The men’s grooming category is growing, and we are not mad about it. While we’re certainly happy to see that more men are willing to go beyond a shower, shave, and a quick spray of deodorant, we can also see why a trip down the average drugstore aisle can become a minefield. It’s bad enough that some of our old favorites are expanding their product ranges to include everything from cleansers to moisturizers. It seems like there are new entries into the skincare product game every day. Stick with us. We’ll help you navigate through all that. Here are seven new collections we’re excited to share and one fun new entry into the toothbrush market. Author’s note: We’ve tried just about all of these, and are so happy with the results, we’re having decision-making anxiety every morning before even stepping into the shower.
Jack Henry
Jack Henry was introduced when founders Kyle and Erin Bardouche couldn’t find hair products that didn’t include tons of synthetic ingredients. The well-coiffed couple’s first introduction was OG Pomade, a blend of beeswax, coconut oil, and lavender. Since then. the brand has expanded to include an award-winning clay pomade, deodorant (with eucalyptus and bergamot), face toner, and much more.
Earlier in 2019, the company introduced a line of focused-use skin moisturizers: Morning Hydrate is an everyday solution, featuring organic coconut, sweet almond, and turmeric oils. Nightly Detox ) includes coconut, avocado, and tea tree oils, and is like a nightly trip to rehab for your face. The avocado oil helps promote collagen growth and reverses the effects of aging, while tea tree oil adds antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Super Face Moisturizer blends camellia, pomegranate, hazelnut, and rosehip oils to fight inflammation and aging while reducing the appearance of wrinkles and scars. The moisturizers are all light in both weight and fragrance, all packaged in eco-friendly glass bottles and jars with an easy-to-use pump top.
Cardon
Korean skincare routines have ruled the women’s skincare markets for a couple of years, now with 10-step grooming routines, exotic ingredients, and pretty packaging (not to mention K-Pop endorsements). New men’s grooming brand Cardon utilizes all that Korean R&D to make products just for guys. Narae Chung and Jacqueline Oak met at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School while getting MBAs and bring experience from brands like Gillette and Olay to the table.
Cardon’s out of the gate product is an SPF-focused moisturizer that is cactus infused. Clearly cacti know a thing or two about resisting the sun, so this seemed natural, but recognizing that men’s skin is thicker and oilier than women’s, Cardon made its product water-based so it’s light and doesn’t block pores. Of course, the sunscreen part is reef-safe, paraben-free, silicone-free, sulfate-free — all the things that we want for ourselves and our planet. It provides SPF 30, so it’s great to wear every day, but is also great to toss into your beach bag. To make that even easier, Cardon offers a subscription model. A single 1.2-ounce bottle costs $20, but you can get two for $37 and have it arrive on your doorstep every four months (the delivery cycle can be adjusted to your usage).
Rich by Rick Ross<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
Rick Ross is a man truly on top of his game with his sixth Billboard number one album, Port of Miami 2, followed by the debut of his memoir, Hurricanes. The story details the rap artist’s survival through the 1980s crack epidemic, high school football, and young adulthood in the projects, right up until he hit the big time with his massively successful track Hustlin’.
The Miami native also dropped a luxurious men’s grooming collection earlier in 2019. Rich by Rick Ross features nine products providing “The Boss Experience” with every use. Exotic ingredients include Champagne, caviar, hemp seed oil, and Kona coffee extracts, but the collection skips sulfates, paraben, and mineral oil. Hair and body wash, shampoo, and conditioner — all $12 each — will enrich your showering experience. Beard care includes shaving cream, aftershave balm, and beard oil, $16. Finish up with stylin’ styling products, like pomade, styling gel, or strong styling wax. There’s even a gold or silver beard and hairbrush — priceless, baby. Well, $13.
Koa
While the creative team behind Koa is based in New York City, the products are inspired by the beauty of Hawaii. The five product-line includes a daily cleanser, exfoliating toner pads, and daily moisturizer, as well as two reef-safe, anti-pollution SPF 45 sunscreens, both invisible and tinted. They are sulfate-, paraben-, phthalate-, artificial fragrance-, alcohol-, and cruelty-free, but loaded with tropical island goodness. All products and practices are environmentally conscious, using recycled and recyclable materials. One percent of all proceeds go towards removing plastic pollution from beaches and oceans.
The Daily Face Cleanser includes something called sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, which is a coconut-derived cleanser that is part of a mix of aloe vera green tea, yuzu, and licorice root that smells and feels great, and is a perfect way to start your morning. Follow that up with the equally delightful Daily Face Moisturizer that includes exotic ingredients like kukui nut and giant seaweed; it feels light on the skin and features a light, fresh fragrance. The Balancing Toner is a jar of 50 pads that are immersed in a formula to control oil and gently exfoliate. Finish up with the Anti-pollution SPF 45+. While we’re loving the invisible formula as an everyday sunscreen to put on your face before heading out for the day, we’re thinking the tinted version might come in handy later in the year, long after the tan fades. Both are zinc oxide, mineral formulas — safe for you, safe for coral — so be sure to spend a little extra time (gently) rubbing in the lotion in, so there are no white spots.
Jafra Royal Men
Back in 1956, Jan and Frank Day started their own cosmetics company, combined their first names, and — way before Brangelina — Jafra was born. But wait, this story is about new grooming brands! Sixty-three years later, Jafra introduced Jafra Royal Men. The company built its reputation by formulating products using royal jelly, the substance that bees feed to their hive’s queen. Besides granting the royal mojo, proponents claim it has a host of benefits for human beings, from nutrient to anti-inflammatory to antioxidant properties (it may even help with cholesterol!). But including it in a skincare regimen helps skin look and act younger.
The collection launched with four basic products. Step one, as always, is the Clean + Condition Face Wash, which gently removes dirt, sweat, and oil, and leaves skin smooth and balanced. It also softens skin and facial hair for a nice, clean shave, while honey adds a hydrating touch and caffeine calms the skin. After shaving, the Post Shave Face Tonic includes salicylic acid to help prevent ingrown hair and clogged pores. Age Defense Face Hydrator is a lightweight moisturizer with hyaluronic acid and Jafra’s Royal Jelly RJx technology. And, as is becoming the norm with modern men’s product collections, it finishes with a 3-in-1 Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 featuring silica to mattify oily skin, as well as ingredients to relieve discomfort from shaving and, of course, protect from pollution and sun damage. The products all have a lightweight, almost water-life feel, but do have a noticeable bottom-line impact on the face.
Act of Being
It’s time to take vegans seriously. They’re taking over more than just your favorite fast food joint — they’re making moves into the skincare aisle, too! Vegan brand Act of Being is dedicated to being socially responsible, cruelty-free, and eco-conscious, all while maintaining luxury standards for its products. Brand new, it just launched at the end of the summer of 2019. Founders Paul Marino and Randy Cooperstone say, “Act of Being’s philosophy is to help propel a man toward achieving his best self; toward becoming a man who struggles, overcomes, and achieves his goals in his career, social, and family life.”
The collection starts with the HP+ Essentials Set, including a Daily Face Wash, Grooming Oil, and Shave Cream. The wash includes exfoliating beads, salicylic acid to exfoliate even deeper, and baobab to cleanse and detox. The Grooming Oil, with both baobab and argan oils, softens beard hair while reducing razor burn, adding hydration while it calms and soothes the skin to prepare it for shaving. The Shave Cream incorporates coconut, apple fruit extract, and baobab, as well as cooling aloe vera and cucumber. Expect to find a Daily Eye Cream, Moisturizer, and Recovery Balm on the site soon.
Ayond
A very minimalist, focused collection, Ayond launched in June 2019, featuring four products in clean, simple packaging and light, neutral fragrances. It was founded by Porter Yates, a sustainable development engineer, and Shani Van Bruekelens, a Central Saint Martin graduate and former fashion designer. The two melded their love for Santa Fe and New York to create a brand that is genderless, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Start with the Metamorph Cleansing Balm that incorporates “ceremonial desert herbs” — babassu and copaiba oils nurture, hydrate, and remove impurities; wild desert sage, chaparral, and frankincense soothe skin and reduce irritation; and mimosa and candelilia flower waxes hydrate and prevent moisture loss. Rock Rose Face Serum renews and revives. The brand’s proprietary Rock Rose Renewal Blend stimulates skin’s natural renewal cycle, reduces the appearance of fine lines, protects beneficial skin microflora, and provides immediate and long term hydration, and is blended with sand verbena, wild indigo, and California poppy to help calm stressed skin. Amber Elix Face Oil incorporates amber extract, prickly pear cactus, Spanish needle (trust us, this won’t hurt a bit), and marshmallow and licorice root extracts to nourish and even skin tone, reduce fine lines, and combat the effects of UV damage. Finish up with Taos Blue Day Cream to protect and hydrate with blue butterfly bush and blue corn, as well as more of that Rock Rose Renewal Blend.
Shyn
Shyn (like “shine”) is a new entry into the electric toothbrush market. For just under $50, you’ll get a toothbrush and your choice of either a whitening, anti-plaque, or gum care head, as well as a travel case and charger. You can further customize your subscription with add-ons including Rembrandt Deeply Whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, and a 90-pack of Shyn flossers. Available in classic white or matte black, the brush can coordinate with your other bathroom accessories.
New to electric toothbrushes? Shyn offers more than 31,000 powerful brush strokes per minute, as well as a pressure sensor to be sure you’re not pushing too hard, a built-in timer, and up to five intensity levels for Clean, White, Sensitive, or and Massage cleaning modes. You may actually see your dentist smile for a change.
Shyn also offers an easy subscription service, sending a replacement head every quarter. Make the rest of your dental care routine easy, too, by adding Rembrandt toothpaste, whitening strips, or Shyn flossers to your recurring order.
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