Skip to main content

Primitive Outpost Shaving Oil and Soap Review: Close, Smooth, Manly

I’m not a man who uses a lot of fancy personal hygiene products.

Oh sure, I wash my hair, put on deodorant, and apply a soothing green tea mask every night, but a paraffin foot spa? Forget it. Never going to happen. (Also, for the record, I have never applied green tea to my flesh if not through the tragicomic spilling of a mug of tea upended as I absentmindedly checked my wristwatch. Ha, what a humorous tableau!)

Related:

Seriously, though, I’m not big on using lots of products. I bathe often (twice daily, which some say is too often…) and clean myself thoroughly when so doing. And I use sunblock when it’s sunny. That’s about it. When it comes to shaving, I’ll use whatever cream or shave gel comes first to hand, so usually it’s some pleasantly-scented whatnot surreptitiously pulled from my wife’s side of the drawers.

And for years, that served me fine. Hopefully the fact that I am not a man who has used a lot of beard balms and shaving powders and face tonics will help you believe that I mean it when I say holy shit, the shaving oil and shaving soap offered by Primitive Outpost are damned fine products.

And for the record, I’m a man with a relatively hirsute face. Proof of mustache and beard thickness submitted for your approval:
Moustache and beard

A few months back, I switched from a three-bladed razor produced by a corporate juggernaut (that will go unnamed, but which sort of rhymes with “fillet” assuming you don’t know how to pronounce that word from the French) to a razor from Vikings Blade called The Chieftain.

Vikings blade
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This throwback-style razor gives a closer, longer-lasting shave the that three-blader ever did, and ironically its single blade does so in fewer passes. The Chieftain leaves my face feeling smoother for longer than my other razor ever did, too. But it also cut the hell out of me. Yes, this is still technically a “safety razor,” but it nonetheless nicked my (prominent) Adam’s Apple, sliced my jawbone, and generally left lots of little red spots needing toilet paper applications.

Then I was put in touch with Paul Koutras from Primitive Outpost, and we got to talking about a couple of their products. First, in their own words, here’s what their company “does,” if you will:

“We produce handmade, natural products that we truly believe in and stand by. We don’t use any synthetic ingredients or toxic chemicals. Instead, we opt for natural waxes, oils, clays, and butters. We firmly believe that people should be able to take care of their bodies without using things like parabens, artificial scents, and petroleum.”

Paul recommended I try two of their products, the shaving oil you see above, and their shaving soap. I said something along the lines of “Sure, sounds great,” and committed to trying out new — gasp — products. And I’m glad I did, initial skepticism now far aside.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Primitive Outpost’s Vitality Shaving Oil is lightly citrus-scented, highly-moisturizing, and protects your skin against cuts. I know all this because I have now used it many times. A nickel-sized amount in the palm of the hands rubbed about a moist, warm face is all it takes.

Vitality primative oil
Image used with permission by copyright holder

After I let that fine manly-smelling oil sit on my whiskered face for a time, I follow it up with a lather of their shaving soap, also called Vitality and also citrus-scented. It is made using more than a half-dozen oils, Rhassoul clay, orange peel extract, and other whatnot. The soap does not seem to lather much in your hands, but once applied to facial hair, it froths up and provides great coverage.

And when you start shaving, if your experience is anything like mine, you will find your razor cutting longer, cleaner swaths and leaving much less irritation and few if any nicks and cuts. The oil/soap combination leave a thin sheen on the face that allows for follow up shaving with no new lather applied, and that rinses off easily after the shave, leaving behind just the subtlest lovely –er, manly — scent and skin that is soft and hydrated. But still manly.

So, should you ditch your old blade and your old shaving cream? Yes, yes you should.

Editors' Recommendations

Steven John
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven John is a writer and journalist living just outside New York City, by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, by way of…
How to maintain stubble year-round
A man putting on face cream while looking in the mirror.

For a classic and casual look for your facial hair, stubble is a great option for all sorts of face shapes and ages. It's also, rather handily, one of the easiest looks to maintain. But easy maintenance doesn't mean no maintenance, and if you want to look your best then you shouldn't skip on taking care of your stubble and your skin.

Stubble is a good choice if you're impatient for your beard to grow or if regular shaving is causing havoc to your skin. And with a little work to keep it neat and tidy, stubble can be an attractive and fresh look. We've rounded up a handful of tips to have your stubble looking its best.
Cleanse and exfoliate

Read more
How to straighten your beard at home safely and comfortably
Man with a straightened beard

Want to find out how to straighten that wild clump of hair on your face? You've come to the right place! In this article, we'll walk you through the easiest ways to straighten your beard, with and without heat.

If you've gone searching for answers yourself, you probably already know that there's an overwhelming number of guides and videos on the web purporting to explain how to straighten your beard. Unfortunately, few of them actually break down the different straightening options step-by-step, which is what we've tried to do it our guide. That way, you can have a clear sense of which beard straightening method best integrates into your daily routine.

Read more
How to shave with a straight razor without hurting yourself
Straight razor shave

Learning how to shave with a straight razor is a delicate art form of its own that requires practice and patience in learning how to master it. It's a ritual that can become a meditative discipline for those who hone its craft, almost transporting you back in time -- a suave experience. But don't just take our advice on it. Look no further than the epitome of sophistication -- 007 himself.

When Moneypenny helps James Bond finish shaving with a straight razor in the 2012 classic Skyfall, she says -- knowingly -- that "Sometimes, the old ways are the best." It's an adage to live by and one that holds true when it comes to men's grooming routines.

Read more