You probably know Alex Pettyfer best from his role alongside Channing Tatum as “The Kid” in Magic Mike.

The 27-year old British actor has recently traded his seductive moves for a new role heading up Upturn Publishing, the publishing company he founded in early 2015 that has just released it’s first novel, “Blood, Ink & Fire” by Ashley Mansour. The dystopian novel is about living in a world without books — something Pettyfer, an avid reader, was especially drawn to.

“I was blown away by the relevance it has in todays world,” says Pettyfer. “I’ve been a part of the young adult world a number of times, like with I Am Number Four, so I can understand this world.” Pettyfer, who says “The Alchemist” is one of his favorite books, is hoping that “Blood, Ink & Fire” will also make it to the big screen at some point as well.

Pettyfer has been in the spotlight for a number of years — even before he stripped down for Steven Soderberg’s Magic Mike — and not surprisingly with that role, he’s picked up some grooming tips along the way. “I’ve heard that washing your hair everyday is not great for you,” he tells Yahoo Beauty. “So I use dry shampoo on the days where I’m not washing my hair. It’s great when you’re on the go.” His go-to is Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo ($5), which he tends to borrow from his girlfriend, model Marloes Horst.

Alex Pettyfer has learned a lot about grooming after years of being in front of the camera. (Photo: Instagram)

As for the rest of his routine, Pettyfer keeps things simple. “Less is more. I have learned to embrace my natural imperfections, rather than hiding them behind lots of product and makeup,” he says. (We’ve seen him shirtless and are pretty sure he’s free of imperfections.) He’s also a big fan of ink. His tattoos have always been based on experiences in his life, never on what’s in style — although he recently trick fans (and his family) into thinking he got a massive back tattoo in video he put out promoting the “Blood, Ink & Fire” release.

When it comes to staying in shape, Pettyfer learned a lot about working out on the set of Magic Mike. “I had two left feet before I did Magic Mike. I didn’t think you could teach someone how to dance,” he says. If you check out his Instagram, you’ll see that he hasn’t stopped dancing since then. Today, his fitness routine is all about eating healthy and yoga.

As for what is next, Pettyfer will appear in the upcoming film Elvis & Nixon, but what’s most important when it comes to taking a role is that he feels challenged. “I think us as humans always want to be challenged or we get a little bored,” he says. “I’m always open to anything as long as that challenge and experience is different than the one before.”