All of my favourite personal care products are made by great Canadian and American companies that focus on organic products that are not tested on animals. They are not only environmentally, human, and animal-friendly. They are also, I believe, some of the best-performing products available - and some of them smell and taste amazing as a bonus.
1. Shampoo
Carina Organics and Every Man Jack
Carina Organics Sweet Pea anti-dandruff shampoo smells great. It has a nice sweet scent that is very mild and not over-powering. But most importantly it is good for a dry scalp. I use this shampoo during the dry winter months. It is coconut and palm oil-based. Some of the other ingredients include extracts from: chamomile, nettle, dandelion, clover, and sweet pea. The anti-fungal properties come from the coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. This shampoo can be purchased below or locally in Toronto at The Big Carrot or Healthy Planet
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I use Every Man Jack shampoo outside the winter months when my scalp isn't as dry. It leaves my hair soft and clean. I use the citrus scented one but I have heard the mint is also really good. It is a bonus that they are inexpensive and both organic. A lot of non-organic personal care products contain endocrine/hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals including phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and parabens, so I try to avoid them at all costs.
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2. Shaving Cream
Herban Cowboy or Every Man Jack
Both organic shaving creams are low-foaming and for sensitive skin. They perform equally very well. The main difference is the scents. Herban Cowboy is has a pleasant scent that includes: lavender, peppermint, sage, rosemary, and an essential oil blend. It is an aloe-based formula. Every Man Jack is a fragrance-free shaving cream that contains olive oil extract for hydration, chamomile for soothing, and aloe for healing.
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3. Pomade
Layrite and Sauvecito
I have very straight hair that can easily turn into an unruly mess. Instead of choosing to put a bag over my head, I use a pomade. My brands of choice here are Layrite and Sauvecito. I go with a medium to strong hold. I choose Layrite for low-shine, matte. This pomade smells very nice - like vanilla and coconut.
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For more of a shine, I will switch things up with Sauvecito. This has a nice light citrus scent. Both are easy to wash out. They are probably two of the most popular brands the top barbershops use.
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4. Soap
SoapWorks and Dr. Bronner
Dr. Bronner makes some great soaps. They use a variety of oils including: coconut, palm, olive, hemp, and jojoba. I particularly like the energizing peppermint and the citrus scents. SoapWorks also make great soaps that smell nice and do not dry out your skin. I prefer their olive oil and clay ones.
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5. Facial Cleanser/Face Scrub and Mask
Sukin Supergreens Detox Facial Scrub and Detoxifying Clay Masque and Burt's Bees or Acure Facial Cleanser
Sukin is an Australian company that creates organic and vegan skincare products that are never tested on animals. The Supergreens Detox scrub contains "a blend kale, spirulina, parley impart detoxifying antioxidants and vitamins on the skin. Pineapple, licorice, and lime peel promote a clear, radiant complexion. Jojoba beads and bamboo gently exfoliate the skin." It really cleans your face and removes blackheads and makes your skin feel very soft. It is not overly abrasive and good for sensitive skin.
The clay mask contains many of the same ingredients and performs just like the scrub - it is just more of a pain to have to wait 15 minutes to dry and clean off. But it leaves your skin feeling so fresh and clean. These Sukin products can be found at Healthy Planet.
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6. Body Scrub
Frank Body Coffee Scrub
Frank Body coffee scrub is such a awesome product made by a great Canadian company. A client of mine recommended it to me. It's abrasiveness really makes your skin super-smooth like nothing you have tried before. This coffee scrub also contains oils (like coconut) as a moisturizer to add to the smoothness. They have several scents/mixtures and they are all good. I prefer the chocolate because it smells amazing. The only problem with this scrub is that it can get a bit messy and you have to wash down your bathtub.
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7. Deodorant
Herban Cowboy
I use Herban Cowboy Wild for a "manly", musky smell for daily usage and outings. I am not sure what the scent is from because Herban Cowboy uses a proprietary blend of essential oils, but it smells awesome. I use their Sport deordorant for workouts - it has a fresh citrus scent. They go on clear, are non-staining, dry fast. These deodorants offer long-lasting protection. Both deordorants are parabens, phthalates, and aluminum-free.
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8. Toothpaste
Dr. Bronner
Dr. Bronner's toothpastes is mostly organic and do not contain fluoride. It is good for cavity prevention and teeth-whitening. It leaves your teeth and gums feeling nice and fresh. I prefer the peppermint flavour. I have not had a cavity in almost two decades while mostly using fluoride-free, organic toothpaste (I occasionally use Sensodyne if I have any rare tooth sensitivity issues).
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9. Lip Balm
Burt's Bees Vanilla and Hurraw Chocolate
Burt's Bees is a well-established, reputable company. Their vanilla lip balm has a really nice scent and flavour. It is creamy and performs well at preventing your lips from getting chapped. It is my favourite lip balm of theirs. Hurraw also makes an amazing, vegan, creamy lip balm. They have a few other good flavours like coconut, but their chocolate smells and tastes so great you almost want to eat it. This lip balm also performs well keeping your lips soft.
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10. Cologne
Sexual, Calvin Klein Eternity, and Alfred Sung
I don't wear cologne every day. Mostly because I smell so damn good with all the other products I use LOL. No, it is mostly because of my career choice. But on special occasions or weekends, I will sometimes wear Séxual Pour Homme by Michel Germain, Eternity by Calvin Klein, or Alfred Sung Homme. I feel you don't have to spend several hundred for a great cologne.
Séxual Pour Homme is my favourite cologne. It has a very pleasant, "manly" scent. It is infused with aphrodisiacs. From Michel Germain`s site, "Séxual Pour Homme is the fragrance that attracts and never lets her go. Accords of leather, gently intoxicating Champagne Bergamot, and fresh scents of Star Anise and Juniper Berries create a devastatingly charismatic accord." This cologne is for date nights.
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Calvin Klein Eternity has almost been around 30 years now. It is popular and there is good reason why. It is not overly priced and it smells great. It has a spicy, lavender, and amber fragrance with a "blend of greens, crisp jasmine, sage, basil, and rosewood." I will use this cologne more regularly for lesser special occasions, just like Alfred Sung.
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Alfred Sung Homme is described as having a sharp, spicy, lavender, amber fragrance . "This masculine scent possesses a blend of lemon, tangerine, sage and pepper. It is accompanied by cedar and sandalwood."
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Eric Astrauskas, Spec. Hons. B.A.(Kinesiology), P.T.S.