Thread: Noxzema the original deep cleansig cream

So I have been using the Proraso pre/post cream as a pre shave for sometime now. About two months a go I was reading through some threads and someone suggested that Noxzema the original deep cleansing cream worked as go or better with similar ingredients. I was intrigued by this as for a couple reasons. First being that I can get the Noxzema pretty much in any store and that for 5 USD I can get 12 oz vs 13-15 USD for 3.6 oz of Proraso pre/post. So I picked up a tub of the Noxzema.

The last month and half I have been going shave to shave alternating between the two products. I have used both with arko shave stick and my G. Wosty Frameback. Here are the conclusions I have come to.

Noxzema: Adds a lot of extra cushion, Leaves my face more moisturized after I am done shaving, Helps my lather stay more moisturized through out my shave. (With arko alone or with Proraso I always have to add water for my last pass with this I do not(I do a 3 pass shave)) Does a good job of lifting the hair up off my face and getting it ready to be shaven. Very little methanol kick.

Prosaso: Adds little to no cushion, leaves my face dry after my shave, No effect on lather, Does a good job of lifting the hair up off my face and getting it ready to be shaven (slightly better then the Noxzema) Has a great menthol kick to it.

For me the better product is the Noxzema and will be my go to in the future.


P.S. I apologize to the person that posted about substituting Noxzema for Proraso as a I can't remember your SN and can't find the tread again to give you credit.

Never tried the Proraso, but have used Noxema for years right at the end of my shower specifically to soften the beard.... works great in my book

In my book too! Several years ago my wife had several partial tubs of the stuff that she claimed had "gone bad" because it was so old and had yellowed. Well, I'm too cheap to throw away anything, so I started using it, like Glen, right out of the shower. It definitely helps.

Thanks for the tip. It makes perfect sense to me. Noxzema has at least one and maybe more of the same ingredients that Proraso pre-post-shave has--eucalyptus. It ought to soften one's beard and set it up for a nice clean shave.

Noxzema used to make a brushless shaving cream a lot like their deep cleansing cream. It was a bit thicker than the skin cleansing cream. Servicemen used it to shave with during WWII. I used it all the time in the 1970s and early 1980s, but they discontinued it.

I will have to try this!

I love my Noxzema. However, I found out that Al's shaving (alraz on these forums) does an amazing "bomb" that smells exactly like Noxzema. And it has a ton of menthol in it, which I enjoy. His stuff takes a little work to lather. After a minute of swirling you see nothing. Then 10 seconds later your bowl is full of lather. It's amazing stuff. He doesn't advertise it but it can be ordered as a custom scent "Chillwhip". It is phenomenal and will stay fluffy and moist in your bowl long enough to do four passes (i tried the other night. With that cream I ended up 4 passes and no irritation)

I tried this today with ARKO as the soap. I'm definitely going to be trying this again...
The result was a very creamy lather. My face felt a bit tight after shaving. I want to see if I experience the same results with other soaps/creams.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Never tried the Proraso, but have used Noxema for years right at the end of my shower specifically to soften the beard.... works great in my book

Proraso, Never?

Do not turn down a gift of it.
It is good stuff and easy to lather.

It belongs in the short list for
beginners, but you are not a beginner

Nothing wrong with skipping it, especially
if you have a working good for your face
solution in your shave den. So many
great soaps... and only one face....