Natural & Clean Men's Grooming: 16 Of The Best Recommendations
I really don't believe beauty and grooming products should be gendered. Even as a cisgender woman, I use a lot of "men's" or "gender-neutral" products: It's a category in the beauty space I just really adore, as it speaks to my aesthetic: simple, clean, easy. Maybe that sounds like you, too—however you might identify.
However you approach your beauty and grooming routine, there's no wrong way. Here are some of the best finds according to the men in my life, and, well, me. Because a good product is a good product. No matter whom it's marketed toward.
27 Rosiers Fight Grime Deep & Fresh Facial Cleanser
I am such a fan of this facial cleanser that it made it onto my list of the best face washes around. It has the most delightful slip but then builds into a satisfying lather: You feel like you're getting everything off after a long day. It's also great for any skin type from oily to sensitive (as someone who alternates between the two, I can vouch for this). I have not heard a bad review from anyone I recommend this brand to.
Fight Grime Deep & Fresh Facial Cleanser, 27 Rosiers ($39)
Alder New York Everyday Face Serum
This brand keeps things simple and effective (my favorite combo!). It was founded by a pair of friends who wanted quality, clean, gender-neutral products. This can be used by anyone, really, but I often recommend it to those who are just starting to realize they may need to step up their skin care game. The vitamin B3 soothes redness and inflammation, the hyaluronic acid plumps skin, and the organic willow bark extract brightens tone.
Everyday Face Serum, Alder New York ($36)
Herbivore Beard Tonic Palo Santo
Keep facial hair, and the skin underneath, in check with this oil. It's medium weight, so enough to keep the strands coated, while not too heavy as to clog any pores. And the scent? Woodsy Palo Santo, mint, and subtle citrus.
Beard Tonic Palo Santo, Herbivore ($20)
Brickell Men's Products Daily Essential Face Moisturizer
This is the classic natural men's care brand for a reason. And this easy daily moisturizer is the perfect option for someone who just wants to slather on a hydrator and go. It sinks into skin instantly with aloe vera, green tea, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba: a combo of ingredients guaranteed to keep your skin feeling smooth all day.
Daily Essential Face Moisturizer, Brickell Men's Products ($35)
Eight Saints High Society Skin Oil
Eight Saints is a clean brand centered around eight actives, which they mix and match in different products. The hero active in this is vitamin E, the famed oil-soluble antioxidant, but then it's paired with velvet-soft oils like marula, jojoba, and neroli. These oils are on the lighter, nongreasy end of the spectrum, so you won't get that "wet" sheen after application.
High Society Skin Oil, Eight Saints ($84)
Oars & Alps Wake-Up Eye Stick
Men get under-eye circles, too! This handy stick minimizes dark hues with caffeine (a derm-approved ingredient for the area: Dilated blood vessels are the reason for the coloring, and this constricts them). And this feels so good when you apply it, as it has a cooling rollerball.
Wake-Up Eye Stick, Oars & Alps ($21)
Maapilim Shaving Cream
For the luxe shaver—you know the type—this brand is as good as it gets. (If it didn't come with a pretty price tag, I'd use it for my legs!) Use a shaving cream brush, to whip this up into a lather, and then paint it on: The jojoba and rosemary oil blend feels incredible. And the Bergamot & Vetiver scent is rich, yet not overpowering.
Shaving Cream, Maapilim ($28)
Burt's Bees Natural Skin Care for Men Shave Cream
For a natural shave cream you can pick up at the drugstore, this cushiony option will give you a great shave at a more affordable price point. The 99.9% natural option has a calendula base: As calendula is an emollient, it seeps into the skin, treating the barrier. Meaning? Your skin will look and feel better post-shave.
Natural Skin Care for Men Shave Cream, Burt's Bees ($7.99)
Parker Vintage Butterfly Safety Razor 99R
Safety razors are all the rage: not only because they provide a cleaner shave but because they are a more eco-friendly option compared to disposable plastic razors. This award-winning option holds a nice weight, has a classic "barber pole," and twists open to so you can simply insert new blades.
Vintage Butterfly Safety Razor 99R, Parker ($30)
Eir NYC After-Shave Serum
I likely don't need to be the person to tell you this, but shaving can be incredibly irritating. Plus, it's on the delicate face, which makes matters even worse. Soothe any friction post-razor with this serum that's made with olive, coconut, jojoba, and lavender oils. Bonus: Share it with anyone in your life who waxes.
After-Shave Serum, Eir NYC ($30)
Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator
Exfoliating is seen as a distinctly feminine thing, and that needs to change! Just feel how soft and bump-free your body is post-scrub, and I guarantee you'll be on board. This very cool brand is an Instagram mainstay, but trust me that it's not just hype. This is both a physical and chemical exfoliator with charcoal, pumice grains, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid, so it targets not only any buildup but body acne as well.
The Body Exfoliator, Nécessaire ($30)
Together Beauty Wash & Co Cleansing Conditioner
If you have short hair, you can get away with a shorter shower routine: It doesn't take as long for oil to travel down the hair shaft, and therefore, your strands are usually pretty hydrated. Because of this, you can get away with a gentle cleansing conditioner. This washes the scalp with a coconut surfactant and then nourishes with quinoa proteins and mongongo oil.
Wash & Co Cleansing Conditioner, Together Beauty ($29)
Baxter of California Deodorant
This aluminum-free deodorant is a classic. It goes on gently, smells great, and works (which is, uh, the important part). It does its job using tea tree and witch hazel to disinfect any odor-causing bacteria. But then it conditions with Comfrey, yarrow, and chamomile extracts. Deodorant, Baxter of California ($20)
Malin+Goetz Eucalyptus Body Wash
I'm a steadfast fan of eucalyptus: It's equal parts calming and invigorating. I feel the scent can transform any bathroom into a spa. This cleanser is made with amino-acid-based cleansing agents and hydrating glycerin, so you'll feel clean but never dry.
Eucalyptus Body Wash, Malin+Goetz ($24)
Kelsen Signature Pomade
This new brand makes very beautiful gender-neutral products, from skin to hair. This pomade will add texture and hold to any hairstyle, without that dreaded "done" look or shiny finish. (It does so by using organic lanolin wax and beeswax.) And with a natural fragrance of bergamot, cedarwood, and juniper, it's a near-heavenly experience.
Signature Pomade, Kelsen ($28.50)
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Body Lotion
This is just a classic, everybody-can-use option at a very affordable price. It's made with shea butter and sweet almond oil (classic moisturizing staples), so it locks in moisture post-shower. Basil is a nice, neutral, fresh scent.
Body Lotion, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day ($7.99)
Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com. In her current role, she covers all the latest trends in the clean and natural beauty space, as well as lifestyle topics, such as travel. She received her journalism degree from Marquette University, graduating first in the department. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.