Grooming Dept club

[Brianc0428]

There is a lot of great reviews on many forums about grooming dept. but my experience has not been that great. One order I never received, he did refund my payment but I had to go thru PayPal. He did give me a coupon to use for my next purchase but with that order my labels on the preshave jars were labeled incorrectly and my bottle of rejuvenating serum was 1/4 empty. I know he is a one man show but I will stick with other choices. Not trying to rain on the good experience others have had just letting people know my experience.

Sorry you had those bad experiences Mark. With the GD Soaps I hav and your titanium razor I have been having some really good shaves.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Not a fan of Coattails Redux's scent, but I'll accept the general label. I should. It fits. Great stuff Mo makes.

Also great picture, Frank. Fixed it for you though...

I qualify for membership in a great many fanboy clubs. I've also been kicked out of tons of 'em for my disloyal and fickle nature.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[PreachTheWord]

I'm happy. I ordered my first Grooming Dept. soap (Citrus) to arrive on Friday. I don't usually buy non-tallow soaps (although a fan of MdC). Perhaps I'll give one of GD's non-tallow soaps a try.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Had to bust your chops Jim! Couldn't resist! LOL

No problem. You're right.

 

[1Vader]

To be honest all 3 are similar in composition. I looked at the site along with all the ingredient list on all 3 and Jojoba oil which is a waxy oil is very prominent in the Sebum Gold as well as the rest. WK is more of a lotion/oil. Sebum gold has beautiful packaging but based on the ingredients in theres I see no advantage over the other two brands you mentioned and in fact GD has more which may or may not be a plus but other than packaging and in my humble the Sebum Gold is not worth the money difference. Technically you could make your own. You just get some Jojoba oil, and a few other low molecular weight oils like Argan oil, Hemp oil, Abyssinian oil or Meadow Seed oil for example and then just make a blend with the Jojoba oil and one or two of those I mentioned and add an essential oil or fragrance oil of of your choice. The Jojoba oil is the key. I've made my own now for a couple of yrs and it's very easy. I've used the GD before and it's good but I'd rather make my own as I can add the scents I want when making my own. Just make sure it's in a glass bottle and not plastic. Or if you don't want to make your own I'd just get one of the two others as they are less costly and probably work just as well and based on just price and size I'd say GD is the best bang for the buck.
Hope that helps!

I am also very keen on this. What benefits have you seen, with your use of these/your serums?

 

[CzechCzar]

Thanks to a very generous member I have tried both grooming department and Sebum Gold. They are very similar. The former takes a bit longer to absorb fully but leaves my skin feeling a little bit better.

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[bobmsp]

That info is very helpful! I will strike Sebum Gold from my list of items to try; I can't see spending 3x on it if it's not a lot better than the GD. I'm also interested in whipping up a batch of @Dragonsbeard's concoction to check it out.

 

[CzechCzar]

That info is very helpful! I will strike Sebum Gold from my list of items to try; I can't see spending 3x on it if it's not a lot better than the GD. I'm also interested in whipping up a batch of @Dragonsbeard's concoction to check it out.

Yes, the performance is very similar, but I have to give the nod to GD. As always!

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[Chan Eil Whiskers]

You get Deep long lasting Hydration. It is lighter than other face oils and easily absorbed into the skin. Jojoba oil is actually very similar to human skin oils so it can balance skin oil production it also doesn't evaporate like water based moisturizers. Jojoba and some of the other oils I mentioned in my previous post are full of nutrients like Vitamin E and B, as well as antioxidants and minerals like chromium, copper, and zinc, which all nourish and protect skin. Organic, cold-pressed, jojoba oil has the highest level of antioxidants and nutrients and is considered to have anti aging properties as well. Because Jojoba oil it's similar to our skin it doesn't clog pores. Argan oil, Hemp oil, Abyssinian oil small molecule oils are also great skin food and each offers different benefits. Also some of these oils prevent the growth of bacteria on the skin. Combined they also help with fine lines and wrinkles. I mean the list goes on as far as benefits to the skin. Just use 4 parts Jojoba oil, 2 parts Argan, 1 part Hemp and a little Meadow Seed oil and add an essential oil or oils of your choice Lavender has healing properties and is a good choice. It's pretty easy to make at home. A couple of drops when your face is still damp and that's it.

Hope that helped

Very interesting post, Frank.

I love my Grooming Dept Serum, but have not tried any of the others mentioned in this thread. However, I have some of the oils you mention in your recipe and can easily find the others.

What do you think about adding a bit of Tea Tree Oil?

What fragrances/essential oils would you not use or be concerned about using? I don't want to hurt myself because of a scent I like the smell of.

I might make my own when my current bottle is empty, but the bottle is lasting a while (I use as you mentioned, about 8 drops usually, on damp skin).

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[jmturley]

Barbershop showed up at my doorstep today. Just off the puck the scent is very fresh and enjoyable. I’ll be trying it out in the morning.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hi Jim

Ok so as far as Tea Tree oil.. why not. Just remember a little goes a long ways as it can overpower a lot of scents. If I were to use Tea Tree oil then the essential oils I'd use for scent I would probably stay in the lane of the mints since they would work well with the Tea Tree oil.

For me with all the other oils mentioned that are so beneficial I'd probably not add it as it's really not needed and it allows me to play with the scent using various essential oils. I mean you could use a fragrance oil if your looking for a cologne type scent but if you're looking to add a natural scent using essential oils or other natural herbs, resins or aromatics then I'd stay away from using the Tea Tree oil.

The first one I made as far as scent goes was just a very high quality Lavender essential oil which I like to use if I'm doing a nighttime shave as it's calming and I hate smelling cologne type scents when I'm trying to go to sleep. Of course I used the Lavender along with all the oils I mentioned. Oh and I forgot to mention I squeeze out of a capsule some Vitamin E oil. I've made 3 so far. The Lavender, a pure Indian mysore Sandalwood and a combo of Yuzu, Pink Grapefruit oil and White Grapefruit oil for a nice fresh citrus scent. BTW Grapefruit is nice with a little peppermint in it. Just food for thought. These post shave oils are so easy to make just need all the ingredients. Sandalwood was by far the most expensive! Sandalwood fragrance oil would have been a whole lot cheaper lol

Hope that helps and if you have any more questions please feel free my friend!

Great shaves!

DB

Very helpful.

I've made shave oil of the type sometimes used preshave. It's been very easy to do once the ingredients are assembled. Can't say the shave oils I've made or the ones I've purchased have added anything to my shaves, but they were fun to fool with.

Probably there's not a lot of difference in the basics of preshave and post shave oils, right?

Great idea to add a bit of Vitamin E.

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Barbershop showed up at my doorstep today. Just off the puck the scent is very fresh and enjoyable. I’ll be trying it out in the morning.

I have it in transit and am looking forward to reading your report. I'm glad the first sniffs were pleasant and enjoyable. One never really knows, but the scent notes sound good, and I got an opinion from a member before ordering as he understands the scent talk much better than me.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Glad to help Jim and if you look at Pre Shave Oils you'll usually see heavier molecular weight oils mixed in there as well as some silicones which I stay away from. I've gotten some that even felt sticky if that makes sense.

Silicones? I see why, but oh, my!

Reading some articles.

• Link to a scientific paper.
• Link to a article which is part of a book. Scientific but useful to the layman maybe.
• Link to an easy article most on essential oils.
• Link to a mid range article.

My organic chemistry is way old!

And, I don't find a good resource for the molecular weights.

Back when I was interested in making preshave oils I found loads of basic information, but apparently this is a whole 'nother thing.

Still, you've really given use everything anyone needs, Frank.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[PreachTheWord]

Just received Citric. Love the scent. Had a wonderful shave with it (which should only get better since I don't have it dialed in).

 

[PeteVK]

Just received my Barbershop order and I have to admit I like the scent. This one should be much less polarizing. Definitely some citrus combined with fresh linen is how I would describe it.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hi Jim

Here is a very good article on the Comedogenic scale which basically lets you know which oils will clog your pores and in some cases cause issues. The oils with ratings of 0 -1- 2 are of lower molecular weight than the others. 3's about the limit I'd use in any pre shave oil so I normally stay with the oils with 0 to 2's ratings on the scale.

Understanding the Comedogenic Scale for Oils and Butters

Great shaves

DB

Thank you, sir.

 

[Rhody]

Just received Citric. Love the scent. Had a wonderful shave with it (which should only get better since I don't have it dialed in).

X2
I liked citric very much
Barbershop on the way

 

[jmturley]

Was not disappointed with Barbershop at all. Lathered as well as my other GD soaps and the scent was superb to my nose. Reminds me a lot of Citric but with a slight variance. Also noticed Barbershop is back up for sale if anyone wants to grab a tub.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Barbershop. Just an excellent performer on its first outing. The lather is rich and dense that is equal to GD’s Tallow based soaps. Scent is a bit citrus with Bergamot, Lemon and some Grapefruit front and center. Has a bit of woods and a light flower note that all blends in well.

Performance is well, top notch. I have a few of his Vegan soap bases such as Magnolia, Basique and Voyage and have enjoyed the performance on all three. This one here though beats them all, hands down. Like I mentioned before, it’s just as rich and thick as GD’s Tallow offerings and loves H2O just the same. Post so far is on par with the best I’ve ever experienced, Tallow or Vegan whether it be GD’s own or someone else’s. How it was done I have no idea and seriously can care less. It is just an excellent soap that not only reaches the bar, it surpasses it and sets a new standard on what a Vegan soap couldn’t do. Yes, Vegan is not supposed to be equal to a great Tallow soap. At least that’s what I thought. Barbershop Vegan in Janus formula has made me rethink the Tallow vs Vegan debate all over again. Yes, that good......

 

[TacticalPanda]

I have Soap and also Barbershop on the way. This soap base is truly the equal of his tallow offerings. Really incredible, super thirsty, rich, just like his tallow bases. I've tried a lot of veggie soaps before that supposedly matched the best tallow soaps, but for me, this is the first time it's truly been done.