Startups
James Druce, Founder of the DRUCEBOX.
Published: January 24, 2021 | Updated: 24th January 2021
It’s described as a simple box that will change the life of a young man forever.
A mental health and shaving product.
In a box designed exclusively for teenage boys.
The DRUCEBOX is the brainchild of entrepreneur James Druce from Bournemouth.
It goes on sale from March and aims to solve the age-old problem of teaching a young man how to shave.
James, 35, said the idea came to him after his coffee roasting business, Distribution Coffee, was hit hard by the Covid crisis.
He said: “The pandemic really caused me to scratch my head and come up with something new.
“Due to some experience with my youth work, I could see that there was a real need to not only teach young men about shaving but also gently encourage them through building resilience, but in a very subtle way.
“DRUCEBOX is all about building their self-esteem by informally sharing about body choices, image and self-confidence.
“It’s not about helping them look the best all the time, but instead being happy with who they are and how to look after themselves.
“It’s been a real labour of love.
“While many of my friends had been kicking their heels being furloughed or in lockdown, I was busy designing and working on this new concept.
“I am really excited by the potential DRUCEBOX has to not only boost male youth mental health, but the potential to grow into so much more.
“We’re about to start building an app as well, so teens have something to interact with, ask questions and build a bit of a community.
“I am passionate about supporting and encouraging young people, so the sky’s the limit!”
The DRUCEBOX contains:
It’s now available to pre-order for March delivery.
The cost is £19.99 with free delivery.
James said: “DRUCEBOX is designed exclusively for teenage guys around 14 to 17 years old.
“Many might think ‘just give him a razor’ but shaving takes time and knowledge, developed with practice into a skill which, hopefully, will help a young man for the rest of his life.
“DRUCEBOX is not only a high quality razor system with all the gels, creams and gear any guy could need.
“But key to the box is the LifeHacks Pack, designed to provide all the support a shaving newbie might need to know.
“The pack has been designed exclusively for teenage boys in mind, keeping the content highly pictorial but with just enough content to ensure it can answer nearly every question.
“It covers everything from why bother shaving, to tips for shaving with acne and the science behind hair growth direction – it really does make for an interesting read.
“The DRUCEBOX is all about helping a young man learn about one of the most undertaught subjects of personal development for guys.
“They don’t teach this in schools, it’s not on the curriculum and it’s rarely taught from father to son these days.
“It’s not on anyone’s agenda really. That can’t be right, and our teenagers deserve better.
“We’ve built in loads of tips and help covering emotional and physical health.
“I wanted to make sure we appropriately covered some of the key points in puberty without seeming like a biology textbook or cringeworthy health promotion campaign.
“Instead we feel we’ve got the right balance.
“Because the aim has always been to build resilience and positive mental health, it sort of came naturally to us.”
James studied at Bournemouth University and has a BA in International Hospitality and a MSc in Tourism Management.
He continued to live in the area after graduating and worked in hospitality and youth work, providing consultancy and bespoke project creation for local charities and organisations including BCP council.
James said: “We have designed the pack to be bought by parents/carers and then we’ll post it to the teenager directly.
“That way there’s no awkward conversations and parents know it’s going to be used because they don’t have to go through it with them.
“We know this is going to be a popular product because it’s put together by hand and is all about supporting teenage guys, something they really need now in such challenging times.
“With our help, we’ll help the nation’s teenagers shave well and build a generation that has more tools for resilient living.
“We think it’s a great idea that could really boost male teenage mental health whilst solving a long-standing problem.”
