Here’s the first thing I learned about, having used Schaf products for a week or so: you need barely a squirt of the stuff to work. Less than a dime of the shaving cream lathers up nicely, and it’s pretty velvety too.
Schaf is the brainchild of Peter Schafrick, a guy who just wants a premium grooming product for men without a whole lot of fuss or added artificial chemicals. In fact, his line, which includes Shave ($20), Hydrate ($35), Cleanse ($22), and Scrub ($25), is about as simple as it gets.
If you’re one of those guys worked about some of the chemicals permitted in men’s grooming products, which Schafrick says are linked to risk factors for cancer, birth defects, sperm damage, obesity, asthma and other chronic health problems, then here’s some good news for you: Schaf products contain no artificial chemicals, no fragrances, no parabens, no sodium laureth sulfate, and no added coloring. Oh, and if you care animals, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s no animal testing. If you care about the environment, then note that Schaf products come in containers that have airless pumps.
The aforementioned shaving cream looks like it’s going to last me awhile. I’ve been using Hydrate after I get into the office; walking to work has been giving me a lot of face time with old man winter’s dry air, and Hydrate fixes that problem. It also has cucumber and mallow extract, along with organic aloe for that pleasant I-didn’t-just-walk-to-work-in-twenty-below feeling. I’ve been using Cleanse after my workout. It some chamomile, aloe, and Japanese tea extract in it; I’m not sure who much better that is than the next guy over using grocery store soap, but it sure looks like I feel better (and honestly, it does seem to wake me up a bit). Scrub is the only non-velvety soap in the bunch, made with ground apricot seed and white lava particles. I’ve been using it every few days for when I need a rougher clean on my poor hide, and it feels great. Way better than those tiny plastic beads some soaps have.
You can actually buy the whole set for $82, but if you had to just try one out to get a sense of it, I’d go with Hydrate. Throw it in your briefcase and use it after traversing the next polar vortex—you’ll thank me.
