Skip to main content

Grooming Alert: Portland General Store

These days, smaller and local is better, and grooming lines are starting to follow that whole ethos. One such company is Portland General Store, which was founded by Lisa Brodar and Troy Tyler in 2007, and produces all-natural, small-batch products in Portland, Maine. Here they discuss how they came up with the idea for Portland General Store and what products you should try.

How did Portland General Store come about?

Recommended Videos

We moved from New York to Maine and brought a fresh approach from outside the cosmetics industry and began crafting products, by hand, in small batches. We drew inspiration from vintage, all-natural recipes and an interest in sustainable living. We use only the highest quality all-natural ingredients, and support our local Maine farmers and artisans by sourcing locally whenever possible.

Why is it so important to you that everything is all natural and hand crafted?

As much as we think it is important what a person consumes, what we put on our skin is equally important as ingredients are absorbed into the body. We also believe less is more — bathing less and bathing well. Use a more natural, sometimes more expensive product, but don’t use it as often. One will notice, when using ingredients derived from nature like Portland General Store products, that their skin and hair become more balanced — they don’t need to wash as often or use products with detergent in them. Harsher products act like a drug, depleting the skin and hair of its natural oil releasing capabilities, for example, until one is craving “the drug” to feel clean, and then they cycle starts all over again. We also don’t believe in harming nature or animals, and most of our products are vegan and grown sustainably.

Where do you source the ingredients for your products?

We source ingredients from all over the world. While the idea of only using ingredients from Maine is interesting to us, and would provide a fun challenge, we do believe in utilizing what is available if it means the highest quality ingredient(s) come from afar. That said, we are more and more sourcing locally when possible — our bottles are etched by a local artisan, our dopp kits are produced by a local bag maker. We also have plans to grow many plants, including medicinal, and raise honeybees this spring, and may have some limited quantity products made of completely local ingredients available in the future!

Some of your products seem to be inspired by items you wouldn’t normally connect to grooming lines, like whiskey, tobacco, and cigar boxes. Where do you find inspiration for your products?

Our first scent ever was named “Whiskey”, as the process was very much like making small batch whiskey, and the scent turned out to be complex and spicy like a whiskey. As our line is made from simple ingredients and made in America, we loved the idea of using straight forward, all American and masculine names for the products. Being the leading all-natural skincare line for men and not knowing if men would catch on, we felt that the names and packaging had to be manly and beautiful. We use wine quality paper labels and amber glass bottles.

Describe the guy who uses Portland General Store’s products.

He cares about grooming, fashion, probably lives in a city and has or dreams of having a cabin, homestead, or farm. He’s a CSA member and supports local farmer’s. He spends money on higher quality goods, products made by hand or made in America. He is a well made man.

What are the best selling products and why?

Whiskey Aftershave Splash is one of our first, and to this day, best selling product. It smells good, looks good, and feels good. And it is a great value.

If someone wanted to try out the Portland General Store line, what do you suggest?

To be the true PGS Man:

Whiskey Shaving Puck & Mug for the traditionalist
Racer Shave Cream or Alpine Jelly for the quick shaver
Whiskey Aftershave Splash
Victory Moisturizer
Wood Hand Cream
Thick Shampoo
Whiskey Cologne

For more information, visit portlandgeneralstore.comOrder $40 or more at  and shipping is free with code FREESHIP!

Ann Binlot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…
The best men’s grooming products for your face: Our top picks
Keep Your Face Looking Young with These Procucts
closeup of man with wet face standing by water

Men go through a lot to get ready every day. We may not get a lot of credit or grace when it comes to getting ourselves prepared for the day, but we should be going through just as long of a process to get ready as women. We have to put together a great suit. We have to spend time on our hair to get just the right hairstyle. We need to learn how to get a great shave. And we need to find the right body grooming and colognes to make sure we always look our best. And, front and center of all that is our face. Taking care of our moneymaker is imperative to putting our best self forward. That is why we released our 2024 Grooming Awards; giving you all the information you need about the best grooming products on the market.

However, knowing the right products to have is only half the battle. Now, we have to help you understand how to use them and in what order. So, we have taken our favorite face products and put them together in a morning routine and an evening routine to help you make some sense of the information. But before we jump into that, there are two things you need to know about your skin.
Know your skin type
 

Read more
5 new men’s grooming products you should know about
Update your skincare routine with these 5 new men's grooming products
Guy looking at his skin in mirror.

When was the last time you updated your grooming products? We know looking at the endless number of items in stores and online is overwhelming and exhausting, but you need to take care of yourself. To make it a little simpler, here are five new men's grooming products to try out.
Act+Acre Daily Hydro Scalp Serum

If you don't know healthy hair starts with your scalp, it's time to rethink your hair care routine. If you have an itchy scalp, notice your hair tends to break, or have never thought to show your scalp some love, the Act+Acre Daily Hydro Scalp Serum will take care of everything.

Read more
The best men’s grooming products for your teeth: Our top picks
Get the perfect smile with this routine for your teeth
Man with a beard standing on the beach.

There are some things that people are simply proven to be attracted to. Height for some reason. A good fitness routine. Some great hair. A wardrobe that catches an eye. And, of course, a killer smile. Now, how can you get the kind of killer smile like Hollywood's recent obsession, Glen Powell? Well, we can tell you. Powell didn't simply wake up one day with the smile that garnered him the nickname "Megawatt." That is earned. He does a great job of taking care of his teeth, and we can help you do that as well. Simply pulling some of the best teeth grooming products from our annual Grooming Awards and putting them into a simple routine for you to follow is enough to get that smile radiating for all to see.

No matter what anyone has told you, for best results, you need to repeat this process every morning and every night. Twice a day keeps the cavities away. Here is the best process to get you smiling and making a great first impression.
Electric Toothbrush - Oral-B iO Series 10 Toothbrush

Read more