Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Hardworking Gentlemen Offers American-Made Grooming Goods for the Everyday Man

Cruising down Southern California’s Highway 101, you’ll certainly feel nostalgia for the simpler days or having a surfboard in tow. But by no means has the surf culture faded away. Encinitas, California, is harboring true craftsman with the intent of bettering the everyday with a brand dedicated to Hardworking Gentlemen.

Found in one of Encinitas’ oldest buildings (built in the 1920s),

Hardworking Gentlemen

prides itself on delivering grooming products made from natural ingredients for the everyday man. The shop and conveniently located headquarters are everything you want to be and in its truest form: SoCal, so chill. The shelves are littered with cultured clothing from local companies, which complement the California-crafted goods of Hardworking Gentlemen. The brand’s lineup is meant to be kept by the sink, in your dopp kit, and used every day. The focus is on simplicity and functionality to deliver sustainable and mindful products.

hardworking gentlemen
Hardworking Gentlemen

Hardworking Gentlemen spent years researching and testing ingredients. As co-founder Ryan Reid mentioned, “It felt like I was back in school … as a chemistry major trying to find the right formulas.” It certainly speaks volumes about a brand that is backed by the blood, sweat, and lab beakers of its founders. (Not to mention that the woodwork within the shop was all done by a Hardworking Gentlemen.)

Recommended Videos

But back to that chemistry project. Hardworking Gentlemen has crafted a variety of moisturizers, hair products, soaps, natural deodorants, and a sea salt spray that leaves your hair feeling and looking like you just got out of the surf. The products are proudly made in the United States, branded black and yellow, and are thoughtfully developed with the highest quality components. They’re designed to not only enhance a gentleman’s look but to also be functional with the power to moisturize and nourish hair, skin, and body.

Differing from most business headquarters, Hardworking Gentlemen in Encinitas is a community gathering, providing space for retail, lounge, office, and a two-chair barbershop. And with tw0 full-time barbers the shears are sharp, the conversation is on point (generally about the surf), and you better believe the brand’s products will be the icing on your fresh look.

Hardworking Gentlemen

Hardworking Gentlemen is a shop and company that cares about you, from head to toe —  before and after the surf. And based on the fact that it was derived from a need for products that enhance a hardworking gentleman’s everyday life, you know you’ll be filling your bathroom counters with the best the 101 has to offer. Here are some of our favorites:

Hardworking Gentlemen Sea Salt Spray

hardworking gentlemen sea salt spray
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Hardworking Gentlemen Sea Salt Spray is a natural volumizer that works hard by adding texture and body to your hair. With a simple spritz, you’ll have a perfectly natural look and be smelling pine fresh.

Hardworking Gentlemen Firm Hold Clay

hardworking gentlemen firm clay
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Hardworking Gentlemen Firm Hold Clay is a rugged and dapper natural hair product that offers the strength necessary for long-lasting performance. The Firm Clay has a matte finish, remains workable, and is lightly infused with the scent of fresh-cut cedar.

Hardworking Gentlemen Natural Forest Tonic Deodorant

hardworking gentlemen natural deodorant
Image used with permission by copyright holder

An all-natural and powerful odor-fighting deodorant, the HWG Natural Forest Tonic Deodorant was developed to withstand the demands of Hardworking Gentlemen. The formula consists of Bentonite Clay to isolate odor, absorb sweat, and with Juniper Berries and hints of Pine you’ll be smelling fresh and from the forest.

Ben Hitch
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ben Hitch, well, he's the first of his name and one hell of a character. You can find him exploring the streets of San Diego…
Men with curls: Here’s how to finally get the haircut that works for you
Embrace your curls, and you'll enter a whole new world of styles
Man with long hair and glasses

For the most part, we live in a straight-hair world. Personally, this has never been an issue for me — while I am follicly challenged, my hair has always been reasonably well-behaved. The occasional stray curl pops up at the end of a strand when I grow it out, but I never faced the challenges that men with curls often have to confront.
These challenges can feel formidable. Curls can be unruly and hard to tame, and that might seem like a limitation. But the reality is very much the opposite — there are plenty of great-looking choices, provided you know what you want, get a great barber or stylist, and arm yourself with a little knowledge.

Know your curls

Read more
This stylist-approved trick is helping men fight gray hair fast
Men are adding this tactic that women have known about for years
Close-up of a man smiling

As men’s grooming standards continue to change, attitudes toward hair coloring are quickly shifting as well. Younger men are more open to experimenting with coloring, and their elders are making some intriguing changes, too.
For older men, though, it’s not exactly about coloring. The quest to ward off gray hair is a never-ending battle, and they’re learning a new trick in the coloring game that women have known about for years — roots touch-ups.

A stylist’s secret weapon

Read more
Looking to up your skincare game? MasterClass has you covered with this new series
This top-notch MasterClass series will help you up your skincare game
MasterClass skincare series

If you’re looking to establish or enhance your skincare routine, relevant information isn’t hard to find. Dozens of companies are incorporating it into their approach, and a significant portion of what they present and cover has value, even if it’s mostly product-oriented and biased.
But getting comprehensive skin health info is an entirely different matter. As someone who’s constantly on the hunt for accurate information that’s easy to access, digest, and absorb, I can testify firsthand that it’s a lot harder than it looks.
Which is why the new MasterClass series on skin health should definitely be on your watchlist. It’s a “must-see” series that will increase your skin health knowledge and improve your skincare routine.

The MasterClass approach

Read more