Many men hardly think twice about grooming. It's a routine that needs to be done, nothing more, nothing less.
These preoccupied men brush their teeth, use any soap available, slap on some deodorant, and, if bearded, shave with the same shaving cream and razor they've probably been using for years.
But by not paying mind to the tools of grooming, they also probably fail to think about the provenance of these go-to products. Their choice of shaving cream, soap, and toothpaste might work well and are easy to spot on store shelves, but these products might not be sound for the environment, not to mention humans.
Natural Grooming Product Ingredients
If men want to remain healthy, it's never too late to consider using natural grooming products. The product names might seem unfamiliar and the names of the underlying ingredients might not match their rugged sensibilities, but the polysyllabic names of chemicals that compose mass-marketed grooming products don't exactly instill comfort.
Natural grooming products include a wide array of organic ingredients: vitamin E, tea tree oil, sunflower oil, chamomile, jojoba oil, and aloe vera, among others. If that list doesn't engender a connection to nature and improved health, what will?
For many people, buying goods that come directly from the Earth stimulates a sense of good environmental stewardship and advances good health practices. Tree tea oil, for example, is believed to diminish the sources of acne, athlete's foot, and dandruff, and treats lice.
Safely Sourced Ingredients & Body Care Products
Companies that make safely sourced grooming products also try to ensure these items simply work. What good is a natural shampoo if it doesn't thoroughly clean a head of hair? Mass-produced shampoos and conditioners include silicones that might seem to dig deep and create smooth hair, but that presumption is a bit... hairy. Silicones can stick to strands of hair and block out vital nutrients.
Natural Products & Effectiveness
The perception of effectiveness is the reason many natural grooming companies are trying their hardest to move past the stigma of natural products seeming too hippie. As GQ observed, a wide array of natural products aim to work more effectively than a dash of patchouli but still adhere to the principles of sound sourcing.
A charcoal- and peppermint-based face wash is worth trying just to say it was tried. Similarly, what man wouldn't want to brag that he used skincare extracted from Alpine caribou moss, an antioxidant-based plant from Finland?
While the market for natural female grooming products is substantially larger than the market for male products, men still have a bevy of natural products to choose from. It may indeed be time for men to start paying attention to what they put on their bodies.