For this review, I thought I’d cover three Brut products at once: the Brut deodorant, splash-on, and cologne. Mostly, I made this choice because they’re all pretty much the same thing. Additionally, I have pretty much the same opinion on them: grooming purgatory. Brut was founded in the 1960’s, and they’ve maintained a consistent presence in grocery stores, pharmacies, and other similar stores. This is great for people who grew up with Brut, because I can tell the product makeup is pretty much the same as something you would encounter about 50 years ago. However, for more modern guys who enjoy the fruits of the progression of chemistry, it might come off as a bit stale.
Brut Deodorant
One word: TRICLOSAN. Look, I try to not get overly-natural with my grooming supplies, but a guy can only take so much. Triclosan is currently under scrutiny by the FDA because it’s entering people’s bloodstreams through the skin and increasing susceptibility to hay fever and immune system damage. In addition, when absorbed into the skin, triclosan was found to combine with the chlorine in tap water supplies and create chloroform, a carcinogen, inside the body. There is absolutely no reason for any product in the 21st Century to still sport triclosan, and I’m shocked Brut hasn’t modified their recipe.
Luckily, this deodorant isn’t flammable (see below), so at least we have that. It applies like any other deodorant, and yes it will last you all day. It has the same grandpa-tastic smell as the rest of the line, so if that’s your thing, you can have a field day.
Brut Splash-on
When I got this, I thought, “What exactly is splash-on?” Well, you splash it on. I’m going to call it an “aftershave” because I can’t really equate it with anything else. The reason I have issues calling this an aftershave is because the first ingredient is denatured alcohol. In no way, shape, or form do I want to put denatured alcohol on my skin for any period beyond testing this product. Why, you ask?
Well, let’s see what else denatured alcohol is used for on a regular basis: camping stoves, shellac solvent, removing ink from upholstery, diesel substitute, and fire juggling fuel. There’s even a warning on the back of this that says, “Warning: Flammable. Do not use when smoking or near fire, flame, or heat.” Oh, ok! Sounds fantastic! Let me literally splash this on my body! There’s more alcohol in this than water, and I would recommend this to nobody. It’s a recipe for dry skin, irritation, and combustion.
Brut Cologne
But if you use the splash-on, and you’re not entirely on fire yet, why not add some more denatured alcohol to yourself? The absurdity continues with this cologne, which is halfway chemically-identical to the splash-on. Same flammability warning, by the way. This cologne lacks an atomizer, which is always annoying with colognes, but I understand they have a tendency to tear up the delicate notes in the cologne.
The ingredients list a “Fragrance” but other than some preservatives, fillers, and artificial coloring I don’t know what the fragrance is made of. Whenever I see “Fragrance” listed on an ingredients list, I get concerned–it’s always drying, and always suspect.
The cologne reminds me of something my grandpa would wear, so if that’s your thing, Brut might be up your alley. I personally like a fresh, woody smell, and this smells spicy/minty with lots of alcohol. Not really my thing in a cologne, but that’s wholly personal. It will last you all day, though.
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One thing I can say about all three of these products is they’re all really affordable. You can get any of these for peanuts, which is a great benefit. They also have a very distinct smell which, if you love, you can get in pretty much any product you need. This makes for easy scent matching. However, the ingredients list is highly questionable, and since I’m not a fan of the smell, these leave a lot to be desired.
