“Your face smells amazing,” my girlfriend told me. It’s hard to get better confirmation that you’re using the right face wash than that. A month ago, I decided to mix up my routine and switch exclusively to Harry’s grooming products. I’m not keeping all of them, but some are surely staying.
If you’re not familiar with Harry’s, then you clearly haven’t been to the shaving aisle at my local Target. The company took over half the aisle with a massive display, showcasing every product the brand has. I’ve never had a particular love for any specific product in my grooming routine, so I decided why the hell not? I swapped everything in my kit for the Harry’s version. Here’s what I decided to keep and what I’m ditching.
Keep: Face Wash
Of all the Harry’s products I’ve tried, this is the holy grail. It has a peppermint scent that isn’t totally overwhelming. It’s a smoother lather than I’m used to that feels amazing in the shower. I may not have stolen this face wash from my girlfriend but it’s the one I’m sticking with from now on.
Keep: Re-Usable Razor
Previously, I used disposable razors like these from Gillette. They worked fine, but they weren’t very flexible and resulted in a lot of trash. The Harry’s razor set uses replaceable blades, which makes me feel just a bit less bad about all the waste. However, what I really like is the flexible head. It’s not the only razor out there with this feature, but it bends smoothly in a way that feels a lot smoother than the razors I’ve used before. It also comes with a handy carrying case that covers the blades for travel. This is an easy switch.
Keep: Shave Gel
I have pretty sensitive skin, especially around my neck area. So I have to be picky about what I use to shave. The Harry’s shave gel is particularly soothing. Once it gets lathered into a foam, it can come out a little patchy, but it feels silky smooth on my skin. It can be a little more expensive than other shave gels, but it’s worth it for my poor embattled neck.
Keep: Bar Soap
A good bar soap is objectively better than any body wash. Like every guy who watched commercials in 2010, I went through my Old Spice body wash phase, but I’ve come back around to bar soap. Of course, plenty of bar soaps either have painfully generic scents, but the Harry’s bar soap has a unique smell that pairs well with the peppermint face wash. So I’m keeping it. Plus, it’s bar soap. It’ll survive on this Earth longer than I will, so it’s not like I have much of a choice.
Eh: Post-Shave Balm
I’ve been using this every time I shave for the entire month. It’s fine. It doesn’t have that stinging sensation that a lot of after shaves have, but it also hasn’t done much to reduce the skin irritation I get on my neck so very easily. I’m sure it’s a good idea to keep using it, but I’d have no trouble switching to something else if I found an alternative that tickled my fancy.
Ditch: Post-Shave Mist
I’m not entirely sure why I bought two things with “post-shave” in their name. I’m even less sure what I’m supposed to use a post-shave “mist” for, or what benefits it provides. I’m open to anyone who would care to enlighten me on the importance of this type of product. However, in the time I used it, I saw no real benefit and felt really silly spritzing myself in my face after already covering it in assorted washes, gels, and balms. I’m into this hygiene routine, but this feels like a bit much.
Ditch: Face Lotion
I usually have some moisturizer handy throughout the day (a good habit to get into for anyone with tattoos), but this little bottle of lotion smells a bit nicer than the massive fragrance free bottle I’ve had for a while. That being said, if scent was all I cared about, I could find something new without going this route. I can get better for cheaper. That’s not to say it isn’t good, it’s just not as critical to me as some of the other Harry’s products I tried. If I never use it again, I won’t feel like I’m missing out too much.