The brand offers a simple three-step range (iStock/The Independent)
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As someone who’s been writing about male grooming for over 20 years, I like to think I know a few things about what makes a good skin or haircare product. In that time, I’ve road-tested hundreds, possibly thousands, of lotions, potions, creams and pomades. Frankly, I’m lucky I have any skin or hair left.
Like most men, when it comes to choosing grooming gear, my choices are based on three priorities: affordability, efficacy and simplicity. Okay, so on my fussier days I might add a fourth box to tick: how do the products look on my bathroom shelf? Shallow I know, but appearances do matter – especially when nosey bathroom visitors decide to check out your stash.
Australian grooming brand Stuff ticks all these boxes and then some. With simplicity and efficacy at its core, its products are designed to do exactly what they say on the tin (or recycled plastic bottle). I tried its three core products: the Stuff for your head and body body wash, Stuff or your face face wash and Stuff for your pits deodorant (you can see what they’re doing with the name there, right?).
First off, let’s talk about the packaging. Clean, modern and minimalist, it’ll happily reside in the most stylish of bathrooms while the product names themselves are refreshingly straightforward and cheeky – descriptions like “freshness for your forest” on the deo give the brand just enough personality to mark it out from its competitors without being cheesy. In a nod to sustainability, the bottles are made of 100 per cent recycled plastic, and are themselves recyclable too.
So, what about the products themselves? Well, as well as being cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and free of parabens (there are three more boxes ticked right there) they’re all designed to get the job done with the minimum of fuss. Here’s what you need to know.
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Cheekily, if accurately, described as “a head-to-balls-to-toe wash”, this product helps streamline your daily shower routine by working just as well on the hair on your head as the skin on your body and is superbly refreshing thanks to the addition of spearmint and pine (a warmer cedar and spice version is also available). I found it refreshing without being overpowering, and since it’s a multifunctional product it’s great for reducing clutter in your bathroom.
Meanwhile, ‘’Stuff for your face‘’ is the kind of product that should form the bedrock of any man’s grooming routine. Cleansing, without stripping skin of its natural oils, it’s formulated with charcoal to suck up impurities, aloe to soothe skin and anti-inflammatory sweet almond oil to calm irritation.
I’m particularly fussy about cleansers and hate ones that leave my skin feeling like something Phil Collins could play on, but this is pretty gentle and didn’t leave my skin feeling dry or tight after use. Lightly fragranced, it produces less lather than you might be used to (it doesn’t contain the foaming agent sodium laurel sulphate which can irritate some skins) but you quickly get used to this with repeated use.
The third essential I put through its paces was “Stuff for your pits‘’. Like a lot of men I’ve become increasingly conscious of what I put on my skin in recent years, and this aluminium-free deodorant is perfect for dodging whiffy pits without blocking pores to do so. Unlike some deos, it’s not overly fragranced (I tried both the cedar and spice and spearmint and pine versions and loved them both, though the latter has a slightly cooler, fresher vibe). Thanks to the inclusion of aloe leaf juice it feels comfortable on the skin and it doesn’t leave white marks on shirts which is a bonus. I applied first thing and topped up again late afternoon and it kept me smelling clean and fresh all day.
So that gives you an idea of what the products are like – but that’s not the whole Stuff story. What particularly impresses me about the brand is its general attitude towards men. Committed to promoting “healthy masculinity”, its mission is to inspire men to explore a gentler, kinder, more positive version of masculinity. The blog on its website is a great resource and tackles everything from porn addiction and fatherhood to mindfulness and issues around consent. They’ve also partnered with The Man Cave – a mental health service that helps young men develop positive relationships with the world around them – so they’re helping men be their best as well as helping them look it.
In a world where brands try to outdo each other with fancy names, even fancier packaging and try to bamboozle us with pseudo-science I found Stuff’s approach refreshingly fuss-free and straightforward while being brilliantly efficacious.
If you’re in Oz you’ll be supporting a genuinely home-grown, proudly Australian brand, but even if you don’t live down under you can still get your hands on what’s already something of a cult brand, because they ship internationally as well. Check out their value-for-money bundles if you want to save some money while soothing your skin, too.
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