Smoov is formulated by Keenan McLean in a small Denver lab. No contract manufacturer. No white label. Small batches. Every decision tested on real skin, starting with his own.
Tight after every wash. Flakes along the jawline. Bumps where my beard meets my cheek. Ash on the forehead by noon. I was doing all the things I was told to do, and nothing looked like what was on the bottle.
Drugstore, dermatologist, prestige. Products "for men of color" that were just the same formulas with a different label. Fragrance I couldn't wear. Heavy occlusives that made me shine. Actives dosed too low to do anything, or too high for my skin to tolerate. Nothing worked. Not for long.
I taught myself cosmetic chemistry the same way anyone teaches themselves anything now. Textbooks. Forums. A lot of failed batches in my kitchen. Then a small lab in Denver. The goal was never a product line. It was one cleanser and one moisturizer that actually worked on my skin. If they worked, they'd work for other Black men, too.
Most products treated my skin like an afterthought. Products 'for men of color' were often just marketing gimmicks with a different label. Same formulas. Same problems. Same results.
Every cleanser left my skin tight, stripped, irritated, or greasy with residue. I didn't start Smoov because I saw a market opportunity. I started it because nothing worked.
HydraGuard went through nine formulations before I shipped it. Every ingredient, every decision, tested on real skin before it ever reached yours. Twenty-plus Black men tried every version through formulation. Mine was always first.
No contract manufacturer. No white label. Small-batch hand formulated. Made in Denver. Bottle numbers printed on every unit in every run.
Marcus, day 4: still flaking along the jawline. Pulled niacinamide from 6% to 4%. Added second ceramide.
Two testers reported tightness at pH 5.2. Lowered to 4.8. Swapped surfactant blend. Retest in 14 days.
Andre: 'first time my skin has felt even in years.' No one broke out. No tightness. Lock the formula. Ship.
Names used with permission. Specific feedback changed specific ingredients. That's the whole reason it took eighteen months instead of six.
If you're reading this, you probably tried what I tried. The drugstore stuff, the prestige stuff, the products that said they were "for us" and weren't.
Try the routine for 60 days. Both products, morning and night. If it's not right for your skin, I'll refund it myself. Empty bottle, full bottle, doesn't matter. You can email me at the address below and I'll handle it.
That's the whole deal. No contract manufacturer to hide behind. No lab I can blame. Just me, in Denver, making skincare I wanted to exist.
