Design
Quality of Materials
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service My military experience goes something like this:
I was in ROTC as a 5th grader. I begged to go to an abandoned Air Force base in the SoCal desert on the 7th and 8th grade ROTC trip.
It turns out that 13-year-old boys love to beat up 10-year old-boys when left alone in a room.
But what was worse was the MRE’s. I can’t believe our United States government has the nerve to call that a burrito. It tastes more like a microwaved Lego.
So I learned the Army wasn’t for me, but that little piece of myself that loves to wear camo and get outdoors never died.
When I saw the military-aesthetic grooming brand, Bravo Sierra, I knew I had to give them a shot. I picked up a full set of their products and put each one to the
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What Is Bravo Sierra?
Bravo Sierra is a men’s grooming brand that designs products to fit the military lifestyle. When you’re gearing up for a ruck, you don’t have space for a bottle of face wash, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, eye-cucumbers, etc.
Instead, you need a one-stop product that covers your bases so you don’t smell like PT before you even start PT.
Even though Bravo Sierra has products that accomplish several missions in one tour-of-duty, the brand also offers a few solo-objective items, too, like their Hair Grooming Paste, and Hand Repair Cream.
And shopping with Bravo Sierra has a few social perks, too. The brand donates 5% of their sales to programs that encourage wellness for active military, veterans, and military families.
Beyond that, 30% of their current team are veterans of several military branches, so when you buy Bravo Sierra, you’re supporting veterans in multiple ways.
Bravo Sierra is my favorite brand I’ve tried on the inexpensive end of the skincare/grooming spectrum.
If you just want natural skin care that works well, smells good, and doesn’t stain your clothes, Bravo Sierra will get the job done, and at a fantastic price, too.
Things to Consider Before Buying Grooming Products from Bravo Sierra
Bravo Sierra is all about ease-of-use, transportability, and creating effective grooming products at a reasonable price.
I’ve been able to try several of the most popular men’s grooming brands over the past two years, and I’d be lying if I said that Bravo Sierra had the absolute best body wash, shampoo, and shaving cream.
But Bravo Sierra is the only brand I’ve tried that’s created an awesome all-in-one product for a relatively inexpensive price.
Sure, I’ve tried other shampoos I enjoy more, but they were much more expensive and I couldn’t use them as a body wash or a shaving cream.
If you’re a no-frills guy, but still want to take good care of your skin, Bravo Sierra is an excellent choice. Their products are all aluminum, paraben, phthalate, phenoxyethanol free, so you don’t have to worry about the hormone altering effects that other mass-produced grooming products with harmful chemicals carry.
Bravo Sierra Review
I ordered a big ol’ box of Bravo Sierra’s best stuff. In fact, the only things I didn’t try were the lip-balm and shaving foam. Otherwise, each product went through a full day’s work, plus a weight-lifting session, so I could see how well it stands up to an active lifestyle.
Bravo Sierra Deodorant Review
Bravo Sierra is most well-known for their deodorant. They carry two versions: their classic fresh fragrance, and an unscented version.
I opted for the scented and I’m a fan. The fragrance is a crowd-pleaser—it’s similar to more “aquatic” fragrances that you might find with Bleu de Chanel, or some other “fresh” everyday scent.
The key is that it’s not a “warm” tone. Vanilla, leather, tonka bean, spice—these all make for sultry fragrances, but they smell absolutely awful after an hour of deadlifts and squats.
Bravo Sierra uses natural ingredients, which has its pros and cons. In my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons, but you can expect an uncomfortable transition period if you’ve only ever used aluminum-based antiperspirants in the past.
Have you ever heard of a “healing crisis”? It’s when your body is undergoing healing, but the symptoms become worse in the short term.
Well, switching to natural deodorant can have a two-to-four week period of intense smelliness. This causes a lot of guys to say, this deodorant doesn’t work for me. But really, if they stuck with it for a few more weeks, they’d be free from their dependence on harmful additives to clog up their pores and stop the sweat.
Bravo Sierra’s deodorant also features probiotics, which helps promote healthy bacteria under your arm so you smell less funky later in the day. Natural deodorants tend to wear off around 3pm in my experience. When I wear Bravo Sierra, the fragrance dies off around the same time, but I can still hit the gym for an hour of weights, and I have no funkiness in my pits by 7pm.
With about six hours of fresh-scent, and 12 hours of odor fighting, even with a workout, I’m happy with my Bravo Sierra deodorant.
Made with no baking soda and no aluminum, this deodorant won't stain your clothes, won't clog your pores, and the added probiotics help keep the funk away hours after the initial fragrance has faded.
Deodorant Body Spray
I have nightmares from the high school locker room: when you’d fling the door open and the room is fogged like a rainforest in morning, the smell of cheap Axe body freshener cultivating a fresh migraine.
So needless to say, I’m a bit wary of body sprays.
Bravo Sierra’s Deodorant Body Spray has the same fresh scent as the rest of their line, which I like.
This is a great product to have if you’re on an overnight and want something to help you freshen up in a hurry. That said, I don’t think a body spray can stand up side by side with cologne if you want an everyday fragrance, but the body spray is very affordable and a nice complement to your scent repertoire.
Still, I’ve been able to use the Bravo Sierra Body Spray a few times in the field (which means on Friday after working out and before grabbing a beer with my wife). In a pinch, this spray works well.
This is a great product to have if you’re on an overnight and want something to help you freshen up in a hurry.
Skin Care
While Bravo Sierra got their start with deodorants, they’ve also developed an extensive skincare line, which I’ve been testing every day for a few weeks now.
Face Moisturizer
This seems as good a place as any to note that Bravo Sierra’s products are Cradle to Cradle certified, which means some pretty cool things: first, the ingredients in this Face Moisturizer (and all of Bravo Sierra’s other products, too) are all assessed by a third-party and found to be properly sourced and not harmful.
Second, the packaging has a high rating of recycled materials and there’s a minimal usage of virgin plastics. It’s made using a renewable energy source or some other sort of carbon management system. The factory that produces the packaging has a minimal water impact. And they’ve gone through a social responsibility audit to ensure everyone involved in production receives fair treatment.
Man, that feels good.
As for the moisturizer itself, it’s been effective on my skin. I struggle often with dry skin on the bridge of my nose, and I haven’t had any issues there when using this moisturizer.
This moisturizer has helped knock back the dry skin on the bridge of my nose and it doesn't feel greasy one bit.
Hand Repair Cream
This one surprised me. I’ve never used a hand repair cream, and I was wondering if there would be any difference compared to regular lotion.
This stuff makes my hands feel like velvet. It’s awesome.
Deadlift days can tear up the inside of my hands. I also like to throw in some boxing for cardio, which can be tough on my knuckles.
Having a specialized hand cream has actually helped my recovery time of my palms and knucks, which I didn’t see coming.
I still have those sweet calluses that speak of lifting heavy things (you’re a manly man—you get it), but my hands don’t look flaky and dry.
The most important thing is that the Hand Repair Cream isn’t greasy. It goes on matte and absorbs quickly so you can go straight back to opening big jars of pickles.
Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen
My wife hounds me, day in and day out: wear sunscreen. And then I try to wear the stuff she has and it “whitecasts,” so I look like an 18th century French diplomat who couldn’t figure out how to do his lead face powder correctly.
I’m happy to report that the SPF 30 Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen doesn’t “whitecast” at all. It’s a bit greasy, so I do have a slight shine for about ten minutes after first putting this sunscreen on. But after it absorbs, I have that extra layer of protection against the sun, which is super important for aging like a silver-fox.
If you like to work out under the open sky, you need to wear some kind of sunblock so you don’t burn and get all haggard looking. The Bravo Sierra Face Sunscreen is high-powered enough to keep me from turning pink, and I’m happy with how it absorbs. Most importantly, I haven’t had any breakouts when wearing it, which can happen with certain sunblocks.
The SPF 30 Broad Spectrum Face Sunscreen doesn’t “whitecast” at all. It’s a bit greasy, so I do have a slight shine for about ten minutes after first putting this sunscreen on. But after it absorbs, I have that extra layer of protection against the sun, which is super important for aging like a silver-fox.
Body Care
Every man knows the morning trinity: sh*t, shower, and shave.
The Bravo Sierra Hair, Body Wash, & Shave is all you need for the final two parts of the trinity. But it does get me thinking about what kind of product could help with all three. That would be some sort of miracle.
I’m a huge fan of the wet-shave, so I have the brush, the old-timey safety razor, the foaming puck. I’ve got oils, balms—you name it: I love taking my time on a good shave.
But I’m super impressed with how this gel-to-foam works as a shaving aid. And what’s even better—it has excellent lather for my body and hair. It really works as a four-in-one cleaner.
Now, I have face washes, shampoos, and shaving creams that I prefer over the Bravo Sierra Hair, Body Wash, & Shave. To be fully honest, I like Geologie for my face wash, Lumin for my shampoo, and Rocky Mountain Barber Co for my shaving pucks.
But all of those products total up to about $60. Also, it’s four different products that need to live in my bathroom.
The Bravo Sierra Hair, Body Wash, & Shave is under $10, and covers all of those bases well. Plus, if you’re heading to the cabin for a weekend, you only need to toss the canister in your bag and you’re ready to go.
If you want a simple shower solution for a really fair price, Bravo Sierra is a sweet deal.
The Bravo Sierra Hair, Body Wash, & Shave is under $10, and covers all your showering bases well. Plus, if you’re heading to the cabin for a weekend, you only need to toss the canister in your bag and you’re ready to go.
Liquid vs Solid Cleanser
I also gave the Bravo Sierra Solid Hair & Body Cleanser a try.
Because the Solid Hair & Body Cleanser is made with coconut, shea butter, and oat flour, it leaves your skin feeling moisturized. The gel-to-foam cleanser didn’t leave my skin feeling dry, but I think the Solid bar is a much better choice if you have dry skin.
I prefer bar soaps to gels because I think they’re easier to clean with, so I’m biased in this debate.
Between the gel and the bar, I would choose the Solid Cleanser. The only downside is that you miss out on the shaving foam capabilities of the Hair, Body Wash, & Shave gel.
Decisions, decisions. Honestly, with each being under $10, it might be worth giving both a try to see which one you prefer.
The Solid Hair & Body Cleanser is made with coconut, shea butter, and oat flour, and it leaves your skin feeling moisturized. Bonus points that it can act as a face wash, body wash, and shampoo.
What do Other Reviewers Say About Bravo Sierra?
There’s no shortage of Bravo Sierra reviews scattered through the web, from thousands of ratings at Target, Google Reviews, to the thousands of user-generated product reviews.
A consistent sentiment I saw over and over again was on the scent—it’s definitely a crowd pleaser, and many reviewers loved that the same fragrance is carried through the entire line.
The deodorant, while natural, is effective for a huge variety of body types, and reviewers seem happy to say goodbye to the white build-up under their arms.
My Thoughts Overall On Bravo Sierra
What I Like
The fragrance is woodsy with a subtle aquatic overtone—it’s definitely crowd-pleasing, but pronounced.
The packaging is really cool: I feel like I’m getting ready to drop depth-charges after spraying my body with deodorant.
Because many of the products are multi-purpose, it reduces the amount of clutter in my shower and in my gym bag.
5% of Bravo Sierra’s sales support the mental and physical health of active military, veterans, and military families.
What I Don’t Like
I like that the packaging is uniform, but it also creates the possibility of using hair products on your face by accident—just make sure you read the labels before applying anything.
While their most popular products have a fragrance free version, the brand either has their Bravo Sierra fragrance or nothing at all. So if you don’t like the smell, you’re out of luck.
Who is Bravo Sierra for?
Bravo Sierra is a great brand for you if you need no-nonsense skincare and grooming essentials. If you’re budget-conscious and don’t want too many products cluttering up your space, you’ll love Bravo Sierra.
The Verdict
Bravo Sierra is my favorite brand I’ve tried on the inexpensive end of the skincare/grooming spectrum.
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive skincare system because you want to knock out wrinkles or under-eye rings, you’ll probably need to stump up and pay a bit extra for dedicated brands like Tiege Hanley or Geologie.
But if you just want a natural deodorant that works well, smells good, and doesn’t stain your clothes, Bravo Sierra will get the job done, and at a fantastic price, too.
The same goes for their body wash and moisturizers: they’re really affordable, smell great, and are effective.
The brand’s mission is commendable, so it feels good shopping with them. And they certainly crush some other brands you’ll find them next to in the aisles at Target (rhymes with Bold Lice, Spirish Fling, Spaxe Body Spray).
I say they crush other bigger brands because their formulations are simple and cut out many of the detergents and chemicals that other major national soap brands carry.
Bravo Sierra is my favorite brand I’ve tried on the inexpensive end of the skincare/grooming spectrum.
If you just want natural skin care that works well, smells good, and doesn’t stain your clothes, Bravo Sierra will get the job done, and at a fantastic price, too.
FAQs
Is Bravo Sierra deodorant natural?
Yes, Bravo Sierra uses a powder extracted from the cassava plant to create their deodorant, so it doesn’t have harmful aluminum or staining baking soda.
What does Bravo Sierra deodorant smell like?
Bravo Sierra deodorant has fresh, aquatic top notes that die down after an hour or so, and blend into woodsy mid-tones for another four to six hours.
What deodorant does the military use?
The military doesn’t have a standard issue deodorant, but if you want to support veterans and military families, Bravo Sierra donates 5% of their proceeds to military-oriented charities and is a veteran-owned company.
