Three Grooming Products You Can Use In More Ways Than One
They say, “buy land—they don’t make anymore of it.”
You can’t argue that.
But in a value standoff between land and time, time wins in every reality.
Time’s the ultimate resource afforded to a man, and it’s easy to see why—scarcity bears infinite value. If it’s always lacking in presence, yet always needed, people will always want it. Hear that clock ticking? It’s okay, we won’t get dark about this.
But unlike the finite value of a brand new car, time’s a paradoxical beast; Yes, you’re losing it with every passing second of your waking life, yet it’s the one thing you need to lend it its real value. With time, what’s lost won’t come back, but without it, you’d get nowhere and you’d be an absolute nobody. In fact, you wouldn’t even exist.
Therefore, it stands to reason that saving time is fucking important, not that we haven’t mentioned this before. And if saving time could be made easier with one vital hack, it’s recognizing and mastering utility; Gleaning multiple uses from something that, at face value, offers one kind of use? Now that’s the kind of value they just don’t make anymore—like land.
We think saving you time’s just as virtuous as keeping you clean, so here are three products that’ll do both for you. Kind of like a personal team of hygienically-motivated utility hitters.
Hey, we might just make a series out of this…
Active Relief Hand Cream
Primary Use
Hydrator and moisturizer for bone dry paws
Alternate Use(s)
Foot Cream, Body Cream, Anything-But-Your-Face-Cream
The Gist: When that precious warmth gives way to an unforgiving winter, many a man hide pays the price. How? Think cracked heels, dry skin and hand callouses that could start campfires, and there’s no stopping it; Science dictates that when the cold comes, the one thing that gets stripped clean from the air also happens to that which your skin needs to stay supple—moisture.
Add to the aforesaid all the friction seen by man hands. Some of you guys spend days lifting cinder blocks, while the rest of you do deadlifts ‘till you’re dead. That’s why we formulated an Active Relief Hand Cream two years ago (that, and because you all demanded it), and we made sure to infuse it with natural ingredients that’ll keep your skin hydrated, supple and smooth.
Feature Ingredient
Shea Butter’s the MVP here—a known moisturizer, but also a proven, vitamin-rich anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that’ll relieve red spots and sore, itchy skin.
The Hack
What’ll work for dry hands (usually) works just as well for scaly elbows, the cracked balls of men’s feet, and maybe even that red thing that showed up the other day, though we’d sooner have it seen by a pro than wing it. Just saying.
Two more things: 1) Don’t rub hard when applying our cream—you’ll just enrage what’s already irritated. 2) Rub ‘till the product’s “gone.” When you see your hide take on that subtle sheen, you know you’re good.
Alternate Use(s)
Ingenious shaving cut solution
The Gist: We all grew up watching men plaster their faces with bits of paper post-shave, and we thought it okay. And bless those guys, for they laboured all day to give us what we have, and as such, didn’t have time to read blogs about skincare. Thing is, toilet paper gets bleached to look as white as it does. You don’t want bleach on your skin, especially when your shaving blade just opened it up.
Feature Ingredient
Never mind the beeswax in this stuff, which, according to this 2020 report from the National Library of Medicine, “reduces transepidermal water loss from skin.” It’s the jojoba oil therein that’ll seal a nick in no time, and it’s all thanks to the seed’s natural healing properties. Based on this recent review from 2021 in which jojoba’s bevy of benefits are explored, it presents “substantial activity as an antibacterial and antiviral agent.”
The Hack
Mind you, this is for nicks and small cuts, not bleeders. Ice cold water (or even ice) is best for a bleeder, and plenty of it; the cold will contract blood vessels and help a clot form faster. But if it’s nothing more than an unsightly bit of blood, simply dab the balm onto your index fingertip, then cover up the wound. One thing, though: If you’re going to employ this hack, make sure you wash your hands before every single time you’ve used the balm, and don’t double dip.
You can never be too safe and all that.
Primary Use
Post-depilation solution that’ll make you smell good
Alternate Use(s)
A brooding, yet sweet fragrance just in time for fall
The Gist:
This one’s as simple as it gets, but we’d be damned if it weren’t fun, too.
Feature Ingredient
Bay Rum, one of our most favourite fragrance ingredients; It’s yielded by steeping the leaves from a West Indian Bay Tree in rum, then distilling said leaves. If you’re not familiar, think earthy, slightly sweet, and a hint of citrus.
The Hack
As implied, you don’t even have to shave to reap the benefits of smelling this good. All you need is a steady hand and some tact; A little on the inside of each wrist, plus a dab on both pulse points on your neck, and you’re fine. Any more and you’ll stink.