Quality of Ingredients 
Craftsmanship 
Value for Money 
Packaging 
Customer Service There are three things I put on my body almost every day without fail.
The first is briefs because my dog is the only true commando in our house. And the other two are pomade and shaving cream.
So I’m excited anytime I get the chance to try a new product across these staples.
I first heard about Rocky Mountain Barber Company from a buddy. Sometimes I’ll ask my friends what they’re using at the moment for taking care of X, Y, and Z. Partly because it’s what I do for a living, but mostly because I enjoy invading upon my friends’ grooming rituals.
Y’know, good old-fashioned market research.
In this case, I had asked my friend Justin what he was using to hold together a pretty fresh looking slick back. You probably would’ve asked too—there wasn’t a hair out of place on this thing.
With a smirk, he replied, “It’s al naturale.”
Sure, buddy.
Long story short, I got it out of him that it was pomade by Rocky Mountain Barber Company, which led me to their website and tracking them down on Amazon.
I liked the look of their reviews, and I noticed their pomade is an Amazon Choice product . So I knew I had to try the brand out for myself. I reached out directly to the guys behind the goo (you can’t believe I left this in, can you?), and here we are.
I gave their shaving cream and pomade a try for a couple of weeks. My reviews on both are below.
But first, some background info on the brand.
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Who Are Rocky Mountain Barber Company?
Rocky Mountain Barber Company was founded in Canada in 2015 with the lofty goal to change the men’s grooming industry. They believed they could achieve this by focusing on natural materials, small batch production, and a quality over quantity approach.
Three years later and they now produce over 30 products across beard care, shaving, hair care, and skin and body care.
Natural ingredients such as coconut oil, beeswax, sandalwood essential oil, and shea butter feature heavily across their grooming range, and they lock in the freshness with frequent production runs.
Oh, and they also give out two free razor blades or a product sample with every product purchased.
Wait a Hot Minute. Do They Really Give Out Free Razor Blades for Every Item Ordered?
Yessir. And I’ll be honest, this one surprised me too.
After adding any of their grooming products to your cart, you can choose one free additional item. So if you’re grabbing three items, you get three freebies.
Your choices for free items include a two pack of triple razor blades, a razor handle, or a sample of one of their other products.
We tested it and can confirm it works for any product you order. For more info, check out this page, or, if you prefer Western style jingles, watch this video:
Pretty cool idea. I’m yet to find any other men’s grooming company offering this kind of loyalty incentive. Let me on socials if you know of another one.
Minor personal gripes aside, I was highly impressed with the quality of ingredients and utility of Rocky Mountain Barber Company's shaving cream and pomade products, as well as the excellent value for money they offer at the sub $20 price point for both categories.
The Review: Which Products Did I Try?
I tried Rocky Mountain Barber Company’s Sandalwood Shaving Cream, as well as their Firm Hold Pomade.
The Sandalwood is the only shaving cream in the brand’s collection. But they do have other hair care products, including Hair Texture Paste and Forest Mint Shampoo & Conditioner.
Which Hair Product Should You Use for Your Hairstyle?
I hear what some of you are thinking. How do you choose between pomade, clay, and paste?
In general, follow these rules:
- Pomade works best for neat haircuts like slick backs, pompadours, or side parts, as it provides a high shine finish. If you’re using a comb to form your hairstyle, then pomade is probably for you.
- Styling clay is a relative newcomer to the haircare scene. The use of clay adds thickness and structure to your hair which makes it best suited to hairstyles that require a lot of volume such as the quiff or brush up.
- Texture paste is usually water-based and thicker in consistency than pomade. This makes it the most versatile of the three and suitable for virtually any hairstyle or hair length.
Further Reading:
- The 12 Most Attractive Hairstyles for Guys that Women Love
- Men’s Hair Styling: 7 Simple Hacks to Make Your Hairstyle Better
- How to Choose The Best Hair Product for Your Hairstyle
Sandalwood Shaving Cream Review
As a company all about using natural ingredients, Rocky Mountain Barber Co’s Sandalwood Shaving Cream is obviously named with a nod toward its key component, sandalwood essential oil.
Other key ingredients include coconut oil and glycerin for added moisture and a better glide for your razor.
It comes in a well presented and sturdy 5 oz metal tin, with the ingredients and instructions labeled clearly on its base.
The cream itself has a creamy, marshmallow type texture to it.
What I Like
The fragrance. I really like how it smells. The Sandalwood scent is noticeable but not overpowering. It has a pleasant musky/creamy/spicy smell. My girlfriend likes it too (I know, I know—small sample size).
The lather. There’s nothing worse than a shaving cream that doesn’t lather well. Fortunately, the Sandalwood doesn’t disappoint in this department. You don’t need to use a lot, but you may need to add some water to generate a decent lather (or apply it after showering). I use just enough to cover the end of my shaving brush and it’s always enough to lather up my entire face and neck. I also like that one lather lasts long enough for me to finish a shave. It doesn’t dry out quickly and require another application as I find with many other shaving creams.
The shave. The true goal of shaving cream should be to help you get a nice, fine shave. And I always get just that with this product. I find my razor glides smoothly against the cream and it gives the right level of resistance for multiple passes.
Minimal irritation. I get worried every time I try out new shaving products because I’m one of those ‘sensitive skin’ guys. I usually always get irritation if I have to shave on consecutive days. Or if I’m traveling or whatever and I’m forced to use a chemical-heavy product. I shaved with this cream every day for two weeks, always making at least two passes, and only suffered minor irritation (I always get some, regardless of the cream I use). This could be because sandalwood essential oil is claimed to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
What I Don’t Like
The menthol-like cooling feeling. The cream gives you a cooling sensation after use. I know this is a personal dislike because I’m aware a lot of guys like this. I don’t. And it’s simply because I have sensitive skin and it can make me itchy.
The Verdict
I was picking my brains to think of more things I could possibly dislike about the Sandalwood Shaving Cream. Honestly, I’d be making stuff up.
This is an excellent shaving cream and one of the best I’ve tried under $20. Its generous lather means you get a solid bang for your buck, and that’s not even taking into account the free extra you get with every order.
Yes, I wish it didn’t have the menthol-like cooling feeling, but I know I’m in the minority on that one. It smells great, it’s made up of primarily natural ingredients, and it doesn’t irritate my skin. These positives far outweigh my one negative.
And of course, it gives me a great shave. And ultimately that’s what’s most important. I’m now using this as my go-to daily shaving cream. Another product would really have to blow me away (and also be one of the rare shaving creams that doesn’t irritate my skin) for me to replace it.
This is an excellent shaving cream and one of the best I’ve tried under $20. Its generous lather means you get a solid bang for your buck, and that’s not even taking into account the free extra you get with every order.
Firm Hold Pomade Review
Rocky Mountain Barber Company’s Pomade also comes in a 5 oz metal tin. Which is pretty sizeable given that most pomades on the market are packaged within the 3 to 4.5 oz range.
Again, the ingredients and instructions are again set out on the base.
It’s water-based and crafted for a firm hold. The pomade has a liquid feel to it, and very similar to other water-based pomades I’ve tried.
What I Like
The ingredients. I prefer water-based pomades because they wash out easily. Oil-based pomades also make my hair feel dry and my skin break out (again, that whole sensitive skin thing).
The hold. I used this pomade daily for two weeks on a new haircut to test how it held over the course of my hair growing out. My hairstyle at the moment is a classic side part with a fade around the back and sides. It’s neat and so it generally works well with a pomade. I have thick hair though, and so not all pomades are able to give me the hold I need. I found this to hold noticeably better than the Layrite Original I had been using previously. As with most pomades, you’re unlikely to get 16 hours+ of grip. I find you get about 10 hours worth of solid hold at which point you’ll need to reapply.
The smell. It has a bit of a ‘salon’ smell to it. I like it because it’s pleasant but very neutral. I don’t need to be getting whiffs of my hair product all day.
The value. You get a lot of pomade in a 5 oz tin. And because of its strong hold, I found I didn’t need a lot of it for each use. You’ll easily get a couple of months worth out of each tin.
What I Don’t Like
It’s not very flexible. Sometimes I like to add some water and recomb my hair throughout the day to give it a refresh. This works fine with most other pomades I’ve tried, but with this, I found that my hair would bunch up and couldn’t really be worked with again. This is one of the downsides of such a great hold. Of course, if you prefer to set and forget, you’ll love this aspect.
There’s some mild clumping. I noticed some clumping in places when applying the pomade, and I’d need to use a comb or water to separate it out. This isn’t a big deal because it’s a common issue across all hair products, but it’s something I definitely noticed.
The Verdict
Yes, it’s not as flexible as I’d like, and I did notice the same minor clumping I see with most other pomade brands, but these are both pretty minor concerns.
Coming in firmly under $20, this pomade is a quality product offering excellent value for money. You get a whopping 5 oz of it, which is about 20% more than you get with most other quality pomades at this price point.
It smells great and it doesn’t leave your hair feeling like it’s lived through chemical warfare.
The hold is also outstanding and up there with the best I’ve experienced. If you’re planning to go out after work, you‘ll probably need to reapply in the evening, but this fairly standard across most pomades.
Generally, if you’re a ‘set and forget’ type of product guy, and not happy with your current hair product, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in giving this pomade a try.
Coming in firmly under $20, this pomade is a quality product offering excellent value for money. You get a whopping 5 oz of it, which is about 20% more than you get with most other quality pomades at this price point. If you’re a ‘set and forget’ type of product guy, and not happy with your current hair product, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in giving this pomade a try.
Or you can find it on Amazon here:
Last update on 2022-01-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Are Rocky Mountain Barber Company Products Worth It?
I can’t speak for the brand’s entire product range. But when it comes to shaving cream and pomade?
Absolutely.
Both products really impressed me. To the point where I’m quite curious now to try some of their other products.
I believe the best men’s grooming brands today recognize that many of us guys care about the quality of what we put on our bodies and we demand value for money.
Rocky Mountain Barber Company offer high-quality products in generously sized containers at a great price point and with a focus on natural ingredients and small batch production.
And those are all things I look for in a grooming product.
So after trying two of their products that perform their intended purpose very well, I can confidently say I’m a fan.
But hey, don’t just take my word for it. Check out some of the customer reviews on their store or on Amazon . And if you’re still curious, give them a try for yourself.
And then let me know what you think about them in the comments.
Because, y’know, market research.
Minor personal gripes aside, I was highly impressed with the quality of ingredients and utility of Rocky Mountain Barber Company's shaving cream and pomade products, as well as the excellent value for money they offer at the sub $20 price point for both categories.
