Breaking Into Men's Grooming: A DTC Brand's First Year

David saw an opportunity in premium men's grooming — a market dominated by legacy brands with dated packaging and one-dimensional marketing. He wanted clean, effective products that a modern man would be proud to display in his bathroom.

With zero manufacturing experience and a modest budget, David chose Skincraftlab's private label program. He started with 5 products: a charcoal face wash, beard oil, moisturizer with SPF, eye cream, and a multi-purpose balm.

Our team helped him select proven base formulations and customize the fragrance profile — a blend of cedarwood, bergamot, and black pepper that became his signature scent. Packaging design was adapted from his brand guidelines into production-ready files.

Iron & Oak launched on Shopify with a targeted Instagram and TikTok campaign. The initial 500-unit run sold out in 4 weeks. David reordered 2,000 units per SKU within 60 days. By month 12, he had served 15,000 customers across the UK and Europe.

Skincraftlab's flexible MOQ allowed David to test multiple SKUs without overcommitting. Today, Iron & Oak Grooming is stocked in 12 independent retailers and planning its first retail chain partnership.