There are various washes and shower gels that have entered the market over the past year, promising to be a one-product-for-all deal that will work on your face, body, hair etc. meaning you won’t have to take a full washbag with you whenever you hit the gym. Two brands that have attempted to champion this concept are heavyweight beauty brand Molton Brown (whose offering has already been reviewed on here) and, by comparison, industry newbie Scaramouche & Fandango.
The idea itself is a tricky one as your hair, face and body require different kinds of car in the way they are washed. For example, your face is likely to be more delicate than the rest of your body’s skin which requires a more sensitive wash. Taking this into account it would appear that a multi-purpose sportswash provides a “jack of all trades, master of none” experience, yet S&F state that this isn’t the case and that their product is suitable for all areas o f the body. Dubious? I wasn’t without my concerns either, but I was keen to try it out and see whether it was able to deliver on it’s promises.
First Impressions
For any regular readers, you know that packaging is important to me and the way a product looks and is presented can make-or-break it as to whether I will purchase it. Fortunately, S&F have a nailed their look perfectly using predominantly matte black packaging with a few odd splashes of colour to make different items identifiable at a glance. The sportswash follows this theme with a subtle grey look and the iconic (double-letter) branding that has made their products instantly recognisable on shelves.
For £9 you get 250ml, by no means a bad deal and at almost half the price of Molton Brown’s offering it’s certainly seems to present good value for money. The idea of understated quality is something that S&F seem to rely on and, for me, it’s certainly something that makes them more appealing as a male brand. Far too much of the more generic male grooming products (Gillette, Wilkinson Sword etc.) are about marketing at men and not appealing to them.
Putting It Into Practice
In the shower the product gets off to a good start, the wash itself is a clear gel that is neither too heavy nor too light which lathers nicely when applied to skin. I’ve always been a big fan of the way S&F products smell and, although not necessarily the citrus-y, natural scents of the Molton Brown wash, it’s subtly masculine, sharp fragrance is a great way to wash away your workout.
Applying it to the hair and face feels a little odd at first but it does seem to clean quite well, though it doesn’t feel as though it’s purposefully built for the job. In short, it’s a fantastically convenient cleaning experience for when you need a quick wash after exercise, but it’s not one that you could ONLY use everyday of the week.
Having dried off and got changed, the fragrance lingers slightly only the skin lending a natural scent that is not overpowering or strong, instead only you and those very close by will be able to pick up on the subtle smell. Without a doubt, this would be fantastic for any man who needed to take a quick shower and head out after a session in the gym.
Final Thoughts
The interpretation of the initial promise made by this sportswash is key to understanding what I think of it. It is by no means a wash you can use on your face, hair and body everyday of the year, though it would make a fantastic everyday bodywash. Instead it is the perfect all-in-one companion to keep in your gym bag. The more important question for me though, is how does it stand up against the might of the well-established Molton Brown? Frankly, I think it holds its own very well in that it may look like the same product but the difference in fragrance and design makes it a great choice for men who might not like the MB sportswash. Scaramouche & Fandango have created a great way of taking the work out of your “post-workout” routine.
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