I admit I have a love/hate relationship with the AXE Product line. As a haircare professional, I’m supposed to shun supermarket brands, but what kind of haircare expert would I be if I didn’t offer reviews for both the salon brands and supermarket brands? It’s also hard for me to get past the whole “use our product and girls will fall at your feet” marketing approach. Of course, as a middle-aged man, I’m not really their target demographic. In spite of that, I really do like AXE Crew Cut Buzzed Look Cream — it’s a solid product and a great idea.
The Product
One thing I can’t seem to stress enough to my clients is the need to protect your scalp from the sun. Every day, I see guys with scars on their heads resulting from having skin cancers removed from their scalps.
Why? because we don’t do a great job of protecting our heads from sun exposure. Especially if you have a shorter haircut, the sun will penetrate your hair (the crown area is particularly susceptible). How do you protect your scalp? Well, of course, a hat is a great idea. Some of us don’t always want to wear hats, and sunscreen often leaves the hair feeling and looking like a greasy mess. In the summer, I often find myself using my facial moisturizer with SPF as a styling product. It works pretty well as a sunscreen, but, frankly, it sucks as a styling product.
The folks at AXE have come up with a pretty good solution — AXE Crew Cut Buzzed Look Cream with Sunscreen SPF 15.
It’s a styling cream that combines a sunscreen that you work through your hair and scalp and actually works pretty well. Smells clean, too.
The Performance
Of course, as the name implies, AXE Crew Cut Buzzed Look Cream is ideally suited for guys who have shorter, buzzed hair. I’m not working a buzzcut, but I do keep my hair very short (about two inches long on top, faded on the sides and back) and the product serves me well.
To use the product, simply scoop out about nickel-sized dollop and work it around in your hair, making sure to rub it into your scalp.
As a sunscreen, the product works as expected. I’ve spent a great deal of time in the sun while using the stuff and I haven’t burned my head yet. As a styling product, it works pretty well, too. In my hair, it lasts all day and gives me a light, natural shine, and fairly good hold. As the product is designed to be rubbed into the scalp, it has to be fairly light and creamy. If you have exceptionally thick hair or require a stronger hold, AXE Crew Cut Buzzed Look Cream will probably not work well for you as a styling product. That’s not to say; you can’t layer a bit of your favorite product on top of it. I’m not going to fault the product for not being a great styling product for those who need lots of control — there’s simply no way to formulate a product that will be strong in the hair, yet light enough to rub into the scalp. They did design the product, first and foremost, to work well on buzzed heads. In that regard, it’s a really great product.
Packaging
One thing that drives me nuts is excessive packaging and this packaging is indeed excessive — the outer package looks twice as large as the product inside. Not sure if the folks at AXE are trying to make you think you’re getting more product but, come on, do we really need this much excessive plastic clogging up our landfills? That said, the tub is easy to open and close.
The Bottom Line
Especially for younger guys (the target demographic for the AXE folks), protecting the scalp from the sun is absolutely critical. I’m thrilled that a company has finally created a product that combines styling and scalp protection in one product. Don’t tell my colleagues in the salon biz, but, yeah, I’m using AXE Crew Cut Buzzed Look Cream on a daily basis, and I kind of like it. As a styling product, it performs much better than my facial moisturizer with sunscreen, and it gives me the control and shine I need for my particular hairstyle. Combine that with the protection I get for my scalp, and I’m a pretty happy camper. I can certainly recommend this product.
On a side note, as part of the product’s launch, the AXE folks are donating $50,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project — an organization that aims to raise awareness and enlists the public’s assistance for the needs of injured service members. Good stuff — the AXE folks get brownie points for that.