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Public Goods Membership Review – February 2018

Lacey Volk
ByLacey VolkMar 30, 2020 | 16 comments

Public Goods Personal Care Products Review

Public Goods
3.6 overall rating
13 Ratings | 5 Reviews

Public Goods (previously known as Morgans) is a membership service through which you can buy healthy essential personal care products at cost. All of their products are cruelty-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, and most are also vegan-friendly made in the USA.

Readers, please note: This review is from 2018. You can find an updated review for 2020 here.

Public Goods Unboxing

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

A variety of Public Goods products arranged around the box

About Public Goods

The Subscription Box: Public Goods

The Cost: Access to members-only prices is $59 for one year

The Products: Your choice of natural grooming products

Ships to: US, free with orders over $25

Public Goods Membership & Products Review

I was drawn to Public Goods initially because of the design of their products. My bathroom is definitely on the cluttered side and I love how simple their minimal black and white design is by contrast; it would look great in any bathroom, but especially in our new vintage-inspired black and white remodel.

Now, I've never been the type of person to decant my shampoo into a fancy glass container or anything like that. But visual clutter is real, and I was really curious if these products would perform as well as they look:

Public Goods Shampoo

I love the simple "it's all good" branding on these, too.

Public Goods Shampoo ingredients

Public Goods Shampoo, 12 oz – Members Price $3.75 (Non-Member Price $20)

This shampoo is simple but nice. It reminds me of a high-end hotel shampoo, which sounds like a criticism, but I actually LOVE that stuff. It has a very pleasant citrusy, herbal-y scent that doesn't linger after rinsing. It lathered well and made my fine hair feel nice and clean.

Public Goods Conditioner Public Goods Conditioner ingredients

Public Goods Conditioner, 12 oz – Members Price $2.50 (Non-Member Price $20)

The matching conditioner has a similar pleasant and clean citrus scent. It wasn't the most moisturizing formula I've ever tried, but my hair felt soft and clean. I have fine hair, and I can say that it didn't leave my hair feeling weighed down or too dry either– it was a happy medium.

This is a small detail, but since the shampoo and conditioner bottles look so similar, I really appreciated that this bottle has a pump-style top. That made it so much easier to tell the difference between in the shower.

Public Goods Body Lotion Public Goods Body Lotion ingredients

Public Goods Body Lotion, 12 oz – Members Price $4.00 (Non-Member Price $20)

This is an unscented lotion, and it works great as a general purpose body lotion. It's not greasy and absorbs into the skin quickly. It's definitely been helpful to keep on hand for dry hands and elbows during the cold weather we're still getting here in the northeast!

Public Goods Moisutizer Public Goods Moisutizer ingredients

Public Goods Moisturizer, 4 oz – Members Price $3.25 (Non-Member Price $18)

If you've read some of my past reviews, you may know that my skin is a bit sensitive and doesn't always handle new facial moisturizers well, especially those with fragrance or essential oil ingredients. I have started just patch testing things in the last few months because I'm just not sure how I'll react.

I wasn't sure about this at first because it does have a bit of fragrance to it: this one has a sort of sea-breeze "fresh" smell rather than the citrusy scent of the other Public Goods products. But, I'm super pleased that this facial moisturizer is gentle on my skin, and has actually helped calm some redness that another product had caused. If they made a version of this with SPF, I'd consider it for my daily routine. It's lightweight and the fragrance doesn't stick around.

At this point it makes sense to note that all of these products so far are pretty unisex; the fragrances are pleasant and light enough for anyone to use them.

Public Goods Shaving Cream Public Goods Shaving Cream ingredients

Public Goods Shaving Cream, 6 oz – Members Price $3.25 (Non-Member Price $18)

Shaving cream is a total luxury for me; I rarely buy it. This one is pleasantly peppermint, but it's not so strong that it makes your skin tingle. It had a great consistency and a little really went a long way when shaving my legs in the shower!

Public Goods Razor Blades

Public Goods Razor Blades, 4 pack - Member Price $3 (Non-Member Price $15)

To complete the shaving kit, Public Goods offers these 4 packs of blade refills, as well as a handle:

Public Goods Shave Handle

Public Goods Razor Handle – Members Price $11 (Non-Member Price $55)

This one is solid and nicely made of wood with metal accents.

Public Goods Razor Blades and shave handle

The set worked great together, and I thought these blades worked really well. The only downside to the beautiful wooden handle is that it is super smooth, and so it's a bit slippery to work within the shower once you've applied the shaving cream.

Public Goods Bar Soap

Public Goods Bar Soap ingredients

Public Goods Bar Soap, 5 oz – Member Price $3.00 (Non-Member Price $16)

I never expect bar soap to impress me, but I've been making a conscious effort to create less plastic trash this year, so I've been trying more bar soaps than body washes lately. This coconut oil and glycerin based soap leaves me feeling clean without an overpowering smell, and doesn't dry my skin out.

I was skeptical of the first ingredient being palm oil since it has been criticized for deforestation and climate destruction in tropical areas. Happily though, this bar is made with CSPO Palm Oil, which stands for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil and means the producers follow a number of guidelines designed to make the product more sustainable for the environment and habitat in which it is grown.

Public Goods Deodorant  Public Goods Deodorant ingredients

Public Goods Deodorant, 2.5 oz – Members Price $4 (Non-Member Price $18)

Right off the bat, I was happy to see this deodorant does not contain aluminum. I've stayed away from aluminum-based antiperspirants since I was pregnant with my son, and really haven't looked back.

Public Goods Deodorant, detail

This is a gel-type stick that glides on smoothly and cleanly (which is a refreshing change from my Schmidt's brand stick that seems to take 20 minutes to warm up). The natural fragrance is probably the most masculine of all of the products and reminded me a bit of that classic botanical/medicinal aftershave smell, but like all of these products, the smell does not seem to linger very long.

Given that it's winter, I haven't really put this to the test yet because I'm not sweating much... but so far, I like the application and formula at least.

Public Goods Dental Floss Public Goods Dental Floss, unboxed

Public Goods Natural Silk Dental Floss, 30 meters – Member Price $2 (Non-Member Price $11)

This is one of the few products they offer which are not vegan, as this floss is made from natural silk. This does make it biodegradable, though, and it comes in a recyclable glass container too.

Public Goods Natural Silk Dental Floss, detail

This is definitely the first time I've ever thought about how beautiful floss packaging could be. And clear glass, so you can tell when you're about to run out? Amazing.

Packaging design aside, the floss itself worked really well for me. There is a natural peppermint flavor, and I found the floss to be a nice size and have a bit of texture that seemed to help do the job well.

Public Goods Toothbrushes

Set of 2 Bamboo Toothbrushes – Members Price $3.50 (Non-Member Price $14)

This is the only product in the whole box that was a real miss for me.

Public Goods Toothbrushes

Although I love that this comes in a two pack and is color-coded (so you can easily split this with your spouse), I just couldn't get past the taste and texture of wood in my mouth as I brushed.

I try to use eco-friendly materials and recycle and all that jazz, but I think this is one product I'll just have to take a hard pass on.

Public Goods Toothpaste

Public Goods Toothpaste – Members Price $4.50 (Non-Member Price $14)

The toothpaste, though, was a winner. It's got a pleasant natural peppermint flavor as you might expect.

Public Goods Toothpaste ingredients

I found it to be effective and overall pleasant, but I want to note that like many other natural toothpastes, it does not include fluoride.

The tiniest lip balm ever

Public Goods Mini Lip Balm – Members Price $0.75 (Non-Member Price $2)

Finally the cutest thing ever: the world's tiniest lip balm.

Lip balm ingredients

This petite stick is less than half the size of a regular-sized lip balm. I would LOVE to know the story behind this... is it because they were frustrated at all the half-used lip balms they'd find scattered around the house? That is my guess.

Lip balm detail

This is a simple, unflavored balm that's great to have on hand year-round. Even though the first ingredient is coconut oil, I found this to have less of an overt coconut flavor than other brands I've tried. The texture is a little grainy when being applied, but smooths as it warms up.

Verdict

Overall, I was really pleased with the quality and variety of products available through a Public Goods membership. I think there are a few different types of people that might be interested in this brand: If you want to bring more good design into your bathroom, if you want to switch to using sulfate-free, paraben-free and otherwise 'healthier' products without doing a ton of research, and/or if you often find yourself stuck in 'analysis paralysis' when looking at personal care products.... then it may be worth checking these products out. (I also think these would be great for stocking up a guest bathroom since the products are all unisex and good quality!)

The prices are good, too, but as with all memberships, your savings will increase the more you order in a calendar year. Public Goods membership is $59/year paid upfront, which is less than $5/month (and you can try them free for two weeks, which would give you a chance to try the products at cost before you commit). If you find yourself ordering even 2-3 products a month, the overall cost is worthwhile when I look at how much I might pay for similar products at the grocery store. They also offer toilet paper, sunscreen, and body wash and plan to add more products regularly.

Check out related Shaving Subscription Boxes, Subscription Boxes for Men, and Subscription Boxes for Women in the Subscription Box List

What do you think of Public Goods?

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Public Goods is a membership service for household, personal care, vitamins and supplements, and grocery items. They aim to cut out the middlemen and eliminate the retail markup on quality goods by delivering products that contain healthy ingredients with nothing to hide straight to your door.
Lacey Volk
Lacey Volk
Lacey's introduction to the world of subscription boxes was Julep Maven, but she quickly moved on once she discovered there were subscriptions for cooking, coffee, and art supplies. Current favorites include Crate Chef and Ecocentric Mom, and she's looking forward to trying more.

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16 comments

Lily

I live in a hot climate ( the central air conditioning is on here this evening) and a deodorant without a dryness factor ( Aluminum Chlorohydrate) is a deal- killer for me and anyone around me, likely. ;).

Also, I want to point out that the introduction of Stannous Fluoride in toothpaste is why 50+ year olds do not wear dentures now ( as an overwhelming majority among healthy people) and is also why YOU won’t be wearing them in decades to come either.

Please, for you and your children, use toothpaste with the recommended amount of Fluoride. It’s like a mega daily vaccine for their teeth against dental caries.

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Rosanne Ligon

DO NOT BUY FROM THESE SCAM ARTIST!! I BOUGHT $200 WORTH OF ITEMS ONLY TO RECEIVE HALF MY SHIPMENT AND WAS CHARGED THE FULL PRICE. I have been trying to contact customer service for over 24 hours with no response, while they are still posting on their IG. I now have to take it up with my credit card company to receive a refund.

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Nino Mumladze

Hi, I have free trial but I cannot find any way to ensure my subscription is not going to be automatically renewed, can somebody help me with that?

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Sterling Stafford

I’m having the same problem. Help!

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Melissa Duvall

How much are shipping costs?

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vanessa

…or maybe not.

They sounded so promising, but their Conditioner alone contains Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethenol & Dimethicone – all toxins.

PASS!

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Monique

You obviously have no idea what a toxin is and what those products are…

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Katie

No, it’s you who doesn’t understand this term. These are not “toxins”. I’m not sure what you think that means.

As an example, propylene glycol toxicity has been reported only rarely and in unusual circumstances. For example, toxicity may result from excessively large or rapidly infused intravenous injections of propylene glycol-containing medications, excessively large or rapidly infused intravenous injections of propylene glycol-containing medications (Louis, Kutt et al. 1967; Seay, Graves et al. 1997; Yorgin, Theodorou et al. 1997; Wilson, Reardon et al. 2000), or prolonged dermal contact during treatment of burns.

If you’re not injecting huge amounts of this stuff into your body (which you wouldn’t be; a doctor would be), it is NOT toxic.

Phenoxyethenol & Dimethicone are both also considered to be not harmful (unless, you know, you eat it or otherwise misuse it).

Alanna

These are not toxins. However, I get my information from scientific studies rather than beauty advice websites. People really need to stop propagating ideas that have no basis in science.

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vanessa

Very thorough review. Thanks for all the great info. Might have to try them out.

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Snowhitetwin

Great review! I like the concept behind these products and appreciate the extra information you provided about their ingredients. Thank you!

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Beth

TLDR: Outstanding products, great service, unbelievable price!!

Sorry for the v. lengthy comment, but I’m a huge fan of Public Goods (PG) and wanted to share my experiences. (I’m in no way affiliated with the company and I paid for all the products I received.)

I’ve subscribed to PG, formerly Morgan’s, for nearly a year. I cannot say enough good things about the products or the company!

1. First off, they use only healthy, safe, eco-friendly ingredients. That is a #1 requirement for me. Also, I am extraordinarily allergic to a huge list of ingredients; I cannot use hardly anything that has a scent in it. Thankfully PG’s products avoid those. Any scents are minimal (except in the toothpaste), and they seem to come from the basic working ingredients, not from any artificial scents.

2. The products are EXCELLENT. I have long, chemically-treated hair (down to my waist), and have had outstanding results with the shampoo and conditioner. They stand up against all of the luxury brands I have tried. My hair is poker straight – and their products don’t weigh it down. I’ve used the shampoo and conditioner consistently for nearly a year with great success. The soap is also excellent and non-drying, and the moisturizer and lotion do a great job without making me feel greasy or oily in any way. They sink into my skin readily and do their job well. The razors and blades are top quality. I had long been a Harry’s subscriber, but I like these better. (Sorry Harry!) I’ve also tried PG’s lip balm, shave cream, and deodorant – all of which I also love. And I am excited to see they now came out with dental floss. I can’t wait to try that. I the only thing I haven’t tried are their toothbrushes because I use a Braun.

3. I hate packaging waste, and PG does a great job of minimizing it.

4. I really, really dislike the “choice paralysis” I face when shopping at most stores – at times it’s downright ridiculous the number of choices that need to be made when shopping for a simple product. PG puts out one GREAT product in each category. I actually love the simplicity of choice (as well as the tasteful aesthetics of their packaging).

5. And then there is Morgan, the person behind this. I’ve corresponded many times with him throughout the months I’ve been a customer. When I email CS, he’s the one who has always answered. He’s been incredibly responsive.

And @Lacey, it was interesting to hear you comment on how you appreciated the shampoo and conditioner bottles having different tops, because otherwise they are hard to tell apart. When I first subbed to Morgan’s, they were identical, and that is some of the feedback I offered. No doubt others commented to, and now that problem has been resolved. It’s reassuring that Morgan’s listens to its customers!

6. Lastly, the price. I don’t know how they do it! I’m single, and the subscription is economically worthwhile even for me. I signed up initially through the offer appearing again now – one month free trial. Given how picky I am, I assumed I would probably cancel before the trial ended. But once I got my products, I couldn’t subscribe fast enough.

In sum – PG offers outstanding, eco-friendly products, in tastefully designed containers, sold at an unbelievable price, and delivered to your house as you need them, and they provide great customer service. What more could you want?

If you are at all on the fence, I definitely recommended you try this. You won’t be disappointed!

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Lisa

Thank you do much for the additional info!

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busybeadz1

Thank you so much for such a thorough review. Because if this review, they’ve got a new customer. I appreciate the detail you out into it, it answered more then the questions I had, which is great!
Thanks again!!

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allisen

Wow, that floss! I didn’t know I needed beautiful floss in my life, but now I must have it. Thanks for the review 🙂

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Lacey Volk

Right? 🙂

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