I’m Calling It: This Is the Most Underrated Brand in Men’s Skincare Right Now
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I’ve been a big fan of Caldera + Lab ever since its game-changing facial serum came onto the market in 2021. To this day, The Good Serum is one of my favorite ever skincare products of all time. Since then, Caldera + Lab has expanded its product line with more skin and hair products. While it’s technically a men’s skincare company, all of Caldera + Lab’s products are unisex, and I would highly recommend the serum no matter your gender. Even the beard oil could double as a face or hair oil.
Either way, if you love luxe skincare products made from natural ingredients, this eco-friendly brand should absolutely be on your radar. Imagine if Kiehl’s or Grown Alchemist were out there wild harvesting high-altitude plants, wildflowers, and natural oils from the Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming or the glacial fields of the North Pacific.
About Caldera + Lab
In the beauty and grooming space, no word is more overused than “natural.” On its own, the word is meaningless, as it has no clear definition or benchmark so far as the FDA and FTC are concerned. Greenwashing, the practice of using smoke and mirrors to make misleading claims about sustainability, is rampant.
A term like “organic” at least has a clear definition and some accountability, but calling a product clean, natural, eco-friendly, and green doesn’t necessarily make it so.
Caldera + Lab is the real deal. They’ve opened up their entire production chain to a third-party audit to ensure their products are free from the 85,000 chemicals known to the EPA. Per Caldera + Lab and the certifiers from Made Safe, that makes the company’s products “more than organic.” They’re also certified by PETA and 1% for the Planet, the latter of which was founded by Patagonia creator and eco-warrior Yvon Chouinard specifically to prevent greenwashing.
The best Caldera + Lab products feel like an elixir or salve you might have bought 150 years ago from a traveling healer or witch deep in the wild frontier, perhaps in trade for a pint of whiskey or rabbit pelt—in a good way, of course.
The Best Caldera + Lab Products, Tested and Reviewed
I’ve tried every product in Caldera + Lab’s lineup, and I liked some a lot more than others. After testing out the entire Caldera + Lab product line (some of the products I’ve used on and off for years, others I’ve been testing for four to five weeks for this review), I can tell you which products to add to cart.
The Good Serum
The Good Serum is unlike any other skincare product I’ve tried. It’s made from plants wild harvested from high altitudes in the Teton Mountain Range, as well as other organic botanicals. On the ingredients list, you’ll find fireweed, dandelion, elderflower, apricot kernel oil, yarrow flower, nettle leaf, sunflower seed oil, calendula, echinacea, prickly pear seed oil, raspberry, sage, elderberry, frankincense, meadowfoam, and jojoba seed oil. In total, 27 botanicals are seeped in oils for four weeks, and the result is this moisturizing face serum.
The Good Serum
Caldera + Lab promises to provide your money back if you don’t see results in 60 days. The multifunctional serum is formulated to moisturize, reduce lines, smooth texture, and lift discoloration from sun damage and acne scars. I use it primarily as a moisturizer, but you can also use it under other creams and SPF.
Buy The Good Serum at Huckberry, $110
Buy The Good Serum at Neiman Marcus, $110
My one complaint? I miss the wood-top bottles of the original product design. I do appreciate that the brand still uses a dropper bottle, which makes application easy.
The Eyecon Under-Eye Serum
I’ve been looking for an under-eye cream that actually hydrates without feeling greasy for years and this lightweight serum beats any cream I’ve tried to date. Not only does it moisturize my dry under-eyes, but it seems to also help with dark circles—my number one concern.
Eyecon Rejuvenating Eye Serum
I have a foolproof method for testing under-eye products—I apply the product to only one of my eyes. After four to five weeks of using this serum, the dark circles, puffiness, and crow’s feet around my left eye were significantly reduced.
Buy Eyecon Rejuvenating Eye Serum at Huckberry, $88
Buy Eyecon Rejuvenating Eye Serum at Neiman Marcus, $88
If you need a dark circle reducer that actually works (unlike the vast majority of so-called under-eye treatments), try The Eyecon. The formula contains peptides, plant stem cell extracts, hyaluronic acid, fireweed, adaptogens and plant-derived squalene. I apply this product twice a day, gently patting the serum into the area under and around my eyes.
The Smooth Shaving Elixer
I wanted to love Caldera + Lab’s new beard oil, but it’s actually the brand’s shaving elixir that gets my recommendation. If you like transparent shaving gel and other alternatives to traditional shaving cream, then give this product a try.
Smooth Shaving Elixir
Formulated with irritation-reducing ingredients that not only hydrate the skin but also lift redness and prevent bumps, this shaving elixir is worth paying up for. The two-in-one formula is just as much a skincare product as it is a shaving product.
Buy Smooth Shaving Elixir at Neiman Marcus, $40
Just a little bit is needed to ensure a smooth, close shave, and the product itself has benefits for your skin. I love that it contains witch hazel, one of my favorite ingredients in men’s grooming products, particularly shaving products, because it helps cleanse the pores and leaves the skin feeling fresh and shine-free without over-drying my skin.
What About the Caldera + Lab beard oil, mask, and moisturizer?
I didn’t include all of the brand’s products in my Caldera + Lab review, as some are stronger than others. The Base Layer, the brand’s moisturizer, is a fine product, and worth using if you opt for The Regimen, a trio of the company’s core products. It contains sea silt extract, plant-derived squalene, and other botanicals to hydrate your skin, and I had a good experience with the product, although it’s not my favorite face moisturizer.
While Cardon’s cactus-based sunscreen is still my favorite, I’ve switched to using The Face SPF Mineral Sunscreen as my go-to because it doubles as moisturizer and isn’t greasy, but it’s still tough to justify the lofty price tag. The brand’s Body Bar and The Clean Slate cleanser are also all-stars, but ultimately, did not make it to my top three favorite Caldera + Lab products.
I was really eager to try the company’s new beard oil, but I just can’t justify a $59 beard oil, not when a few simple ingredients are all you really need. And while I’ve used and enjoyed the brand’s face mask (dubbed The Deep), it didn’t earn a spot in my regular skincare rotation. And don’t forget: Most of the products included here can be used by men and women.
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