Bobby, I liked Proraso for a short time, maybe a year, but as soon as I discovered Ingram, I dropped Proraso, although I still respect the brand. I will say this, in Canada, Proraso is very popular, but poor Ingram is literally unknown--not one single pharmacy sells it.
I love the proraso scent, but every time I use it, it seems to clog the pores on my neck. I keep saying, it must have just been a bad shave, but it's happened entirely too many times for me to just write it off as a poor shave. There's something inn there that just doesn't agree with my skin.
My friend, the scent is what made for me to switch to Ingram. Also, Ingram has true, real skincare. Proraso just has a good cooling feeling, but I still prefer how my skin feels after a shave from Ingram.
This will go in the CoC, but I tried this on my 2 day old stubble last night. Ingram SC + Noxema SC I originally started out w/Noxema, but I don't think I got my ratio just right b/c I could tell it wasn't softening my beard. So instead of adding some more noxema, I added some Ingram and got a great shave. I think I wasn't patient enough, not giving the lather enough time to soften the beard, but I'm glad I found this great combo. I also tried something new w/my preshave. I usually use olive oil, but this time I superheated it before application. I thought the extra heat would help soften up the beard. Worked better than usual, but not as well as I'd hoped. Oh yeah, and other than a thorough warm rinse, no asb was necessary b/c of the olive oil. And my skin looks/feels great this morning b/c of it. I think I just found my winter asb.
I recently got a tube of Bigelow Green at Bath & Body Works, which says it's made by Proraso, but it had WAY more Menthol than any Proraso I have ever used, and it made my face feel wonderfully cool...of course the pre-post helped a bit, but the Bigelow Green was wonderful! And all I used was about 1/2 inch ribbon for 3 passes. Great stuff IMHO. Cheers! Matt
Ingram is a potent menthol blast but I give the edge to Noxzema. Noxzema is the only cream to ever open my sinuses! My Italian supplier has referred to it as the "pure menthol" cream. In fact he said it was almost too much and that coming from an Italian--who take their wetshaving seriously--IS saying something.
Mark, as far as Ingram is concerned, it's 1 cream I'm very fond of. Noxzema is my number 1 favorite presently, and had been the only brand I used for many, many years, before it was pulled out of production here in Canada. There is one cream that has more menthol than Ingram, and Noxzema--the Italian version of Palmolive Menthol.
Joe, that stuff is mentholated to the point where as soon as your brush makes contact with your skin, the cooling effect begins. By the time you've finished your 1st pass, your skin feels frozen! Now, I also have Palmolive Menthol from Egypt, which comes in a blue tube. It has the same lather, just as much cooling as our Italian version, the same great skincare, but the scent is completely different, and not necessarily one that pleases. The Italian one smells gorgeous!
Indeed, the Italian menthol version is the best-smelling Palmolive cream out there, IYAM Thanks for the heads up on the Egyptian version
my pleasure, brotha! I think I'll shave with the Italian one tomorrow morning, now that I think of it!
Anyone else add their own menthol to shaving creams they like that are NOT mentholated? I bought some menthol EO from e-bay and add a drop or two to my lather bowl. Gives creams like AOS Lemon, Arko Citrus, and Old Spice Classic a whole new dimension. Boots Cool Cologne SC has menthol, too. Tryphon just came out with a Permafrost cream, too.
Sure, works with soaps too. I haven't used menthol EO, however.......either of these are my preferred poison for pepping up the lather: Axe Oil Olba's Oil
Zirh Shave Cream (brushless) is extremely cooling -- more than Proraso Green or Nancy Boy Signature. In fact, I find it more cooling than Baxter's AS.
Boots Cool Cologne cream has a small cooling effect, not a strong one--I find it noticeable after the shave more than during.
