• SumoMe

Usually, I like to keep articles to one grooming product at a time. However, this 1-2 punch from Brooklyn Grooming‘s shave oil and facial serum is so connected that it really made sense to talk about them both as a single unit. First of all, it’s worth mentioning that Brooklyn Grooming is Brooklyn’s first men’s grooming line, and it was created by two long-time grooming industry professionals. They both teamed up to create their own line of skin and hair care products, and the result is pretty great.

I should also note that the featured image is a photo of their sample jars. If you purchase the full-size jar, it will look something like the image on the right, and will include an eyedropper cap for ease of use. The easiest way to start this review is to break it in half:

1. Brooklyn Grooming Shave Oil

If you read the website regularly, you’ll know that I’m a fan of shaving oils. Not only do they leave my skin feeling better after a shave, they make shaving easier overall. Both of those statements are true with this shave oil from Brooklyn Grooming.

However, what sets Brooklyn Grooming apart from the other oils is the scent and the removal. The scent is a mixture of a humidor, the beach, and wood. It’s a really great scent that smells really natural and not overpowering. This is probably true because it’s made from castor oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, kukui nut oil, and Vitamin E. This is a great blend of organic ingredients, resulting in a scent that won’t dry your skin out.

Secondly, when I talk about the removal, I mean removing the oil from your face after you shave. As any shave oil user knows, sometimes washing the oil off your face is kind of hard considering water and oil don’t mix. This results in many oily towels and greasy hands. However, for whatever reason, Brooklyn Grooming’s shave oil really washes off easily when you want it to. Sure, it’s an oil so you’ll probably need some soap or a towel, but it isn’t as stubborn as some other oils I’ve used. That’s good!

Lastly, it’s one of the better moisturizing oils that I’ve used. After it washes off, I almost don’t need to use any moisturizer, but I still do to minimize the skin damage from shaving (which is not a fault of the oil). Overall the Brooklyn Grooming shave oil is a pretty solid product. Learn more about it here.

2. Brooklyn Grooming Facial Serum

For the entire Brooklyn Grooming effect, you’ll need to use their facial serum. This stuff is basically a toner that helps reduce facial lines and smooth facial hair. This is a good product to use after you shave, and sticking with the same line for your entire skin care routine is a good idea because it maintains consistency in the ingredients and shouldn’t overload you on bad stuff.

Just like the shave oil, the serum is made from natural ingredients like kuikui nut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, pumpkin seed oil, juniper, rosemary, bergamot, lavender oil, and Vitamin E. You know none of that will wreck your skin. However, notice the key word in a lot of those ingredients? Oil.

Here’s something important to know: I do not recommend this for guys with greasy facial skin. It will not work very well, and it will sit on top of your skin mixed in with your natural skin oil. This is bad news if you want to avoid acne or pore clogging. However, my hands are usually pretty dry, and I rubbed this serum in on my dry skin and it worked like a dream. It was still a tad bit oily, but not nearly as drastic as my face skin.

That said, the key here is moderation. You only need a touch of this stuff to go a long way. Don’t let my oily skin comment scare you away, this is definitely worth trying, especially if you have dry skin. However, guys with oily facial skin should stand back from this because you need something with less oil (contact me if you need suggestions).

What gives the serum its power is that it matches the shave oil’s properties in keeping the skin from drying out, and it doesn’t have any weird chemicals that would conflict with the makeup of the shave oil. It also works as a nice aftershave if you don’t like alcohol-based ones.

Overall the serum works well as a moisturizer, but I can’t speak to any wrinkle reduction properties because I was unable to use it on my face. Nevertheless, I know it is a great option for dry-skinned folks out there, and I’d suggest checking it out. Learn more about it here.

Have any questions or comments about either the shave oil or the  facial serum? Put them in the comments below, of course.