I will be honest here and say that I am terrible about shaving in general. I tend to shave more in the summer but even then it’s usually when we’re headed to the beach, pool, or lake, and I shave my bikini line less often than my pits or legs because I seem to get itchy razor burn no matter what I do.
That’s where Project FIG comes in. Their mission is to give women (and men, but the company was started by and for women) healthier skin choices. They say that:
The state of skin care for the bikini area is basically criminal…there are a few decent products but nobody is thinking about that body part in the way other companies are crafting products for the face, hands, etc.
Who knew you could feel so empowered about shaving your bikini line, right? I am kind of loving that concept, so when the folks at Project FIG offered me samples of their “intimate grooming” products, I thought it was worth a shot! If they can help hapless me have a better bikini line, they can help anyone. They sent me:
- Shave Gel
- Soothing Serum
- Exfoliant
- Hair Inhibitor
For 1 week, I did a very scientific test wherein I paid more attention to my bikini line than I have maybe in my entire life.
Testing Project FIG
When I started out, it had been probably a week or more since my last shave, so I decided to use my usual soap and water on the left side and Project FIG’s products on the right and see how things went. Here’s my usual regimen:
1. Lather with Dr. Bronners.
2. Shave
With the Project FIG products, here’s what you do:
1. Lather with their shave cream.
2. Shave.
3. Apply soothing serum to damp skin after every shower or bath and use hair inhibitor morning and night.
4. On off days, use exfoliant in the shower to slough away dead skin cells.
My skin was definitely less red and irritated on the Project FIG side. I did get one ingrown hair there, but on the other side I had my usual million ingrown hairs and itchy red bumps, so this was a vast improvement. That soothing serum is serious! I’m definitely going to keep using that and probably the exfoliant.
The hair growth rate seems pretty similar on both sides, so I am not sure how effective the growth inhibitor was.
What’s in Project FIG Products?
When they contacted me about reviewing the products, they mentioned that:
Our products are not just impeccably built but mostly organic and all ingredients are naturally derived. no parabens, SLS or other bad things. We meet Whole Foods new Whole Body standards which is pretty tough and we’re proud of that.
That’s all good stuff, but of course, I like to know what is in things on top of what’s not in them. Here are the ingredients lists from each bottle:
- Shave Gel – Water, Sodium N-Cocoyl-L-Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flowers, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol.
- Soothing Serum – Water, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Larrea Divaricata (Chaparal) Extract, Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract, Sodium Palmitoylproline, Water Lily Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flowers, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Retinyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Trace Mineral Complex (Mg, Zn, Sn).
- Exfoliant – Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glyceryl Stearate, Bambusa Arundinacea (Bamboo) Stem Powder, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Wax Beads, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flowers, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elder) Berry Fruit Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol.
- Hair Inhibitor – Water, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Larrea Divaricata (Chaparal) Extract, Lecithin, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flowers, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 20, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol.
I spot checked a few of the ingredients that stood out to me with the Skin Deep Database. The database rates ingredients and products’ toxicity on a scale of 0-9, and the lower the better.
- Phenoxyethanol gets a 3-4 depending on usage. It’s harmful if you ingest it, so don’t do that!
- Benzyl Alcohol gets a 6 and is associated with neurotoxicity.
- Sodium N-Cocoyl-L-Glutamate gets a 0.
- Glyceryl Stearate had a few results, but they were all between 0 and 1.
- Phenoxyethanol got a 3-4.
- Hydroxypropyl Guar got a 1.
To compare it to my usual soap and water, I also checked the Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree soap that I usually use to shave. The database gives it a 1. I also searched the database for shaving creams and found ones that rate a 0 all the way up to an 8.
So, is Project Fig the most natural shaving product out there? Maybe not. Is it way better than conventional shaving products? You betcha! I like that they scent everything with essential oils. There is no “fragrance” listed on any of their bottles. I also like that I might be able to shave my bikini line without itching for days afterwards!
What do you guys think about Project FIG after looking over the ingredients?