The Arbor Mens Odyssey

What motivates us to make the best men’s skincare

I was in my mid-20s, working 90+ hour weeks at a very stressful corporate job. I got a professional headshot done, and I was shocked by the photo. I looked like "The Walking Dead."

Acne, wrinkles, bags under my eyes, dry skin, chapped lips, you name it. I felt like I had to edit my face and hide who I was for the first time. I was looking like I was in my 40s instead of my 20s.

Seeing the image was a major ego buster. I had placed some of my early success on my appearance, so I didn't want that to dry up. In all its vivid high-res detail, this disturbing photo led me on a mission to take better care of my face. 

I went shopping, but I didn't know where to begin. A routine? What? Huh? I’d never really taken care of my skin before. It showed, and I was tired of it.

My first stop was the local drug store. I picked up $15 worth of stuff that said skincare and didn’t look too girly. Problem solved, right?

Wrong.

I did some research to find out why (thanks, Reddit). It turned out the stuff I bought was no good. They’re made with BS chemicals and don’t work well.

So at first, I had an education problem.

When I found the "good" products, I hated the smell. They were all scented like pine trees or cheap middle school locker room bodyspray. I didn't want to smell like someone's idea of masculinity. I want to smell like my cologne.

I recognized a hole in the market. Men need something simple, quick, and powerful. Something that doesn’t smell like fake wood. No bullshit chemicals, and not made in a sketchy foreign factory. 

Arbor Mens Was Born

I complained to a friend about my situation. He asked if I thought It was possible to make something that works and isn’t full of garbage. I had forgotten that he’s a chemist. 

 

We got excited to fix the problem. We bought and tested every skincare product we could find. Our cabinets were full of things from every brand. I realized what we were looking for didn’t exist. Nothing was easy, made for men, with no funky ingredients.

 

So we read studies, paid visits to dermatologists, scientists, and chemists. We nerded out for a year trying combinations of natural ingredients that would work. We ended up creating a skincare system that was so easy, it required almost no time to use. We got massive results without all the weird ingredients. 

 

And here it is. 

 

A skincare brand that caters to the needs of men and provides valuable education. We want to be a staple in every man’s bathroom. 

Naturally derived premium ingredients. No harmful chemicals. 100% developed, packaged, owned and operated in the USA. Never tested on animals. That’s Arbor Mens.