Burton and Levy beard combs - $28 and up
Jason Burton has a big beard. He couldn't find a high-quality comb to tame the thick hairs that grow from his face, so he decided to make one himself. Thus was born Burton and Levy. These beard combs are both stylish and functional, making them a great gift for the bearded gentlemen in your life, or a quality purchase if you're investing in your beard long term. Local brick and mortar shops like Hugh, and Rail & Anchor carry the combs and Michigan-based online retailers Detroit Beard Collective and Detroit Grooming Co. carry the combs as well.
Detroit Grooming Co. beard wash - $17
Whether you're a lady looking for something for the bearded gentleman in your life, or you're a dude who likes to keep those whiskers looking and smelling fresh, Detroit Grooming Co.'s beard wash is a go-to product. While this wash works well cleaning up facial hair, it's also usable on other body parts. Choose from peppermint, tea tree, and lavender scents — whichever you go with this product contains avocado oil, grapeseed oil, wheat germ oil, and is rich in vitamins A, B, D, and E. These vitamins and essential oils will keep beards tamed and shiny while also conditioning the skin underneath.
[Terra]Cotta Paste - Ben's Magic Hand Salve - $9 Perfect for those wind-chapped hands that so many Michiganders suffer from every winter, this "magic" hand salve lives up to its name. It's made with olive oil, sweet almond oil, beeswax, aloe vera, jojoba oil, shea butter, vitamin E oil, and an essential oil blend. It's a heavy cream that takes some rubbing in, but it's totally worth it when all these natural ingredients start to heal your flaky, dry hands. Rub it into your palms and elbows for extra softness.
Detroit Rose Candles - $20
Deirdre Skiles crafts these delicious smelling candles in Eastern Market, hand pouring the all natural, vegan-soy wax herself. Scents include basil, leather, campfire, lavender, pipe tobacco, bergamot, fig tree, and sweet lemongrass. Skiles uses all locally sourced ingredients to craft each and every mason jar candle, making them that much sweeter. You can order them online or pick them up at a number of local shops including Willys, El Dorado General Store, Detroit Mercantile Company, Tarot and Tea, and City Bird.
Brazen Bonjour Luxury Perfume Oil - $15
Using oils like coconut, almond, jojoba, meadowfoam, and Vitamin E, local cosmetic maker Brazen crafted this special blend that speaks to the sophistication of France. The perfume oil works with your body chemistry to create a scent that's totally unique to you. This particular blend has hints of passionfruit, guava, pineapple, berries, and melon while vanilla rounds out its scent. Pick up a bottle at Brazen Beauty Lounge at 195 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale.
Artemisia spicy muscle melt - $14
Caryn Simon of Ann Arbor-based Artemisia crafts herbal remedies from organic and mostly locally procured ingredients. Some of her other products include a farmer's salve that's perfect for hands that take a beating in the garden as well as a safe-for-infants chest rub. Her spicy muscle melt is perfect for an invigorating massage to help soothe sore muscles. Made with organic olive oil, arnica, beeswax, vitamin E, cinnamon, clove, ginger, peppermint, and other materials, it's as good to your hands as it is to your aches and pains. Pick up a pot Liberty Pediatrics or Peoples Food Cooperative in Ann Arbor or shop her store on Etsy.
Aromaholic craft cocktail soap - $9.25
Manhattan, cucumber gimlet, white sangria, berry mojito — sounds like we're naming off a list of our favorite summer cocktails, but in fact we're talking about the deliciously inspired soaps from Ann Arbor's Aromaholic. Everything from this crafty little company is flavored like popular mixed drinks, liquors, and craft beers. These handmade soaps are made with organic materials coconut oil, olive oil, clay, jojoba oil, and cocoa butter. They're cold-pressed, made from scratch, and made in limited runs, which make the super special and worth the price.
The Old White House lavender room & linen spray - $10
Spritz your sheets and pillowcase with this organic lavender oil spray just before bed and you're sure to get a good night's sleep. Love the earthy smell of the purple bloom? You can even use this mist as a body spray. Lavender is the main ingredient in everything The Old White House makes, which includes all natural, vegan laundry soap, carpet freshener, and kitchen cleaner. You can pick up any of their products at the Old Town General Store in Lansing, the Eyrie in Ypsilanti, and Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island. We've even spotted them at Eastern Market.
