Three quick fixes that fit right in your pocket:
Ursa Major Men’s Essential Face Wipes
Toko Care Line Eco Wash
Chain-L
Pocket-Sized Solutions: Ursa Major Men’s Essential Face Wipes
Men’s skin is sex-specific. It’s thicker and oilier than women’s skin, and it has more pores. And, men have tougher, faster-growing hair follicles. What does this mean for your face? According to Ursa Major, a new producer of men’s skin care products out of Stowe, Vermont, you need man-specific personal care products that exfoliate, hydrate, feed, and protect your skin. Many products on the market are packed with questionable chemicals. Not Ursa Major’s.
Take its . Tear open the single-serving packets and you’ll find a bamboo towel soaked with Ursa’s 4-in-1 Face Tonic, and on-the-go cleanser that removes oil and grime, brightens dull skin and clears clogged pores, actively combats razor bumps, razor burn and ingrown hairs, and soothes, balances and refreshes—even moreso if you keep them in the fridge. And the orange, lavender and fir smells as good as your skin feels. Wipe the tiredness of the day off before après work cocktails, or wipe your sweat off after a run, bike or gym session.
Available now, $20/24 towelettes
Pocket-Sized Solutions: Toko Care Line Eco Wash
Built by the same chemists who have worked for 30 years to repel dirt and water from the bases of skis, Toko’s new technical fabric wash uses formulas used in ski wax re-engineered for clothing. Through a partnership with Schoeller Fabrics, Toko fine-tuned the chemistry necessary to keep hydrophobic and waterproof breathable fabrics like Gore-Tex working, while also making them and other clothes you might need to wash out in the sink looking and smelling clean and fresh. Toko did it without dyes, bleaches, whiteners, or phosphates.
And will work on your cotton boxers, your polyester tee, wool socks, or your Lycra bike shorts as well as your waterproof breathable jacket, returning all to optimal performance, using biodegradable materials. And, you can fly with these packets even if you’re not checking a bag. Bonus: works great in cold water.
Available now, $3 per sachet
Pocket-Sized Solutions: Chain-L
Don’t’ sweat the small stuff, but be sure to bring it along.
Made in small batches, like a nano brew or fine bourbon, is the most tenacious, least-inclined-to-get-dirty bicycle chain lube made. High viscosity, it sinks deeper into a chain’s rollers than other lubes. That’s why the Richard Sachs Cyclocross Team swears by it, and during the spring rains of this year’s Tour of California, pro-mechanics and riders alike were doing whatever they could to get their hands on it. It makes loud drivetrains quiet, and quiet drivetrains “black ninja of death silent,” according to one fan.
Most chain lubes you need to reapply every ride. This one lasts around 1000 miles on a road bike. And in bad conditions, it holds up. Heads up snowbikers—this stuff is for you too. Chain-L works well down to -40°F. Swing by a Chain-L dealer for a free dose, or trust us and just buy a bottle at a or .
Available now, $12/4 oz