In a way, it strikes me as strange that this aftershave is part of a line dedicated to sexual health. Don’t get me wrong—it rocks at getting rid of razor burn around the pubic area and inner thighs. But it’s just as good at soothing recently-shaved legs and underarms; I imagine that it would even work for men who shave their facial hair, as long as they’re careful not to get it in their eyes. Best of all, anyone who is allergic to dyes, perfumes, or parabens (or who wants to avoid the potentially carcinogenic effects of the latter) can rejoice, because Sexual Health Enthusiasts’ aftershave is free of all of these. It’s also free of glycerin, so there’s no need to worry about yeast infections. In other words, it’s an all-around good investment.

I have troublesome combination skin, and I’m very, very intolerant of products that make my skin feel greasier/dryer than it already is. As oils go, though, this isn’t bad at all. It’s quite sheer, and seems to absorb entirely into the skin with a little rubbing (although I did wash it off my hands because if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s the feeling of grimy fingers). It also clings to your skin well; you can spray it on your legs or bikini line while standing upright without it dribbling all over the place before you can smooth it in. I’d say the texture of this is most comparable to spray-on sunscreen, which is also a very lightweight, “dry” oil. If anything, I think that this aftershave is a bit less greasy, since spray sunscreen tends to leave a kind of thin oily coating on my skin.

I was pleasantly surprised by how this spray smells. I often find citrus scents cloying, but this one was mostly just...fresh. You can smell the orange, but it has a nice, herbal undertone to it that keeps it from being overly sweet. I think that bergamot in particular, though technically a citrus fruit, tends to have a very crisp and “clean” scent when used in oils and perfumes, and that is certainly the case here. The other good news is that, even if you dislike the smell, it dissipates pretty quickly. It’s a little hard for me to get away with sniffing my bikini line without attracting some attention, but I did surreptitiously check my legs about an hour and a half after applying it, and the scent was more or less gone.

Obviously this isn’t a product that’s meant to be ingested, so I didn’t do a taste test. It absorbs so quickly into the skin, though, that I doubt anyone performing oral on a person who has used this product would be able to taste anything, as long as an hour or two has passed since applying it.

The package containing my aftershave arrived after I was already out of the shower and dressed, but there was no way I was letting that stop me from testing it immediately. Fortunately, I was wearing a dress, so I spritzed a bit of it on my knees—the area of my legs most prone to irritation.

Now, maybe it was a placebo effect, but I swear that after only two or three hours, the red bumps on my knees already looked a bit smaller and less irritated.

The real test, though, came a couple of days later. Up until now, I have strategically planned beach outings and sex around my shaving schedule—pathetic, I know. The reason for this is that while everything is all fine and dandy the day I shave, I wake up the next morning and my bikini line looks like a war zone. In other words, the day after I shave my more sensitive areas pretty much always sucks, and I was super excited to test out this aftershave on this dreaded “morning after.”

It worked. When I showered in the morning, my bikini line (and underarms, for that matter, not that it stops me from shaving them everyday anyway) was a bumpy red mess. I put the aftershave on, waited impatiently, and checked the results a few hours later. To my astonishment it had actually helped. There were still some red dots, but the inflammation was pretty much gone.

What’s even more amazing is the fact that the effects appear to be cumulative. I’ve been using this product daily, but only for about a week, and my skin is definitely smoother than it was even two or three days ago. The razor burn isn’t completely gone, but the red bumps are fewer and farther between. Normally, having to postpone a date by a day is a source of massive consternation for me, because I just couldn’t shave down there twice in a row, and the whole area looked dreadful anyway. Today, though, I was actually able to shave my bikini line after having shaved it just the day before—this is unprecedented, people!

My aftershave arrived wrapped in a plastic bag, which I take to mean that the bottle could leak. It has been fine rolling around in my bathroom drawer, but I’d definitely put it in a plastic baggy when traveling; it would be a shame to get grease stains on your clothing, and it would be a TRAGEDY to waste any of this precious oil.

The bottle itself has some directions on how to apply the aftershave, as well as a list of ingredients—they’ve even helpfully starred the ingredients that are natural! It’s also pretty discreet; to be fair, the label does have “Sexual Health Enthusiasts” written in the corner, but even so, no one is going to question your motives for leaving aftershave on your bathroom counter.

I’ve already mentioned that as beauty products go, this aftershave is pretty body-safe, but for anyone who is particularly cautious about such things, I’ve included a picture of the list of ingredients and some information about them (mostly taken from cosmeticscop.com).

• Isopropyl Myristate: An emollient and thickening agent. A few studies have suggested that it clogs pores, but these studies were later deemed unreliable.

• Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone: Types of silicone, and thus very safe. They can soften and smooth skin, as well as ensure that other ingredients are applied evenly.

• Argania Spinosa: Argan oil is completely safe and contains fatty acids, antioxidants, and Vitamin E—all necessary for healthy skin.

• Chamomile Oil: Contains antioxidants and antimicrobials that can help sooth acne and other inflammation. It is generally safe, but some people are allergic to it.

• Salicylic Acid: If you’ve used face wash designed to treat acne, you’re probably familiar with this ingredient. It’s very safe, and acts as an anti-irritant and exfoliant.

• Aloe Barbadensis Extract: Antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory substance. Although aloe’s effectiveness is disputed, it is thought to be quite safe.

• Mineral Oil: Mineral oil comes from petroleum and is considered extremely safe and non-irritating. Allergies to it are very rare, although those with extremely oily skin may want to avoid it since it forms a sort of protective barrier on the skin.

• Meadowfoam Oil: Safe plant oil that acts as an emollient and conditioning agent.

• Crambe Abyssinica Oil: This comes from an oilseed plant grown in the Mediterranean and is used as a conditioner. It is thought to be safe, but there is little research on it.

• Tocopherol Acetate: Form of Vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant. It protects the skin from UV radiation, makes sunblock more effective, helps keep the skin moisturized, protects the skin’s barrier oil, and does much more besides.

• Retyinyl Palmitate: Type of Vitamin A combined with palmitic acid that acts as an antioxidant. One study found it to be carcinogenic in conjunction with UV light, but further research has cast doubt on the reliability of these findings.

• Squalane/Squalene: Natural component of skin that can also be derived from shark liver and plants. It is an emollient and antioxidant, and is considered safe.

• Bergamot Oil: This is, in my opinion, the most questionable ingredient in this product. It can act as a photosensitizer—that is, it makes your skin cells more vulnerable to UV damage—so you should probably not apply this right before going out in the sun.

• Rosemary Oil: This can act as antioxidant, but it can also cause “irritating or toxic reactions” on skin.

• Citrus Aurantium Extract: Has antioxidant properties when eaten, but may irritate the skin when used topically.

• Phenoxyethanol: This is considered one of the safest and least irritating cosmetic preservatives.