Like many brands where the founders couldn’t find anything in the market, or are frustrated by expensive price tags, Charles + Lee is the result of two Melbourne locals who are changing the way guys think about skincare and grooming.

There has been a long-standing tradition where many skincare line would simply produce men’s spin off from their women’s range so it’s refreshing to see Charles + Lee designing specifically for men, and formulating actual tools that men would want to use.

The skincare range is manufactured in Australia with natural and organic ingredients and not tested on animals. The founders have over 10 years experience in skin care formulation and cosmetic science, and with a hands-on approach to developing the products, it affirms the brand’s strong ethos and DNA.

Packaged in a non-descript and masculine-designed bottle, the body wash contains a citrus blend of goji berry and blood orange, and the pleasant fruit-fresh scent is distinctive when you first use it. The ingredients include vitamin A, goats milk, grapeseed which help to cleanse, condition and hydrate the skin.

The hand cream is another product that I love. While I may not work with heavy machinery, our hands generally don’t get enough care. Containing Shea and Cocoa butter, the hand cream boost the skin’s moisture and long lasting hydration. It also has a non-greasy formula which makes it easy to use.

The founders have taken a no-fuss approach to market the products, choosing to leave the embellished jargon out, and focusing on what makes the products good – natural and organic ingredients. You won’t hear words like “minerals harvested by the light of a full moon” which, attractive to some, is not what the brand is about. 

Instead, Charles + Lee adopts a straight forward “it is a damn good hand + body wash” to appear on its packaging and honestly, I’m down with that.

Men’s grooming is still a taboo topic for Australian guys even though there’s a shift to be more open about it. To increase the likely of men using the products, the brand have kept the packaging minimal – black and white with bold, graphic typography – which I’m positive will see guys gravitate to.