How Not To Smell Like Ass

Ah, the smells of summer.

For cityfolk and the sweaty among us, that sounds like a threat.

But it doesn’t have to.

Evoking the redolence of cut grass and campfires: Whistler, a new line of washing products that are made in the U.S.A., toxin free and concocted to “make you think of the happiest times outdoors.”

Started by Jake Bronstein, a former men’s lifestyle editor and creator of Buckyballs and InsideHook-championed clothing line Flint and Tinder, Whistler offers more than great smells: they promise no toxins and a set-it-and-forget-it subscription service so you never have to think about smelling bad again.

A bit of backstory: In 2013, Bronstein’s made-in-the-U.S.A. clothing company Flint and Tinder developed a one-time custom soap fragrance called Campfire and Cut Grass that “made you think of your happiest times outdoors.”

A big success, he decided to expand the soap into a full line. One with an ethos.

“With 80,000 chemicals in the soap and shampoo isle, only a handful have ever been tested for safety,” says Bronstein. “Most are terrible, if not downright toxic. The same chemical foaming agents used to de-ice-airplanes — sulfates — make up almost half a normal bottle. Most of the rest of it is preservatives to keep the consistency from shifting even if it sits on shelves for months. In fact, some use almost the same ingredients as anti-freeze.”

Instead, Whistler uses natural ingredients like eucalyptus, juniper berries and baobab for their washing products. Our thoughts? The washes, soaps and shampoos provide a more natural clean. Extremely cooling. It may also (TMI alert) be the best-smelling thing we’ve put on our bodies.

Next for Whistler: a shampoo for guys with thinning hair and “man masks” that tighten facial pores (“They’re fun as hell to put on,” says Bronstein, “and we name them things like ‘Red Robin and ‘Gekko Green’”).

You can order the products individually or as part of monthly subscription boxes (a la Amazon Subscribe and Save). And they listen to their audience — the company’s first backers on Kickstarter helped shape everything from the initial product lines (they voted for multifunctional wash products, so you can wash/condition and moisturize quickly), the design of the bottles (“Amazingly, we’re the first people to go green”), the cooling sensation of the body wash and the goodies that arrive with each order (like a great enamel tumbler that can be used as a cup or toothbrush holder).

Now proceed to the out-of-doors. You smell the part.

Nota bene: The first 500 people who go here will get a FREE bottle of the “All Over Wash.” Use the code INSIDEHOOK and they’ll throw in some travel-sized samples, too.