Why We Choose to Stay Independent – Even When It Would Have Been Easier Not To When we started Rugged Beard Co, the “easy road” was right there: investors, co-packers, glossy labels, and watered-down formulas. It would have meant faster shelves, bigger margins, and fewer headaches. But it also meant giving up control. We chose the hard way — making everything ourselves, sourcing every ingredient directly, and shouldering the risk. The easy road would’ve compromised the reason we started this journey in the first place. Independence keeps us honest, even when it isn’t convenient. Topics Covered in This Guide Why Independence Matters In Grooming Not Backed By A Boardroom The Real Cost of Compromise Integrity Featured: Co-Founder Amir & Ebrahem - Zak our videographer Why independence Matters In Grooming In grooming, independence isn’t just a badge — it’s a backbone. When you’re not beholden to shareholders, you can focus on what actually matters: integrity. That’s why we use raw, unrefined ingredients, not cheap refined oils. Its why we skip fillers, even though they cut costs. Why we make in small batches, instead of scaling to meet some arbitrary quota. Independence means our loyalty lies with you, the customer — not boardroom profit targets. That’s the difference you feel every time you open our product. Featured: Co-Founders Not Backed By A Boardroom Our home is a small workshop in West London. It’s not fancy. It’s not automated. But it’s ours. It’s where we test, refine, and produce every balm, soap, and oil by hand. Unlike brands that send their formulas off to a co-packer, our process stays in-house, from ingredient to finished product. That’s why we can say with confidence: this bottle, this bar, this balm, didn’t just come off a factory line — it came from our hands. Built by founders, not factories. "Over 70% of men’s grooming products on UK shelves are owned by just 5 multinational corporations" The Real Cost of Compromise Industry shortcuts look good on shelves, but they don’t hold up in your beard. Refining strips nutrients. Fillers bulk up volume but deliver nothing of value. Cheap synthetics create lather but leave irritation in their wake. Every compromise benefits the brand, not the customer. That’s why “cost-cutting” is never in our vocabulary. Our focus has always been function over façade. Your beard deserves performance, not polish. And the truth is simple: the industry’s “convenience” always comes at your expense. Featured: Roots beard oil Production day Slower, harder — but truer to our mission Integrity Staying independent isn’t the smoothest path. It’s slower. Riskier. It requires sacrifice. But it’s also the only way to stay aligned with why we started Rugged Beard Co. — to bring authenticity back to grooming. Investors would’ve asked us to compromise, to dilute, to “scale smarter.” We chose to build stronger instead. Independence is what keeps us grounded in Brentford, crafting products with conviction. We’re not here to be the biggest name in grooming. We’re here to be the most authentic.