Fresh into the new year, your resolutions are going strong — you’re eating better, working out more, and saving money. But what about those other vices you have that you give a lot less attention to? Those vices that live within your medicine cabinet? Yep, we’re talking about your skincare. Things like harsh toxins and ingredients in your products that dry out skin. For most guys, it’s easy to buy new groceries and throw a gym bag in your car, but switching up skincare — much more of a challenge.
Natural grooming products don’t have to be super expensive or come in fancy packaging. They can, in fact, be as potent and powerful as their lab-concocted counterparts. No, not all chemicals you are putting on your skin are bad, but if you stop and think about it, how much do you know about the chemicals you are putting onto your skin? Are these chemicals there to help your skin, or help someone else’s bottom line? Things like parabens, phthalates, triclosan, and sulfates are most often mentioned in what men should avoid, or at least remove as much as you can. A great resource to learn more about what to avoid is the EWG’s Skin Deep database.
However you want to think about it, it doesn’t have to be a major life change — just start making small steps in to a healthier way of treating your skin, like you would other aspects of your life. Go ahead and make 2018 the year you don’t just eat better and exercise more, but the year you start grooming better as well.
Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash – $28
It’s hard to believe that the fragrances that surround you when you use Ursa Major face wash are completely natural, it’s so good. Without overpowering, these products smell crisp, clean, and fresh, and leave you feeling that way too. Ursa Major’s aim is for 100-percent natural ingredients, but if they must, they go as low as 98.6 percent. Not too bad!
F. Miller Beard Oil – $36
Started in a Toronto kitchen to fill the void she saw in the market for natural, simple, clean skincare, Fran Miller’s F. Miller has turned into a buzz-worthy brand for both men and women. The collection contains the basic needs for those who want to use the highest grade ingredients, while sticking to a simple grooming routine. We love beard oils here at The Manual, and this one is certainly a new favorite.
Bulldog Original Shave Cream – $7
Another response to the lack of skincare products out there for men, Bulldog comes from England and is available just about everywhere these days. This shave cream is packed with natural aloe, camelina oil, and green tea, so as you shave, you get close and feel soothed and refreshed. Bulldog products never contain artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, or ingredients from animal sources. Rest assured, the guys behind Bulldog want to be your skin’s best friend.
Weleda Aftershave Balm – $23
Nothing feels as good as slapping on a brisk, tingling aftershave once you’ve shorn the ole’ face bush, right? Just imagine when you’re doing that, your slapping on synthetic compounds or toxic chemicals. That’s what you could be doing already — but not with this. Weleda’s men’s line, including this aftershave balm, rivals the best of them. Soothing, calming, and with a near prefect natural fragrance, this is an aftershave balm you’ll want use whether you shave or not.
REN Clarimatte T-Zone Balancing Gel Cream – $52
Men have thicker, more sebaceous skin than our female counterparts. This may be great for aging, but it’s not always so great for our complexion. Stripping you skin of all it’s natural oil using a harsh alcohol-based product is likely going to make any oily issue you have worse. Once you strip all that oil, your skin will want to go into overdrive to get back to it’s oily happy place. This gel cream hybrid from REN uses bio extracts such as flavanoids and glucomannan to naturally reduce and disperse excess oil on the surface of the skin, while providing moisture, balance, and even UV protection.
Naturopathica Daily UV Defense Cream SPF 50 – $58
Even in natural skincare, a good sunscreen is still a must in order to prevent premature aging and potential skin cancer. This one from Naturopathica has micronized zinc oxide provides sun protection, which means you still get that natural, mineral UV protection without getting chalky, ashy face. Antioxidant green tea extract and strengthening deep sea enzymes reinforce the skin’s natural defenses making this a powerful, all-in-one kind of cream.
Oars and Alps Natural Deodorant – $14
Some may say deodorant doesn’t fall within the skincare category, but those pores in those armpits of yours are defiantly skin, and defiantly susceptible to absorbing harmful chemicals. The aluminum in antiperspirants may be linked to higher rates of breast cancer — yes, men can get breast cancer — and therefore a lot of people avoid it if they can. Not enough? On top of that, it’s the aluminum in antiperspirants that stains the pits of your shirts too. All and all, a natural deodorant like this one, or these perhaps, will have you, and the armpits of your shirts, better off in the long run.
Feature image courtesy of Oars+Alps/Facebook.
