The Natural Man's Grooming Guide II

Bearded Men Paintings by Danny Keith.

About a year ago I posted the first Natural Man's Grooming Guide. Here's another. Below are four products that I love; high quality, chemical-free goods: 

Beekman 1802 Tub of Butter: Just a small dab of Beekman 1802 Tub of Butter is all one needs to hydrated dry & damaged skin. Made with shea butter, goat's milk, and a assortment of natural oils this cream brings cracked hands and heels back to smooth and soothed condition in a matter of only a few applications. Available in 4 seasonal scents: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. 
0.75 ounce tub for $10.00 available at Beekman1802.com.

Portland General Store Whiskey Old-Fashioned Wet Shave Soap: Made with healing bentonite clay and other soothing oils and butters, PGS's Whiskey Old-Fashion Wet Shave Soap is anything but old. Shaving soap is a great modern way for a man to shave without the harmful chemicals of foaming shaving creams. Use with a shaving brush to get the follicles ready for a trimming and be left with the sophisticated scent of cedar wood. 
240 ml jar for $18.00 available at PortlandGeneralStore.com.

Alder New York Natural Beeswax Pomade: I hate petroleum based pomades that look and feel like a tub of Vaseline. ANY's Natural Beeswax Pomade is a smooth firm pomade great for keeping your hair in place and giving it a sublet sheen without being sticky and gooey. Made from beeswax and other natural oils this pomade has a lovely subtle honey scent.
1.5 ounce jar for $20.00 available at Aldernewyork.com.

Col. Ichabod Conk Pure Badger Travel Brush: I received this brush as a holiday gift and I'm already loving it! Handmade from badger hair in England, this quality brush is perfectly paired with your favorite shaving soap. The best part about this quality brush is that it comes with a screw top container for making traveling a breeze!
brush with screw cap container for $50.00 available at Colconkproducts.com.

Time to Grow

From left to right: Ilias Petrakis, Philippe Malouin, Ricki Hall, Tarek Halaby, Fabian Schweizer, and Christopher Camplin

Men, it's that time of year again. That time when men set down their razors and shaving cream to let things go wild. November has been claimed as No-Shave-November or Movember a month dedicated to men's health awareness. Clean shaved gentlemen stop shaving, growing out moustaches and beards in support of the cause. However, true men of style, like myself, already don a full beard, because we know that a face with a beard is at the height of fashion. Take it from these dozen handsome bearded models, facial hair isn't just for November.

From left to Right: Tom Bull, Benjamin Dukhan, Dimitris Alexandrou, Jose Satorre, Sasha Marini, and Henrik Fallenius

Home Made Cultured Sour Cream

Culturing food has long been a stable in human civilization. It started as a practical step used to keep foods lasting longer. This practical tradition, however, lost it's popularity mid last century when advances in packaging and processing food developed. However, many claim that the health benefits of cultured foods are too good to pass on and in recent times an increased intrest in products with live cultures and probiotics have come into vogue. But there is a difference from what you can find on the selves of your local super market and true cultured products that one can make at home. One of the easiest cultured foods one can make at home are cultured dairy products. 

Some examples of common cultured dairy products are yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, and kefir. These are just a few of the better known and more regularly used cultured dairy product but there are many other less known ones out there too. 

One may ask why would I want to make my own cultured dairy products if I can just buy them at the store? Well, the answer is simple, like most things one finds in the grocery store, store bought products often contain additives that have no place being there. Ingredients like, gelatin, rennet, guar, carrageen, and addtional non-naturally occurring acids. Additionally, home-made cultured dairy products contain more probiotics, or good microorganisms and nutrients that benefit our bodies. Probiotics are credited with making food, especially dairy more digestible. They additionally, lessen or alleviate many gastrointestinal issues like heart burn, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Probiotics are also believed to help protect our bodies from diseases like the common cold and even cancer. How could you pass up all of that?

When creating a cultured dairy product a simple process happens. When cultures or bacteria are added to milk or cream they break down the carbohydrates into lactic acid. This process results in an easier to digest sour or tangy tasking dairy product. Different cultures in different milks result in different tastes and textures. 

Making sour cream is one of the easiest. The simplest way is to add 2 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk to ever one pint of heavy or whipping cream. Place the mixture in a container with an open top. Cover the top with a towel and leave out on your counter for 24 hours. After the right amount of time has passed you should have a thick tangy sour cream. Refrigerate in a covered container to stop your sour cream from continuing to culture. Now you have delicious homemade sour cream great for topping a baked potato or for including in salad dressings.

"Why The Gays Hate Their Bodies"

Homme Maker, is a regular read on my blog roll and recently Homme Marker's author, Orlando Soria, posted an article called "Why The Gays Hate Their Bodies." I read the humorous post when he first published it and pretty much agreed with what he wrote, but thought little about it. Until a few days later when I started to be bombarded with Facebook feeds sharing a link to Soria's post and a related Gawker article written in response. After reading Louis Peitzman's Gawker article, I felt compelled to respond.

Why The Gays Hate Their Bodies

Soria, a gay man living in LA working in the interior design biz (one may recognize him from HGTV's Secrets of a Stylist with Design Star winner, Emily Henderson) writes his post from the perspective of a former fat kid. A perpective I can completely relate to, having been a former fat kid and a former husky young adult. He also writes from the perspective of a gay man, another perspective I relate to. Soria says:

I tend to be the chunkiest person around and I’m not even fat. Sometimes I appreciate it because it inspires me to keep in shape and think of kale as an acceptable meal replacement. All of this will lead to me living a longer, healthier life, aside from the mental anguish that comes with not having perfect abs. 

He goes on to list reasons why The Gays hate their bodies. Here's some examples: Because we are surrounded by images of perfect bodies. Because we compare ourselves with our partners. Because all our friends look like Ken Dolls. Because we have nothing better to do. etc.

When you surround yourself with friends that have amazing bodies, like Soria, you're compelled to try to keep up, gay or straight. However, in gay culture we are obsessed with the male body. Gay men work on their appearance to attract other men, and when they find a partner, boyfriend, hook up, whoever, one can't help to compare their body to the boy lying in bed next to them. A straight man, doesn't roll over to look at his wife, girl friend, hook up, whoever, and think, How do my pecks compare to her boobs? It's comparing apples and oranges. In a gay man's world it's all apples. And who doesn't go for the best looking apple in the bunch?

It's not limited to the Ken doll, muscular, fit type that Soria singles out. Gay culture is filled with sub groups, divided by body type, there's cubs, bears, twinks, and wolf (just to name a few); all given their title based on their body type. If you're not the right weight or have the proper amount of body hair you can't be apart of the club.

Design Work Out

These home fitness videos from Wallpaper* by Black Dog Films are just amazing. They combine one thing that I obsessed with, design, and one thing that, well, I couldn't say I'm too fond of, into a spectacular case of form meets function. I am dying for a full length work out session! I would look as cut as Tom and Nathalie if I had more of these to work out to!

Poke

I never knew that acupuncture and good taste would ever go hand in hand, until I spotted the lovely new office of Poke Acupuncture on Melrose via Apartment Therapy. Owner, Russel Brown combines fine art, creative succulent plantings, and a general DIY sensibility to his new space that's so hipster zen. If there has a space here in Brooklyn that's as handsome as the Acupuncturist, like Poke Acupuncture and Russel Brown, I would have pins sticking out of my body on a regular basis. See more shots at the AT office tour. Also see Russel's home and old office space, they are equally as awesome!

The Natural Man's Grooming Guide

Bearded men illustrations by artist Danny Keith

Men have many grooming needs and there are so many products out there to aid them in taming their hair and skin. It's important to be aware of the ingredients used in these cosmetic and beauty products. There's little to no regulation of these types of products. Many include chemicals known to grow tumors in lab rats, dry and irritate skin and hair, cause neurological and reproductive problem, and contaminate the environment. So I've compiled some of my favorite 100% natural grooming products that won't kill you or your environment. All of these products are made in small batches to insure quality and are created by small American business. So you can look good, smell good, and support your local economy all at the same time!

Beekman 1802 Goat Milk Soap: These 100% chemical free bars of soap have the highest percent of goats milk possible. Crafted in Sharon Springs NY from locally grass feed goats milk. These soaps are great for regular hand washing or for scrubbing down ones whole body. Available in 12 seasonal scents or unscented.
Two 3.25 ounce bars for $12.50 or Six for $34.00 available at Beekman1802.com.

Portland General Store Tobacco Cologne: Inspired by 1920s and 30s recipes PGC Tobacco cologne is a masculine scent with top notes of bergamot, lavender, and neroli. With base notes of leather and wood this cologne leaves a light powder scent throughout the day; because what's worse than when a man walk by and you're suddenly suffocated by the scent of a potent cologne? PGS has six regular scent plus seasonal fragrances throughout the year.
15 ml bottle for $68.00 available at PortlandGeneralStore.com.

Cold Spring Apothecary Citrus Wood Wax Pomade: CSA's pomade is a soft pliable wax-based styling product scented with patchouli and bergamot. CSA produces and sources their ingredients from the Hudson Valley NY area. This product is a great local all natural product for the stylish gentleman.
4 ounce jar for $20.00 available at ColdSpringApothecary.com.

Alder Natural Hair Powder: A talc free hair powder great for those days when you don't have a moment to hop in the shower. Made from natural ingredients and available in two scent eucalyptus and bergamot. Not only will it clean up your hair in a moment but it will leave it smelling great.
4 ounce jar for $30 available at AlderBoutique.com.

Wild Rose Herbs Wild Man Beard Conditioner: A bearded gentleman, such as myself, knows that one needs to keep his beard in order by regularly trimming, shaving, and combing. But what about conditioning?  Wild Man Beard Conditioner is a leave-in conditioner that softens the hair fibers and prevents blemishes. Made with almond oil which mimics the moisture of ones skin and scented with rosemary, lavender, ceder, and lime oils. This conditioner will keep things soft without feeling greasy.
30 ml bottle $6.99 available at Etsy.com/shop/WildRoseHerbs

Portland General Store Wood Thick Hand Cream: It may be thick enough to soften tough, over-worked hands but it's also gentle enough to nourish a dry winters face. This cream works for a man's entire body. Scented with cedar, hiba wood, patchouli, vetiver, grass, and vanilla you won't be able to wait for the next time you need this moisturizer.

120 ml jar $13.95 available at PortlandGeneralStore.com.     

Rock Top Soap Shop Shavin' Soap: I've recently became a big fan of shaving soap. I used to use  shaving creams but quickly switched once I started doing my researching about what's in most of these comercial products. Once I made the switch, I thought what took me so long? RTSS's shavin' soap is made of a blend of oils and cocoa butter to moistures the skin. This soap is designed to create a thick lather perfect for shaving from head to toe, if you're into that.
One 4.5/5 ounce bar $6.00 available at Etsy.com/shop/RockyTopSoapShop

Grow Fresh Air

Areca Palm, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Money Plant

NASA as well as Kamal Meattle have spent several years studying the effects of plants on indoor air quality.  Kamal Meattle has comprised three plants that will produce oxygen and remove VOCs such as formaldehyde from your home. Here are the three plants Meattle recommends and what they do for you:


(1) Areca Palm- produces oxygen during the day.
(2) Mother-in-Law's Tongue- produces oxygen during the night.
(3) Money Plant- removes VOC'c from the air. 


Meattle recommends having several of each plant for each person living in your home. However, I think a palm in the living room and some Mother-in-Law's tongue in the bedroom is a good start.