Every Man Jack - Jack of all trades, master of skin care

 - by Paul

Cosmetic products for blokes made by savvy folk in San Francisco.

I stumbled across this brand when a mate in the industry handed me a gift pack comprising facial cleanser, shaving cream and after-shave balm. “Try these,” were the instruction. “You’ll love ‘em.” Well they certainly looked the part. Neat, understated packaging. Simple, non-condescending instructions that the modern man should be able to follow.

Every Man Jack Grooming Cube

I tried the cleanser first. It felt smooth to the touch, and had a pleasant minty odour reminiscent of the Mylanta that mum would give you as a kid when you had an upset tummy. It left me feeling happy, and, even with regular use, it didn’t leave my skin crumblingly dry (as a lot of cleansers seem to do). Good stuff.

The shaving cream was a different proposition. Same pleasing smell, but the texture was quite thick. As it is my habit to shave every few days, it would clog up the razor in clumps of cream and hair. Having said that, the feeling on the skin was so nice, I gave it another go (with only one day’s growth this time). It worked a treat. I still think I prefer a lighter cream or gel, but it certainly left my skin supple, smooth and not greasy.

Then there was the after-shave balm. Same profoundly satisfying smell (seriously couldn’t get enough of it), but I couldn’t really use it when I was going to work as I found that the “Signature Mint” scent didn’t like my Versace eau-de-toilette as a dance-partner. So even though it felt fantastic on freshly shaved flesh, I didn’t seem to use it as often as I would have liked.

Every Man Jack Shave Kit

Every Man Jack use natural, organic ingredients that are good for the skin, fight crime and campaign for world peace. Well, perhaps not the last two. But none of their range contains any nasties: no parabens, no dyes, no phthalates (try saying that when you’re drunk).

Bottom line: the stuff is great, makes your skin feel good, and the scent rekindles happy childhood memories. It’s still not going to make me shave every day, though.

Price: $39.95 for the Shave Kit (contains cleansing face wash, hydrating shave gel, soothing face lotion, SPF 15 face lotion, lip balm and toiletry bag) OR $29.95 for the Grooming Cube (contains 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, cleansing face wash, hydrating shave cream, and soothing face lotion) OR
From: David Jones and other stockists
Why you need it: you want to start your man on a grooming process (packaging looks manly enough to be approachable), or if you want to get him a treat but he hasn’t quite earned the Hugo Boss tie.

These products were offered to Paul for consideration