365 days is a lot of time to seek out stories on adventure, gear, and everything in between. Here’s a look back at the best grooming stories our writers tackled over the course of 2017 — from face oils to rubber toothbrushes to spa-worthy bathrobes.
Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Hydrating Cream
This anti-oxidant rich moisturizer will nourish your skin with ingredients like white tea extract, parsley seed oil, shea butter and aloe vera, among others. After exposing your face to a season of cold temperatures and dry winds, this cream is just what your skin needs, and will protect against damaged caused by free-radicals.
Braun Multi Grooming Kit 9-in-1 Trimmer
With six attachments and a complimentary Gilette razor, you’ll be manscaping with the efficiency of a Nascar pit crew.
Saturdays NYC Grooming Collection
The casually stylish guys at Saturdays NYC have extended the cool to a new line of grooming products. Two years in the making, the line of products was carefully created with grooming legend Rodney Cutler (a long-time Esquire grooming columnist). Try each product individually, or mix a “cocktail” that suits your needs best.
Rudy’s 1–2–3 Bundle
Rudy’s, a Seattle-based brand known as a pioneer of the modern barbershop trend, has introduced a magnificently simple grooming system: 1, shampoo; 2, conditioner; 3, body wash. All three contain nothing but good and natural stuff like coconut, jojoba, cedar, citrus and juniper. No “color treatment chemicals.” No “volume-pumping vitamins.” No BS. You lather it into your hair and onto your body, you wash it away, then you smell great. Easy as 1–2–3. Even better, every sale of Rudy’s new 1–2–3 helps support homeless LGBTQ youth.
Boie USA Toothbrush 2.0
It’s no stretch to say that toothbrushes are among the most important items a person owns. Yet most people are willing to scrub their teeth with anything that resembles bristles atop a plastic twig, and that’s a shame. Get yourself a proper toothbrush, like this one from Boie. It’s pretty — but more importantly, it contains anti-microbial rubber bristles, which are easier on your gums and last twice as long as that twig you’ve been using forever.
Sun Bum Signature SPF 50 Sunscreen
This premium, mineral-based sunscreen features a high-performance zinc formula that offers broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays, and it’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. Moreover, your hands will remain decidedly un-slippery, and your eyes sting-free — and it’s all made in the USA. Both the Hawaiian Water Patrol North Shore Lifeguard Association and the Eastern Surfing Association consider Sun Bum their official sunscreen, which is about as good an endorsement as you’ll find.
Parachute Waffle Robe
Made of 100 percent Turkish cotton and made by skilled Turkish artisans, this buttery-smooth bathrobe brings the luxury of a five-star spa into your own bathroom. Or, if you’re so inclined, your neighborhood sidewalks. Who cares.
Baxter of California Clay Effect Style Spray
Hair that looks effortless takes a lot of effort to maintain. Baxter’s Clay Effect Style Spray makes attaining that lived-in, bed-headed look much easier, thanks to a lightweight, strong holding formula. Just a few spritzes and some tussling — effortless, indeed.
Sonicare DiamondClean Smart Sonic Toothbrush and App
The Philips DiamondClean is no ordinary electric toothbrush. On top of having five cleaning modes and three intensities, this toothbrush connects to your phone via the Philips Sonicare app — like a personal trainer for your mouth. Using sensors on the brush, the smartphone app allows users to set such goals as healthier gums, ideal brushing pressure, and amount of time spent on each area of your mouth.
Duke Cannon News Anchor Pomade
I’ll spare you the Ron Burgundy quips. This pomade has a matte finish, a medium-to-strong hold, hair-nourishing protein and subtle scents of sandalwood and citrus. Don’t act like you’re not impressed. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)
Aesop Hwyl Eau de Parfum
Aesop’s latest fragrance, made in partnership with perfumer Barnabé Fillion, is an unobtrusive scent inspired by a Japanese forest. Smoky, spicy and earthy, this is an intriguing fragrance to work into your fall grooming arsenal. It doesn’t scream “Look at me!” — and that’s just the point. It’s quiet and complex, a fragrance for the introspective.
Le Labo Body — Hair — Face Collection
From highly coveted fragrance purveyor Le Labo comes a collection of plant-based, unisex, cruelty-free hair, body and face products five years in the making. While Le Labo offers body washes and shampoos in its better-known scents, the new line is meant to be subtler (and are more affordable), in three fragrances: hinoki, basil and mandarin. The strikingly minimal, pharmaceutical-looking packaging doesn’t hurt, either.
A look back at the year in gear. From superlative whiskey to sustianable denim, these were the best products released in 2017. Explore the Series
