Beards are a lot of fun. They are fun to look at, fun to make fun of, and fun to touch. But are they fun to grow? To maintain? Sure, some guys grow their beards because they hate to shave, but given the explosion of the lumbersexual beard subculture (and the rise of the beard in general), it’s clear there is a bond between a man and his beard.
Here are some Detroit-based beard grooming companies that make having a beard fun and oh so stylish. Plus, I’ve listed our favorite place to buy each brand, because hey, if you’re going to shop, go big or go home.
Beard Balm at The Detroit Mercantile Co.
Beard Balm is focused on doing one thing really well: Beard balm. They brag that using their leave-in conditioner is the easiest way to grow a beard. They even give away the farm, sharing their beard balm ingredients and procedure, even throwing down the gauntlet to go can for can with other people’s homemade products.
I checked them out at The Detroit Mercantile Co., the store that carries the fanciest brands our state has to offer. They put a special emphasis on made-in-Detroit, proudly displaying their Carhartt, Detroit Denim and rare pre-prohibition Stroh’s beer crates.
Find them 3434 Russell Street in Detroit.
Detroit Beard Collective at Savvy Gents
If you have a beard with some really specific needs: Dandruff, redness, irritation, etc., you can probably find something at Detroit Beard Collective. They even have beard soap. I couldn’t believe it myself. Soap. For. Your. Beard. Their “Beardspiration” page is pretty interesting, as they were repping #beardlife at the Renaissance Festival.
Even though their stuff is carried all over Metro Detroit, and even as far as Chicago, my favorite place is Savvy Gents, which is on the edge of Eastern Market. Savvy Gents is kind of like two shops in one, with Savvy Gents for the men and Savvy Chic for the women. There is an adorable Parisian-esque cafe inside Savvy Chic too.
Find them at 712 Riopelle Street in Detroit.
Detroit Grooming Co. at Eldorado General Store
They’ve got beard oils named after our favorite hangout likes Corktown and Greektown. But you have to check out The Doyle. It’s a beard/mustache comb made from brass, so the more you use it, the more the brass’ shape and color conforms to a patina unique to you. It’s the fingerprint snowflake zebra stripe of the beard industry.
If you are into the beard subculture, they’ve got a pretty good blog too. It’s amazing how this awesome company started because a bunch of dudes couldn’t find what they liked on the market.
Eldorado, located on Corktown’s main drag, is one of Detroit’s coolest vintage stores. They have an amazing curated selection of reasons to embrace the Wild West cowboy life. I don’t know how this store manages to have so many random things that all make sense when you look at them as a whole. If words like buckskin, fringe, horsehair, and denim excite you, then you’re going to love Eldorado.
Find them at 1700 Michigan Avenue in Detroit.
