Why are American shaving brands so popular?
For several years we have been selling various American shaving brands, such as Colonel Ichabod Conk, Ariana & Evans, Stirling Soap Co, and Zingari Man. All four shaving brands produce shaving products in a traditional artisanal way. They are often family businesses that produce top-quality shaving soaps, creams, and aftershave products with great dedication, passion, and enthusiasm. Important features are the (small-scale) artisanal production and the use of pure and natural ingredients. Animal tallow is a commonly used fat component. There is a huge range of different shaving and beard products. Each of these products has very distinctive and striking scents. General overarching characteristics of the shaving soaps are that they lather very quickly, produce a creamy, rich, protective, and "slick" shaving foam, and have a hydrating and nourishing effect. In this blog, we list these brands.
Colonel Ichabod Conk
Ichabod Conk is an American legend. He was a young ambitious but poor man who, after the American Civil War in 1866, settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He fell in love with a charming young lady who owned several barber shops. After their marriage, he started working in these barbershops. As an entrepreneur, he and his wife developed and sold hair care, toilet, and shaving products. As a traveling salesman, he crossed the West to promote their range. A famous saying was: "Colonel Ichabod Conk brought a clean shaven and sweet smelling face to the west!" He died in 1898. Hair styling, beard, and shaving products bearing his name are still commonly found in American barbershops.
The range of Col. Ichabod Conk consists of a pre-shave oil, shaving cream, beard oil, beard shampoo, and aftershave balm. There are 5 scent lines:
- Unscented (unperfumed)
- Rio Grande Lavender - Lavender
- Santa Fe Cedar - Cedarwood and Rosemary
- Southwestern Sun - Citrus
- High Desert Breeze - Eucalyptus and Tea Tree
The care products contain only natural ingredients and essential oils. Important product features are:
- no parabens, synthetic fragrances (perfumes), and colorants;
- no formaldehyde, sodium lauryl sulfate, and petrolatum, cocamide diethanolamine (DEA);
- not tested on animals.
Ariana & Evans
The man behind Ariana & Evans is Peter Charkalis. Together with some confidants and fans, The Shaving Shop & The Club, he developed a complete shaving line. Peter is passionate about scents and the sensory power of fragrance. Thanks to his world travels and curiosity, he creates special and unique aromas. The scents and quality of his shaving products are complex, high-end, groundbreaking, and uncompromising.
Ariana & Evans shaving cream
The Kaizen shaving creams contain animal fats and ingredients (beef tallow, goat milk, beeswax, and silk (Tussah Silk)):
Stearic Acid, Beef Tallow, Goats Milk, Shea Butter, Potassium Hydroxide, Kokum Butter, Mango Butter, Glycerin, Cocoa Butter, Castor Oil, Manteca (Pig Fat), Strangisto Giaourti (strained yogurt), Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Camellia Oil from Japan, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Agave, Bentonite Clay, Beeswax, Sodium Lactate, Argan Oil, Fragrance & EO's
The relatively new VR1 (High Density Vegan Base) shaving products contain only plant-based ingredients:
Stearic acid, water, Kokum, Shea, glycerin, potassium hydroxide, castor oil,, Rice Milk, sodium hydroxide, sunflower oil, palm oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, Coconut Milk, sodium lactate, coconut oil, colloidal oatmeal, agave, aloe juice, hyaluronic acid, slippery elm, fragrance
All shaving creams have a firm, compact composition and come in a large plastic jar. Almost all shaving soaps or creams from American brands come in a large jar. Due to the firm and compact composition of the shaving product, it foams best by vigorously swirling or stirring with a shaving brush in the bowl.
Ariana & Evans after shave
The aftershaves are alcohol-based. Due to the added nourishing ingredients, such as Aloe Vera, Calendula, Chamomile, and Coconut Oil, the aftershave has a strong soothing and caring effect. Unlike classic alcohol splashes, the "sting" of this aftershave is minimal. After shaving, it provides a pleasant and silky soft feeling on the skin.
The scents of both the shaving soaps and aftershaves are coordinated. They are complex and robust aromas. For example, Asian Pear, Peach & Cognac, and Asian Plum are sweet, fruity, and partly warm scents. The London Gin Club is a fresh, spicy scent with leather tones. Forbidden Fruit and Revolution have a fruity and spicy scent.
Stirling Soap Co.
The range of Stirling Soap Co. is impressive. You could say they have the largest selection of shaving products worldwide. Stirling was founded in 2012 by Roderick and Amanda Lovan. After a vacation trip to Scotland, they came into contact with artisanal shaving soaps. After some research, they discovered that the regular soaps in supermarkets or drugstores are not really true soaps. The young couple then started experimenting with developing an artisanal shaving soap. Their mission is to develop natural, skin-friendly, and affordable shaving products. Sustainability is very important to them. They use many recyclable packages and environmentally friendly ingredients and materials, such as sustainably produced palm oil.
The assortment consists of:
- pre shave oil
- shaving soap
- after shave (alcohol) splash, Witch Hazel & Aloe Vera after shave and after shave balm
- beard oil and balm
- bath soap and shampoo bar
- body lotion
- eau de toilette
Stirling Soap shaving soap
The shaving soaps have a firm composition and are so-called tallow soaps (beef tallow and lanolin):
Beef Tallow, Stearic Acid, Distilled Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Fragrance Oil, Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Milk, Lanolin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate.
The great advantage of animal fat components is that it produces a very good protective shaving foam. It has a caring and hydrating effect. Additionally, it is relatively affordable. This ensures the manufacturer keeps the soap product affordable.
The shaving soaps are medium to robustly scented. There is a huge range with diverse scents: from fresh citrus, mint, and sweet fruit to earthy, woody, and exotic spicy. Extra menthol is added to various shaving products for the ultimate fresh touch during and after shaving.
Stirling Soap after shave splash
All alcohol-containing after shaves from Stirling Soap contain glycerin, Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera, and Hydrovance (Hydroxyethyl Urea). This gives them both a strongly refreshing and a caring and hydrating effect. It prevents drying out and reduces irritation. Extracts of Witch Hazel soothe the skin and have anti-inflammatory effects. This after shave normalizes the skin's pH value after shaving, closes the pores, and has an antibacterial effect.
Stirling Soap after shave balm
The balms from Stirling Soap are lightly scented and have a thin non-greasy texture. Below are the ingredients:
Distilled Water, Witch Hazel, Aloe, Emulsifying Wax, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Glycerin, Myristyl Myristate (Co-Emulsifier), Grapeseed Oil, Refined Shea Butter, Fragrance Oil, Vitamin E, Optiphen Plus, Stearic Acid, Coconut Oil, Allantoin
The balms also contain, among other things, Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, and glycerin. The added Allantoin supports the skin's regenerative ability in case of chapped or damaged skin.
Zingari Man
The 'man' behind Zingari Man is a . . . woman. Heather Melton is a certified cosmetics producer according to the American Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild (HSCG). After years of research and testing, she started developing and producing care products for men. These are high-quality artisanal shaving and beard products.
Zingari Man shaving soap
The shaving soaps from Zingari Man also have a firm, compact, and very rich composition and contain animal fat components, such as beef tallow and goat milk:
Stearic acid, Vegetable Glycerin, Beef tallow, Shea butter, Potassium Hydroxide, Castor oil, Palm oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Jojoba oil, Oat bran oil, Shea butter (and) Glyceral Rosinate (and) Olive oil unsaponifiables, Coconut oil, Daikon Seed extract, Goat milk, Coconut milk, Sodium lactate.
The composition and formula with various essential oils optimally protect the skin. The shaving foam is super rich, creamy, and has very good 'slickness.' It ensures minimal friction between skin and razor. Due to its nourishing and moisturizing effect, the post-shave feeling is comfortable and pleasant.
The shaving soaps are robustly perfumed and have very pronounced aromas, such as:
- The Gent - Citrus, spices, and Musk
- The Watchman - Aquatic
- The Navigator - Amber, Aquatic, and Musk
- The Merchant - Amber, Vanilla, and spices
- The Rambler - Tobacco, Vanilla, and red fruit
Instead of standard (synthetic) fragrance oils, Zingari Man chooses to collaborate with well-known French and American perfumers (Shawn Maher and Yann Derriennic) to create unique scents.
Zingari Man after shave splash
Zingari Man's Recovery Splash is alcohol-free and is a pleasant treat for your skin after shaving. It refreshes and cares at the same time. Perfectly suitable for normal to oily skin. It is absorbed immediately and prevents the sticky feeling of an after shave balm. Because it contains no alcohol, you practically don't feel a 'sting' during application. It contains, among other things, Witch Hazel, Citrus extracts, Jojoba, Oat bran, Glycerin, Castor oil, Allantoin, and Panthenol.
All after shave products from Zingari Man are perfumed and the scents seamlessly match the shaving soaps.
Zingari Man after shave balm
Are you sensitive to alcohol or do you have extremely dry skin? Or are you simply used to using a balm after shaving? Then use the nourishing and soothing balm from Zingari Man. This balm is pure food for your skin. The added allantoin and witch hazel stimulate the skin's natural healing process. Extracts of white willow bark revitalize and tighten the freshly shaved skin. It is also an antioxidant. An antioxidant is a vitamin (B, C, and E) and neutralizes aggressive oxygen radicals. Marsh flower, oat, and jojoba oils have a nourishing and moisturizing effect.
