Thread: Easy creams

I got asked this from a friend and had to say I have no idea, I've been using a brush soap or cream since I started shaving. But I said I would ask a reliable source for more information. They will not go to a brush soap or cream.

Are there any non brush style soaps or cream out there that are worth using? I know nothing compared to a good brush lather but they are using canned goo so it will be better than that.

Any thoughts I can pass on???

P.S.

They wont do straight (to afraid but I think I can get them to safety razor)

I'm of no real help but I would like to share a bit.

When my buddy Ski's boy came over not too long ago to learn how to use a straight I shaved first so I could have him watch closely.

When I lathered up with a brush, he said "Hell that's almost faster than using the canned lather.

Just an observation.

By the way, why is using a brush a No No Cost? Hygiene Worries?

I had a tube of Burt’s Bees shaving cream. It lubricated well and provided a decent enough shave, but the aroma was, well, meh.

It was convenient to apply, but did not provide as satisfying a shaving experience as any of my shave soaps and croaps and got tossed out as a result.

If someone wants to get into wet shaving without the expense of a tier 1 or 2 soap and a decent brush, I think this cream could be a good entry point.

In my experience, this cream and others I have tried, tend to clog a DE to the point that you have to loosen the head in order to flush the gunk off the blade edge. That’s not as big a problem with a straight.

The best of the brushless creams I've used has been J.M. Fraser's Shave Cream available from many vendors. Its a product of Canada for barbers so its a huge economical tub , scent is lite lemon. It seems to do a good job of softening my beard and I've gotten good shaves using it over the years. I'd buy again when I run out.

Originally Posted by DZEC

In my experience, this cream and others I have tried, tend to clog a DE to the point that you have to loosen the head in order to flush the gunk off the blade edge. That’s not as big a problem with a straight.

Boy, I'll second that. What a pita.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Boy, I'll second that. What a pita.

Bob

Reminds me of a product they came out with many years ago. As I recall it was called amazing shave or something like that.

It was a gel like Vaseline you put on the edge of the blade (made for carts or DE's SE's) and it was supposed to give a wonderful smooth shave.

It didn't and as a bonus the whiskers just stuck to the razor so badly you had to dismantle the razor and scrub the gunk out and the blade itself was toast.

Poraso cream (also sold as Bigelowe cream) is cheap and works well with cartridges if you thin it out.
Cremo would probably work, I've used it with a DE a few times but didn't find it to have enough cushion for me.

Gentlemen,

The pharmacy men's shaving isles are packed with brush-less shave creams. All are hyped as the best there is. Take your pick.

Yet I scratch my head at what some consider difficult: swirling a moist brush in a tub of shave cream and then applying it on the face to make lather. Really? How much more difficult can that be than squeezing shave cream out of a tube onto your hand and slapping it to your face?

If nothing else, the brush exfoliates the skin, helps soft the beard and lifts the hairs for ease of cutting.

Well, at least Proraso makes brush-less cream, I think, and that's better than nothing.

When using the best soaps in my den, I can do a 15-second brush load and a 60 second bowl lather and be ready to apply the soap to my face. At the end of my shave it may take another 60 seconds to rinse out the brush.

Using a non-lathering cream or canned foam or gel might save a minute or so overall, but the benefits of a great soap more than make up for that small difference.

I have tried non-lathering creams and do not particularly like them. I think they are primarily designed to be used by women for shaving their legs, but some scents target men.

Cremo is designed to be a brush-less cream, but it will lather if you use a brush and added water. I prefer using it that way.

The best of the non-lathering creams I have tried is Shea Moisture African Black Soap & Shea Butter Shave Butter Crème. It has great slickness and glide, reasonable cushion and decent post-shave conditioning. The ingredient list is good. I keep it in the shower for use when I am in too big a hurry for a proper DE or straight razor shave. In that case, I will shave with a cartridge razor during my shower. However, that does not happen very often as I prefer a traditional shave.

Most regular creams will work brushless especially if you thin them out a little. Many are advertised as such these days. AOS is an example and readily available, maybe even at Target? So have him grab a tube of whatever he likes and have at it. Creams in tubs seem to be a bit thicker than tube creams.

For a pure brushless, I like the Feather Hi Shave Moist Gel. It’s slicker than all get out, scent is not too strong and pleasant, and I got 3 x 230g tubes for $21 delivered from Japan off eBay. Makes a great pre-shave too. And of course there’s always Creamo.