Shave gels are one of the most interesting personal care products on the market—particularly the ones marketed to men. They have to simultaneously achieve the purpose of soothing the skin after it’s been freshly shaven with a sharp (or sometimes dull) razor, they have to make men feel pampered (which is usually achieved through some combination of fragrance and a velvety texture), and they have to make sure they don’t damage the integrity of razors by clogging or dulling the blades.…

I discovered a new product category the other day: men’s facial sunscreen! How long has this been a thing? At first glance, it sounds smart: Men get razor burn and they need protection from UV rays, too. However, it feels like facial sunscreens shouldn’t be gendered at all—what would prevent a woman from experiencing similar “razor burn”-like side effects (from threading or waxing)? I have some theories about this, but that’s for another time and another post.…

Recently, I was browsing Brandless’s website—more specifically, the beauty and personal care section. When everything is priced at $3, it all looks dangerously attractive. But don’t forget to price check how much quantity you get for those seemingly low prices—for example, Brandless’s organic cotton rounds are more expensive than my favorite ones from MUJI, on a per-round basis. Brandless bans 400 ingredients from all of its beauty products, including “aerosol…