So, yet again, one of my favorite men’s style websites, Well Spent, clued me in to a company selling exactly what I’ve been looking for. It might seem banal to you, but, as part of my quest to buy more American-made stuff & focus more on natural foods, cleaning supplies & grooming supplies, I was really excited to learn about this all-natural, American-made men’s grooming shop: Forestbare.
So far I’ve been really impressed with the quality and price of the things I got from them. And I especially like that the ingredients and manufacturing location is listed on every page. I guess I’m kind of becoming that guy.
So here’s a quick run-down:
Abraham’s Face & Beard Wash
This was reasonably priced enough that I basically bought it because Abraham is my son. I’ve been using it for a week now, and due to the salicylic acid/jojoba oil combo, I have had no beard/shaving related pimples. It barely has a scent, but matches up nicely with the awesome Duke Cannon hair wash I’ve been using. (I found that via Lodge Goods, another one of my new favorite online retailers of American-made stuff.)
Craftsman Soap Company Activated Charcoal Soap
I’d stopped using soap because that shit dried out my skin and moved on to body wash. It’s actually nice to be using soap again, and this stuff doesn’t dry out my skin or leave a noticeable residue. I’m down.
Puur Beard Face Beard Balm
Despite all my beard oil tomfoolery, I hadn’t bought anything, uh, gooier to put on it, but this stuff looked promising. As it says, it’s not a moustache wax, but I’ve been using it as such. My beard is so wiry, that I’ve been taming the bits around my face with this. I like it, and might upgrade to a moustache wax eventually.
Puur Fireman Fresh Scent Beard Oil
So of course I bought the beard oil. I was stoked to see that, where most beard oils start out at $10/oz, this one was $7 for 2oz. That’s because the oils used are pretty common, but the scent is just the right blend of smoke & citrus, and it’s working just as well to keep my beard shiny & happy. I’m definitely using this as my daily beard oil, unless I’m feeling fancy.
KOTFW Hair & Beard Pomade
I’m not real sure about this one. It’s basically an odorless wax. I have to use the edge of my comb to get any of it out, and then rub my hands together Mr. Miyagi-style to melt it enough to get in my hair. Once in there though, it does a great job holding my hairstyle without a wet look. I wish it came with a little scraper tool to get it out & smelled a bit more like the Iron Society pomade I won from Cloak & Dapper.
Live Beautifully Fresh Mountain Timber Deodorant
This is the stuff I was most eager to try. I’ve been stuck using a salt block as a deodorant because my armpit flesh is extra-sensitive due to all the chemical burns other deodorants have given me. Even Tom’s of Maine irritated me. And the salt block killed the stink (unless it is really hot out) but did nothing to stop me from pitting out. I’m happy to say that this stuff is amazing. Smells a bit like an all-natural Old Spice, no burning, no full-on pit sweat, and it only needs to be applied very very sparingly to get the job done. Definitely buying this again and again.
So if you’re a dude who’s into any of the stuff I just wrote about, give this shop a try. They also have great customer service and ship quickly.