By Tom Fontaine

What do you see when you open up your bathroom cabinet? If the contents are a disorganised jumble of unused prescription medicines, out-of-date toiletries, half-empty bottles of suncream and other assorted junk, then it's time for an overhaul.

Every man should keep his bathroom well-stocked with essential supplies to deal with minor ailments, grooming emergencies and to prevent any late-night dashes to the nearest pharmacy. Out with the old and in with the new... here is our guide to giving your bathroom cabinet that much-needed makeover.

Contraceptives
Wishful thinking, perhaps, but you never know when you're going to get lucky or fall into a loving, physical relationship. One thing for sure, however, is that when you do, you need to be prepared. Your bathroom cabinet should always contain a supply of contraceptives, and because you're a bloke and no women in her right mind would stick around if you produced a morning-after pill and said, "just take one of these when we're done," this means condoms.

Multivitamins
Your body needs nutrients to carry out almost every reaction in the body. Eating a healthy, balanced diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables is the best way to make sure you get these nutrients into your system. But we all go through periods when we perhaps don't eat as well as we should, or don't have time to cook healthy meals from scratch. To compensate for these lapses, invest in a good multi-vitamin, which will prevent any nutritional deficiencies and protect you from minor ailments such as the common cold.

A reliable painkiller
A sore head, aches and pain, colds, sports injuries — you never know exactly when you'll need a painkiller, but chances are you'll feel the desire to pop a pill a few times a year at least, so it's better to be prepared than have to dash out to the nearest pharmacy while wincing in pain. Just be sure to take something that works best for you and in particular pay close to attention to any side-effects. Aspirin, for example, has been linked to stomach bleeding, while paracetamol can lead to kidney problems and ibuprofen (which is actually an anti-inflammatory) is said to raise risk of heart attack. However, these are all good drugs and adverse reactions like these are rare (and usually only occur at high dosage), but it's important to consider what's best for your body, so talk to your GP or pharmacist before stocking up.

Dental floss
Unless you want breath that could stop a challenger tank in its tracks, you had better get flossing. Bad breath, or halitosis, is often caused by food particles and bacteria stuck between your teeth, so you need to do all you can to get it out of there. Your home dental regime is essential to this, so as much as you find it a chore, regular flossing is essential.

Herbal sleeping tablets
If you suffer from lack of sleep, don't expect a magic pill from your doctor. While GPs will offer advice on getting a good night's kip (making sure the temperature in your room is right, taking a bath before bed), they will be reluctant to prescribe anything stronger due to the addictive nature of sleeping pills. You can, however, try something less intense. Valerian root is a popular herbal sleeping remedy, and there is strong scientific evidence that suggests it does improve the quality of sleep and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. Plus, you can take them without worrying that you are going to become addicted and, whatever their powers of drowsiness, even the placebo effect can be enough to send you off to slumberland.

Deodorant
You smell without it. Enough said.

B vitamins
If you imagine your body as a car, then food is the fuel that it needs to run. Put more simply, we rely on food for energy, but sometimes we don't eat enough of the right foods or, even when we do, our system struggles to process them properly, leaving us feeling sluggish and tired. B vitamins, found in fish, poultry, eggs, dairy and leafy green vegetables increase the body's ability to extract energy from the food you eat. To make sure you're getting enough, and to keep your energy levels topped up, make sure your bathroom cabinet contains a daily B vitamin supplement.

SPF moisturiser
The term 'metrosexual' no longer applies to today's man — we've gone way beyond that. Applying moisturiser is now something the majority of us do on a daily basis, but while it helps keep our skin from drying out, it doesn't offer much protection against the sun's harmful UV rays and the onset of premature ageing. For that, you need to invest in a good moisturiser with SPF protection (at least factor 15). And don't be fooled into thinking you only need to use it when abroad or in the height of summer — the sun's rays still attack your skin during the colder months of the year.

Aftershave balm
Shaving is a deeply personal exercise for men. Wet-shave or electric? Foam or gel? One thing we can all agree on is how annoying it is to develop a rash or itchy skin after putting in all that effort to make our face silky soft. Including a good aftershave lotion — usually containing aloe vera, calendula, jojoba or other emollient — in your shaving routine is the best way to make skin complaints a thing of the past and leave your mug feeling extra smooth.

Stomach relief
It's perfectly normal to come down with a stomach complaint — triggers include medication you may be taking, infections or viruses, dairy products and caffeine — but to avoid any embarrassing mishaps (especially when you get a girl back to your place or, even worse, hers), you need to make sure you've taken precautions that will stop it in its tracks. If you're prone to tummy upsets, take something like Imodium before a night out, prior to eating or drinking anything that has caused you problems in the past or before you start a course of antibiotics. Many keen runners also suffer from 'joggers' belly', so be sure to pop a pill before a race or starting a run that will take you miles away from the nearest toilet.

Nail clippers
While we would stop short of sending you out for a manicure, we do recommend you buy a good pair of nail clippers or scissors to keep your hands and feet looking their best. Dirty, uneven nails are a real turn-off for women, and don't even think about biting them — your nails are host to numerous bacteria, which can lead to infection and other nasty conditions. Plus, it looks disgusting. Time to be a grown-up and cut your nails yourself — just don't leave your clippings in the sink.

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