MEN'S GROOMING: NATURAL IS THE NEW LUXURY
Why should women’s beauty products have all the fun utilizing naturally healthy ingredients? CVLUX looks into three men’s grooming brands who are leaving the toxicity out of creating a handsome confidence.
Make no mistake, men have their own self-care rituals to feel their best. They might come in the form of a great shave instead of a mud mask, or a beard oil as opposed to an anti-aging serum. But one preference remains the same: men, just like women, care about the ingredients used on their skin and hair.
“Men more than ever are looking for natural, sustainable products,” explains Brian Stanilla, Vice President of Product Development for Dr. Tusk.
This men’s line of personal care products encourages customers to “shower, shave, and save the elephants,” as the brand donates 5% of all profits to charitable partners who are directly involved in helping these majestic creatures. With this nature-saving ethos, Dr. Tusk features cruelty-free and 100% vegan products that are also free from parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, petroleum, mineral oil, and artificial colors.
“Dr. Tusk’s hemp and caffeine formulas are 99% natural,” Stanilla adds. “This ingredient combination provides a unique base for healthy skin and hair.”
Why weren’t natural products sought after in men’s care until now? Co-founder of the adventurous personal care brand Outlaw, Danielle Vincent, explains that they used to be marketed as subtle or neutral. Men (and women, for this matter) had to make a compromise between neutral and natural, or bold and full of chemicals.
With scents like campfire, whiskey, leather, and clove, Outlaw finds itself changing the game in manly scents. Vincent explains that the brand does so while keeping their soap, lotion, body wash, deodorant, solid cologne, and other products “clean” both literally and metaphorically.
“We don’t believe that natural has to be boring,” she said. “At Outlaw, we’ve created a line-up of bold, exciting products that are also ethically produced. We use natural ingredients and sustainable production methods, and create products even the most rugged adventurer would be proud to use.”
Natural formulas are even transcending barber shops and salons. KEEPIT Handsome is the salon-quality line of men’s care products using lichen extract rather than parabens and other chemicals, which often do more harm than good to men’s hair and skin. The properties of this arctic plant work as a healing anti-inflammatory and antifungal agent benefiting hair and skin.
According to co-founder Mirko Djurovich, the professional line wasn’t only created from a need to escape the chemicals. He found them ineffective to keep up with his appearance. What started as playful marital banter years ago turned into a high-performing collection of products.
As a co-owner of a trendy Montreal salon, his wife Claudia expressed her frustration about his less than well-groomed looks, asking him to “keep it handsome.” She made the counterpoint that he should make his own, and that’s precisely what businessman Djurovich did. The brand’s name is a homage to the conversation that started their journey.
It is easy for all men to up their grooming game. With an arsenal of effective and eco-friendly products already on the market, the future of men’s beauty is looking handsomer than ever before.
1. KEEPIT Handsome Grooming Cream $22.00 from www.keepithandsome.com 2. KEEPIT Handsome Beard Moisturizer $22.00 from www.keepithandsome.com 3. Outlaw Body Wash in The Gambler $14.00 from www.liveoutlaw.com 4. Outlaw Body Lotion in Blazing Saddles $15.00 from www.liveoutlaw.com 5. Dr. Tusk Hemp + Caffeine Deodorant in Burmese Sandalwood $11.00 from www.drtusk.com 6. Dr. Tusk 3-in-1 Shave Cream $12.00 from www.drtusk.com
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Beauty Contributor Jessica Parise
