

Bearded Blues
I recently grew a beard and I love it. But lately I’ve noticed really flaky skin and acne forming underneath, which is weird because I never had these problems before the beard. I don’t want to part with it so what can I do to stop this?
Al, Regina, SK

I wear a beard, too, Al. Helps keep my mug warm when the mercury dips, and I’ll presume yours does the same, considering the province you live in. I’ve also had my fair share of skin issues under mine, so I enlisted the help of my trusty skin doctor. “When we shave, we’re really doing a ‘natural’ exfoliation, which helps unclog pores and remove dead skin cells,” explains Dr. Benjamin Barankin, dermatologist and Director of the Toronto Dermatology Centre. “When we grow beards, it gets harder to clean the skin underneath, making pores plug up and bacteria multiply. Take a little more time when washing this area and use a cleanser with either alpha hydroxy acids or salicylic acid, both of which can easily penetrate the skin through thick hair.” The doc recommends buying Alyria’s Clarifying Cleanser ($34, alyria-med.com).