Skip to main content

Empire State of Mind

empire state mind forza
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’re picky about what you put in your body – why not be picky about what you put in your hair? Or your beard for that matter. Empire Apothecary is a new brand that offers handmade skincare, hair and grooming products in New York City – the East Village to be exact.

The brand uses only the finest ingredients sourced from a small group of trusted organic producers.

Lets discuss their hair treatment for example. You can go ahead and ditch your usual hair gel – the stuff Empire Apothecary sells is made from a blend of organic oils and clays and will hold your hair in place all day without making you look like your perpetually auditioning for a role in “Grease”.

So what’s in their products that make them so special? Jojoba oil, coconut oils, beeswax, Kukui oil, grape seed oil, and Kaolin clay. The ingredients necessary for perfect hair.

Empire Apothecary also sells beard drops – formulated to restore the natural oils we lose through everyday washing. These drops will help you maintain a sleek and healthy beard.

How did Empire come about? It occurred to Zac Mallard, the founder, that a lot of men spend time and money on their body – eating well, going to the gym, etc. But, when it came to personal cosmetics, things were a bit different.

“We seem to be rubbing lots of chemicals and jive all over our body’s largest organ. So I created this line of handcrafted hair clay, pomade, beard oil, and facial scrub to offer a solution.”

Mallard says he’s passionate about his small brand and enjoys the old school mentality of handing off a quality-controlled product to the consumer.

“The concept is simple really; making high-quality products for high quality men out of all-natural ingredients,” he says, “without it being too granola.”

Check out their line of products at www.empireapothecary.com

Topics
Stefan Doyno
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Stefan Doyno is a two-time Emmy-winning television producer who has worked for various shows at ABC News, including Good…
The Best Beard Trimmer Deals for May 2022
Trimming a mustache

It's important to pick out one of the best beard trimmers in the business to make sure you can tame your whiskers at home while looking great, too. With so many different beard trimmer deals out there, we've checked out some of the best. Each of these will streamline the process and be a fantastic investment in ensuring you have the right look for you at all times. Read on while we highlight some of our favorite choices available right now.
Remington Head-To-Toe Grooming Set -- $30, was $67

The Remington Head-To-Toe Grooming Set packs a lot into its low price. It has four trimming and shaving attachments, which mean it can handle everything from head to toe. That includes length adjustable combs along with a full-size trimmer. It's possible to use the nose and ear hair trimmer to keep unsightly hair organized while the vertical trimmer is great for shaving body hair with a choice of three lengths. In all, you get a full-size trimmer, foil shaver, nose, ear, and detail trimmer, vertical body hair trimmer, hair clipper comb with eight length settings, along with three beard and stubble combs. The trimmer offers a battery life of up to 70 minutes so it'll last a long time. It's also easily cleaned with its washable attachments.

Read more
The Best Fair Trade Grooming Products for Ethical Self-Care
Environment-friendly grooming and bath products beside a plant on a surface.

When shopping for the perfect men’s grooming products for your self-care regimen, there is a range of desirable product attributes you might look for — vegan, organic, non-comedogenic, and hypoallergenic to name a few. Many guys are also interested in the ethical and sustainable production of grooming products, so they want to find Fair Trade-Certified grooming products.
A Fair Trade certification indicates that at least one ingredient in the product was produced and traded in accordance with standards set forth by Fair Trade USA. Fair Trade Certification helps ensure workers and producers are paid fair wages and fair prices, work in safe environments and under safe conditions, protect the environment during production, and receive funds to develop their communities. Therefore, buying Fair Trade grooming products is one way you can promote ethical and fair trading practices, safe working conditions, community support, and environmental sustainability.
Unfortunately, there are few men’s grooming products that are fully Fair Trade Certified. However, there are some great grooming products that use fair trade ingredients with their brands committed to ethical business practices. Consider taking steps toward a kinder, fairer, safer way of conducting business while simultaneously looking your best with our recommendations for the best fair trade grooming products for men.
 Related Guides

Best Reef-Safe Sunscreens
Best Natural Deodorants

Read more
Grooming Journals: Luke DiTella’s World-Inspired Skincare Routine
luke ditella grooming journals 0

Welcome to Grooming Journals, where we talk to men across the country about one of their most intimate daily investments: Grooming.

This week, we sit down with professional surfer turned model and overall modern-day Renaissance man, Luke DiTella. DiTella is an actor, model, brand ambassador and a motorcycle enthusiast with an extensive (and impressive) resume. From sun gazing to using all natural deodorants, we take a look at what goes into DiTella's skin care routine to keep him dapper and looking his best. DiTella will serve as a panelist for our annual Grooming Awards, which will launch on April 27. Read on to learn more about his grooming routine. 

Read more