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The w.o.d.welder company was formed by CrossFitters who were tired of waiting for their torn hands to heal up. You know this feeling? They started their company with a hand salve, but have since evolved to offer soap, bath salts, odor absorbers, pumice stones, and hand cream. (Oh, and a trucker’s hat, too.)
w.o.d.welder Bar Soap for Athletes
The first product of theirs that I tested out is their natural paleo bar soap. The company claims the soap is “hand stirred by ridiculously detailed Cavemen in small batches.” Take that as you will. I take it to mean this is handcrafted soap like you would get in a boutique, only it’s made by cavemen so it’s not embarrassing to have it seen in your bathroom.
Soap Ingredients:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Avocado Oil
- Comfrey root
- Shea butter
- Peppermint oil
- Eucalyptus oil
Because of the peppermint and eucalyptus oils, the soap is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. This means it’s good for getting whatever critters rode home from the gym with you back off your body.
According to the company website, comfrey root is “an anti-inflammatory and cell regenerating compound.” The idea being that it helps your skin heal up after your hard workouts. Same with the shea butter. It should also be noted that the comfrey root just makes the soap look cool, as it’s the ingredient responsible for the brown swirls throughout each bar.
In addition to the good stuff that is in the soap, there are a lot of bad things that are missing. The soap contains no dyes, chemicals, synthetics, phthalates, or parabens.
The soap does sometimes feel like it leaves a bit of film on your skin, but it’s not a bad feeling. I’m not sure “film” is really the right word. It just feels like it’s left something behind, but since the ingredients are all beneficial and natural, I think I’m most likely feeling the coconut and olive oils.
“In addition to the good stuff that is in the soap, there are a lot of bad things that are missing. The soap contains no dyes, chemicals, synthetics, phthalates, or parabens.”
Each bar weighs 5oz (170g) and will last you for some time. I’m a few weeks into the bar I’m testing and it’s still going strong. It lathers up nicely and smells pleasant without smelling heavy or perfume-y. It also doesn’t contain tea tree oil, which I was glad to see. Tea tree oil seems to be the go-to ingredient for a lot of soaps designed for athletes and that smell just gets to be too much.
The price point might seem high compared to normal soaps, but remember that a lot of those soaps either aren’t antibacterial and antifungal or they’re full of all kinds of garbage. Overall, if you’re looking for a good product to get the gym cooties off, make your skin feel nice, and not smell like the leopard-print ladies at the entrance to Macy’s, you’re on the right track with this soap.
w.o.d.welder Odor Crusher Sacks
Back when I was doing martial arts regularly, I had a whole pile of items that claimed to absorb odors and moisture. I’d stuff them in my gloves, my shoes, my bag, and my closets. Sometimes they seemed to work and sometimes they didn’t.
These little Odor Crusher Sacks from w.o.d.welder seem to do the trick, though, and are a lot more affordable than the cedar-chip-stuffed things I used to use. These are simply unbleached muslin bags filled with corn-based filler. The filler absorbs moisture while the other ingredients, peppermint and eucalyptus oils, make everything smell good and provide some protection against fungus and bacteria.
“The filler absorbs moisture while the other ingredients, peppermint and eucalyptus oils, make everything smell good and provide some protection against fungus and bacteria.”
These won’t last forever. And if you’re really stinky or really sweaty, you’ll be glad you got a three-pack. But they do work. One sack will fit easily inside a shoe, but they are also powerful enough to handle a whole bag, a drawer, or even your buddy’s car (you can totally just slide it under the seat and no one will notice).
The Final Word
The branding of the products isn’t my favorite thing. It’s very “CrossFit” with the use of “workout of the day” and “WOD.” But don’t let that turn you away if CrossFit isn’t your thing. These are well-made and useful products. And even if they’re not for you, they might make great gifts for the WOD-doer in your life.
Available at wodwelder.com.
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