Oars + Alps Review: Avoid the Nasty Chemicals

I didn’t feel any dread about turning 30. 

In fact, it’s been nice. Maybe I’d feel differently if I didn’t spend the latter part of my 20s freaking out about what I was going to do with my life. 

The only big change I’ve noticed is that my eye-bags are getting more gnarly. It could be all this work from home business—it could just be getting older. In any case, I’m not giving up on my moneymaker without a fight. 

I gave the up-and-coming brand, Oars + Alps a try. They made a name for themselves with their aluminum-free, natural deodorants, but they’ve expanded into face cleansers and eye creams, too. 

After a few weeks with the brand, my verdict is in. Keep reading for my full review. 

What Is Oars + Alps?

Oars + Alps is a young company, founded in 2016 by two women who couldn’t find any skincare for their husbands that didn’t contain some nasty chemical. 

They found that guys weren’t interested in skincare advice from other dudes. They wanted to get some knowledge from ladies who’ve had decades of experience with different ingredients and products.

And while there were plenty of options for clean skincare around for women, there still weren’t many options for men. So it just made business sense. 

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Since their founding, the brand has become stocked nationwide in Target, and in 2019 was reportedly acquired by SC Johnson & Co. 

If you aren’t reading between the lines here: Oars + Alps shot out of the gate like a rocket. The founders delivered on a simple premise—elevated natural skincare and deodorant that dudes can chuck in their gym bag as they head out the door. 

Oars + Alps Review

Natural Deodorant

I’ve been on the natural deodorant train for a few years now. Putting aluminum on my pits repulsed me even back when I was 16. 

But I’m lucky—I’ve never been a super sweaty or smelly guy so I never needed the hard stuff. I have a few friends that really struggled with pit-sweat and felt embarrassed by it. What sucks is that I know those buddies are still tethered to their aluminum sticks. I’m always on the lookout for a brand I think can help them kick the habit. 

I’ve only been able to find one other brand that doesn’t contain my personal deodorant enemy: propylene glycol. In a previous job, I had to do a lot of research on PG and found that it was horrible for humans (also, it’s in so many everyday foods and products). Even the most “natural” deodorant I could find at the supermarket had it. 

Oars + Alps doesn’t have PG, and it also claims to help sweatier gents get off the hard stuff after a four-week deodorant detox.

I picked up the Deo Trio with three signature scents: Fresh Ocean Splash, Aspen Air, and California Coast.

I like all three fragrances. They all have a fresh, aquatic scent to them, which is critical. I’ve shopped more than a few brands that feature warm, spicy, sensual fragrances in their deodorant and it never works out. I’m a big believer that only cologne can pull that nuance off. Deodorant’s job is to keep things fresh. 

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With natural deodorants, you can’t expect them to work miracles, and the same is true with Oars + Alps. After my workouts, my pits no longer have that zesty freshness they did in the morning. Some of those chemically laden antiperspirants will keep your underarms fresh smelling, even after an intense workout. But the trade-off is hard to justify. 

So for me, the best choice is to hit the showers after the gym and apply some natural deodorant. It’s the healthy route and I know you’re like me—we’re both in it for the long haul, so we have to take care of ourselves. 

Gentle Foaming Face Wash and Natural Body Wash

So what do I actually wash myself with when I’m hitting the showers?

I gave the brand’s Body Wash with jojoba oil a try and have been pairing that with their Gentle Foaming Face Wash with prebiotics and aloe. 

I’m loving this wombo-combo in the morning. 

Right away, the body wash gives my skin a nourished feeling that sticks with me pretty much throughout the entire day. And I also appreciate that it comes in the California Coast fragrance, which I can pair with my deodorant. Olfactory continuity: that’s what it’s all about.

When I’m in the shower, I get a little of the Foaming Face Wash going, which is really easy to apply with my hands (I do a deeper clean in the evening with the Charcoal Solid Face Wash).

From there, I’ve been using the Everyday Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer with 37 SPF, which goes on matte and doesn’t leave your face feeling like an oil-slick. 

I’ll talk more about the SPF moisturizer below, but let’s leave it at this: I’m a fan.

Wake Up Eye Stick

This little thing is awesome. I was super skeptical that this was anything more than moisturizer in a different package, but after using it a few times, it actually does a lot to reduce the darkness under my eyes. 

I don’t use it every day because I barely get out of the house. But I certainly use it when I’m shooting videos, and if I’m heading to work in the coffee shop that day and don’t want to look like I’ve been staring at a computer screen, I hit my under-eyes with this stick. 

The main active ingredient is caffeine, which produces a slight tingling effect and significantly reduces darkness under my eyes within five minutes: it’s pretty amazing to see. 

Again, I don’t use this every day, but it works like a charm when I do.

Natural Charcoal Solid Face Wash and Moisturizer + Eye Cream

Next up in my shipment is the Oars + Alps Solid Charcoal Face Wash, which I was excited to try. 

Prior to trying the Charcoal Face Wash, I was using liquid wash and rubbing it in with my hands. It’s better than nothing, but it didn’t have that exfoliation factor. 

Exfoliation is especially important if you’re like me and have dry skin. Otherwise I get a flaky nose, and nobody likes that. 

I hadn’t seen a solid face wash before, and I’m really happy with it.

I’ve been consistent with washing my face, so I can’t say that I noticed a massive difference between my previous product and Oars + Alps, but I can definitely say the solid stick made washing my face easier. 

The Moisturizer + Eye Cream combo is another hit with me. Again, I can’t say that it is necessarily better than what I’m using now (keep in mind, I’ve tried several of the best men’s skincare brands, so when I say Oars + Alps isn’t necessarily better, I mean that they’re in the major leagues, so to speak.)

But I’m thrilled with the product. It dries quickly and doesn’t leave any greasy streaks. It also does a fantastic job keeping my dry skin hydrated.

If you’re not already washing your face and applying moisturizer, this will be a game changer for you. I’d wager that a good skincare routine is one of the easiest ways to look better in three days. 

For both the face wash and moisturizer, I love how convenient the packaging is. They’re so easy to toss in a gym bag and go, and they don’t take up too much room under the bathroom sink. In that regard, Oars + Alps fits the bill. 

Oars Bar Soap

One issue I’ve had in the past with natural bar soaps is how quickly they dissipate. I’m all for using natural products (really, I’m more against using chemicals that reduce testosterone). But it’s hard to justify spending more on a soap that lasts half as long. 

The Oars Bar Soap is a champ in this regard. It’s a chonky beast of a bar—much larger than other natural soap brands I’ve tried in the past, and it also doesn’t dissipate as quickly. 

I’m loving the exfoliating niblets throughout. Not only do they help keep my skin from getting dry and patchy in some areas, but it also just feels good. Like a really tiny person giving you a back scratch. 

The fragrance is nice—not too strong. It’s a sizeable bar, so it’s probably not the best for transport if you plan on taking it with you to the gym. But really, after a few months at the YMCA, I gave up on trying to bring bar soap with me. Body wash is infinitely easier to bring to the gym.

That said, I prefer bar soap, so this Oars bar is nice to have. 

Oars + Alps Sunscreen

Yes.

I just recently bought a bike, and my daily routine involves a three mile ride to the gym and another three miles back. There’s some sun-time in the middle of that, and I’m pale and delicate like a daisy. 

I’ve accrued some terrible sunburns during my time working construction and hitting the SoCal beaches. Now that I’m in my 30s, I’m starting to realize that if I don’t do anything to protect my skin, I’m going to have problems when I’m 50. 

My go-to moisturizer is the Everyday Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer, which has a 37 SPF rating. I use that every day, regardless of whether I plan on going out or not. I don’t think people realize, but an SPF moisturizer you apply regularly is the easiest way to stay young-looking for a long time. The sun is a giant ball of radiation that bathes you for 14 hours a day. Just keep that in mind.

But when I’m ready to jump on the bike and head out, I’ve been using the Hydrating Antioxidant SPF 50 Spray on my arms and shoulders, and the Go Stick with 35 SPF. 

All three of these products are reef friendly and free of many of the chemicals known to disrupt your endocrine system (which makes your manly hormones for being a beast).

Anti-Everything Pad

If you struggle with acne or get a lot of ingrown hairs after shaving, you’ll definitely want to check out the Anti-Everything Pad. 

For acne, I’d use this nightly before bed. I don’t recommend using it in the morning because it contains an alpha hydroxy acid, which can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. 

However, I don’t really struggle with acne, I use these on my neck after shaving and I haven’t had any issues with razor bumps or ingrown hairs while I’ve used them. 

Cooling + Cleansing Wipes

Toss these in your gym bag now. This nifty little box carries 14 of what’s basically a wet wipe that makes your face feel fantastic. And it helps nourish your skin and calm it down after an intense workout. 

Fridays are usually tough for me because I always want to get that last gym session in for the week, but there’s also always something to do at six. That doesn’t leave much time for personal hygiene. 

So I’ve been busting these out, giving myself a quick refresh after the gym, and heading out. 

I wouldn’t use these as a day-to-day type of thing, but they’re a game changer when you want to look your best but don’t have much time. 

What do Other Reviewers Say About Oars + Alps?

The Oars + Alps site rocks over 7,000 reviews with an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars. That’s pretty incredible. 

It’s promising to see that the reviews are scattered amongst all Oars + Alps products. Some people sing the praises of the Eye Stick, others swear by the deodorant. In other words, the brand isn’t a one-hit wonder. 

The few negative reviews seem to gather around extreme heavy-sweaters, many of whom have been wearing antiperspirants for 10+ years. They found the detox period to create too strong a stench. This was only mentioned in about 2% of reviews, so it isn’t common. But if you really struggle with pit sweat, you may be in for an antiperspirant detox period longer than two months. 

My Thoughts Overall On Oars + Alps

Things to Consider Before Buying Natural Deodorant from Oars + Alps

Oars + Alps natural deodorants don’t have any aluminum or talc, so they might not seem as effective at stopping up sweat right away. 

Depending on how long you’ve been using antiperspirants, your body may actually need to go through a 4+ week detox period. 

The typical process works like this: week one, everything is great. You’re not sweating too much, you don’t smell. You’ve found your new favorite deodorant.

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Week two, you sweat more than you did with your other deodorant. Also, your pits are stinky. You think to yourself, maybe this isn’t the right deodorant for me. 

Your body is starting its detox. You may think it’s time to switch back to the old stuff you were using, but it’s really the worst time to do so. Embrace it—hit the gym, sweat out the toxins, and stink it up. 

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By week three, the sweat is full-on. Maybe you’re even sweating more than you remember prior to ever using antiperspirant. The good thing is that it doesn’t smell as bad. Don’t give up on your Oars + Alps yet. 

At week four, you’ll notice the turnaround. Your body is coming up to speed and you’re sweating less and smelling less. Your body will continue to adjust (you might even hit this mark at week three or five/six). 

But remember that nasty smell from week two and three? You could’ve been holding on to whatever that was for decades. Now that you’ve pushed through, though? You’re living clean under the pits for as long as you’d like.

As for their skincare, the brand follows the same ethos: their products are all alcohol, paraben, phthalate, and sulfate free. If you’re wondering what all that means: I’ve done the research…it’s bad. Let’s just say, they’re all things you really don’t want in your skincare, so I’m glad Oars has done the legwork already.

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