The Scottish Fine Soaps Company Men's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper Moisturiser

The Scottish Fine Soaps Company Men's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper Moisturiser

Efficacy100/100IrritancyHigh
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Works for

1 of 1 advertised claim delivered

Moisturizing
5 ingredients credited for this claim
Strong evidence
What the product description says
“Men's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper Moisturiser”
From product name

This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.

The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water. When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job: glycerin.

This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: paraffinum liquidum, cetearyl alcohol.

The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: paraffinum liquidum

GlycerinKey active· HumectantEffect: HighOne of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant~1.1–1.7%
Paraffinum liquidumHero· Emollient, OcclusiveEffect: HighMineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function~6–9%
Cetearyl alcoholKey active· EmollientEffect: MediumA non-drying alcohol. Works as an emollient. Helps water and oil mix together and creates a nice product texture~3.2–4.8%
Glyceryl stearate· EmollientEffect: LowAn emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together~1.6–2.4%
Silybum marianum extractEffect: Low, below effective doseMight be able to help neutralize free radical, calm down inflammation in skin, and even skin tone~0.3–0.75%

Can it cause trouble?

Irritancy
3 strong irritants: Parfum, Citronellol + 1 more — patch-test recommended
High risk
We flagged 6 ingredients with irritancy potential. Severity depends on your sensitivity threshold; the table lists the worst offenders first.
IngredientFunctionIrritationEst. amount
ParfumAn aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredientsHigh~2.5–3.8%est.
Silybum marianum extractMight be able to help neutralize free radical, calm down inflammation in skin, and even skin toneHigh~0.3–0.75%est.
CitronellolA fragrance. Can be irritatingHigh~0.05–0.15%est.
CoumarinA fragrance. Is a likely skin allergen and can be irritatingHigh~0.01–0.1%est.
EthylhexylglycerinA preservativeMedium~0.45–1.1%est.
Potassium sorbateA preservativeMedium~0.15–0.55%est.
Comedogenic
1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale
1 flagged
These ingredients have a comedogenic rating of 2 or more on a 0–5 scale; the table shows each one's rating. In leave-on products they can clog pores in acne-prone skin.
IngredientFunctionRatingEst. amount
Cetearyl alcoholA non-drying alcohol. Works as an emollient. Helps water and oil mix together and creates a nice product texture2/5~3.2–4.8%est.
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Ingredients

Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.

Water~40–60%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Plain old water

More about Water
Paraffinum liquidum~6–9%
Hero · Moisturizing
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Moisturizing

Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function

More about Paraffinum liquidum
Cetearyl alcohol~3.2–4.8%
Key activeComedogenic 2/5
Irritation risk
Low
Comedogenicity
2/5
Works for
CleansingMoisturizing

A non-drying alcohol. Works as an emollient. Helps water and oil mix together and creates a nice product texture

More about Cetearyl alcohol
Parfum~2.5–3.8%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients

More about Parfum
Phenoxyethanol~0.5–1%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products

More about Phenoxyethanol
Glyceryl stearate~1.6–2.4%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
CleansingMoisturizing

An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together

More about Glyceryl stearate
Glycerin~1.1–1.7%
Key active
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Moisturizing

One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant

More about Glycerin
Peg-20 stearate~0.8–1.25%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Cleansing
More about Peg-20 stearate
Ethylhexylglycerin~0.45–1.1%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

A preservative

More about Ethylhexylglycerin
Silybum marianum extract~0.3–0.75%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High
Works for
Anti-oxidationAnti-inflammatoryMoisturizing

Might be able to help neutralize free radical, calm down inflammation in skin, and even skin tone

More about Silybum marianum extract
Potassium sorbate~0.15–0.55%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

A preservative

More about Potassium sorbate
Sodium benzoate~0.1–0.3%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

A preservative

More about Sodium benzoate
Citronellol~0.05–0.15%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

A fragrance. Can be irritating

More about Citronellol
Coumarin~0.01–0.1%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

A fragrance. Is a likely skin allergen and can be irritating

More about Coumarin
Ingredient list view

Water, Paraffinum liquidum, Cetearyl alcohol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl stearate, Glycerin, Peg-20 stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silybum marianum extract, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Citronellol, Coumarin

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Allbeauty
≈ $15.08
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Amazon UKPrice as of 10/17/2026 21:44 GMT
≈ $20.77
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Worth comparing, line by line.

Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.

Side-by-side comparison of this product against its closest alternatives
The Scottish Fine Soaps CompanyMen's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper MoisturiserYOUR PRODUCTThe ORCHID SkinSnow Bbo Yan Hand CreamNiveaEssential Enriched Body CreamFarm StayReal Avocado Nutrition Eye Cream
Match—52%52%52%
Price$14.87$8.10−$6.77$5.79−$9.08$10.31−$4.56
Shared key ingredients—2 of 32 of 32 of 3
Key difference—NiacinamideDimethiconeNiacinamide
Irritancy High Medium Medium Medium
Drying alcohol————
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Product summary

Based on the ingredients included, "The Scottish Fine Soaps Company - Men's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper Moisturiser" works well for moisturizing the skin. As we expect from a proper moisturizer, the formula includes a combo of effective humectants and emollients. These are the two different types of ingredients that are essential for improving the skin hydration and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Glycerin in this product (humectants) attract water molecules to the upper layer of the skin (the water comes from the outside air or from the deeper layers of the skin if the air is dry). Emollients in this formulation (paraffinum liquidum, cetearyl alcohol and glyceryl stearate) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.

Irritation risk

This formulation includes some common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide a benefit for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here

You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.

Price

The product retails for 11.25£ in the United Kingdom.

For a detailed price comparison: click here.

Sources cited in this review

Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 2 studies and safety reviews.

  1. 1
  2. 2
The Scottish Fine Soaps Company Men's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper Moisturiser
The Scottish Fine Soaps CompanyMen's Grooming Thistle & Black Pepper Moisturiser

Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.

As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.