Shave cream/brush vs shave cream from a can?

3 encouraging words indeed.....1. Chicks 2. Dig. 3. It

 

Canned foam can be OK -- I find the Proraso is pretty good but their soaps and creams made for a brush are so much better. I don't know whether aerosol shaving foam is any better or worse for the skin than brush created lather, but I know that the stuff in the can is always the loser in competition with a lather from a puck of hard shaving soap IMO.

Canned shaving cream will do in a pinch, but is disappointing in comparison with lather made using a brush.

 

Make sure that you don't overheat the can, it can explode and cause severe injury.

 

One note I would like to add is that I am a frequent cartridge razor user (fusion proglide, atra and trac-II). For me, a good mileage on blades is most necessary. Creams and soaps destroy the mileage (for me at least) and leave too much shaving residuals on the edge. I specifically carried out an experiment and compared different lathering products/styles. Here are some of my main observations :

1. Non-canned products (soap and creams) leave too much of a shaving residual in form of white particles . Even after drying the blade and oiling it, the residuals don't come off. This doesn't happen when I use canned products from Gillette (foam and gel)
2. With soap and creams, the shaves become very draggy right from 6-7th shave. Causing inflammations on the base of the remaining whiskers.
3. Soap and creams are best with low mileage blades (DE and disposable)
4. In close multiblade alignments, the canned lather easily rinses out (w/ sliced off whiskers) without any need for extra water pressure from faucet.
5. Gel and canned foams are way more "lubra strip friendly" as compared to creams and soaps. Even after 15 shaves, half of my blade's lubrastrip still keeps its color.
6. For me, "canned products make your face dry" is still a myth. After 5-6 months of constant use, I still can't point the difference in the after effects of canned and non-canned products on my skin.
7. There is no difference (for me at least) in slickness of canned and non-canned products.
8. Gels are good for a repeated stroke glide and shaving foams are good for single stroke close cut.
9. You can't apply gel with a brush. However, if you inject foam deep inside the bristles of the brush, bowl lather it , add some gel to the mix and bowl lather again. The resultant lather then has properties of both gel and foam (at least my experience and my skin guarantees it). It is my own recipe and I love doing it.

 

At least half of the enjoyment I get out of shaving is from using my brush with a good soap or cream. If I felt like I couldn't get good shaves with a cartridge when using it with a good, traditional soap or cream, I wouldn't use a cartridge. Fortunately, I've been using carts in tandem with soaps and creams for years, and haven't noticed any problems.

 

Now you tell me!

 

I just use hot tap water in the sink basin, never had a problem yet. Nothing like warm lather.

Clayton

 

With Trac-II, Atra , Sensor and Mach 3, I mostly use non-canned products. But with fusion proglide, canned is the way to go.

 

Brush and lather feels great for one. Secondly, your not putting a bunch of unwanted chemicals on you noodle and mug.

 

My wife is a wet shaver now. I had her try a soap stick in the shower and she fell in love with it. I am in the process of switching her over to DE's and she is really doing well. No more canned goo in my house!!!!!!

 

I really find than nivea sensitive in a can is terrific and I am sure someone will say something but what works the best and easiest for you is all that counts..

 

I decided to get back to Barbasol and toss out the Gillette gel(which I bought after tossing out the Edge). The Gillette has too much fragrance in it that could wipe out that of an aftershave lotion.

 

Respect your decision.

 

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only gent who doesn't scorn cans.

One point I'll add: Learning to face-lather soaps and creams with a brush, then applying the same techniques using a brush in conjunction with canned products, has yielded far superior results than just squirting some onto my fingertips and slathering it all over my whiskers.

Frankly, the act of lathering up shave gels with the fingertips now strikes me as wastefully imprecise, unacceptably sloppy, and completely unsatisfying to the senses. Bah!

 

That's a big difference I've seen on THIS forum. It's your shave, enjoy it your way. I don't have an issue with whatever razor, lather, or aftershave anyone else uses. If someone asks a question they may get back opinions, advice, even actual information. Rarely does anyone scorn or ridicule another for their choices.

 

I don't know who says you can't use canned foam with a DE or a Cart. I think people here are mostly interested in enjoying their shave, and that includes experimenting with lathers and aftershaves.

I will say that I have never had as slick of a shave with canned foam as I get from a good soap. And carts were expensive, and with my pretty thick beard they were a clogging nightmare.

I think when you are a cart and can shaver, you (generalizing) probably aren't as into AS products. Why would you be, you aren't into much else in terms of shaving products, compared to us AD afflicted. When you live in below freezing, zero humidity climates, and shave every day, balms and splashes are a huge part of my enjoyment in the hobby. Wish I would have thought more about it decades ago.

I think if you feel you get the same experience/result from a cartridge and a can of foam as you do from a DE/SE/Straight and a good lather, you just aren't into the actual process as much as a lot of people here.

Nothing wrong with that at all, it is just a different level of enthusiasm. Utility more so than hobby maybe.

 

Can't apply a gel using a brush? Poppycock! I've been working on finishing off a stray can of Barbasol Ultra Extra Moisturizing gel and it is really quite good when face-lathered with a soaked-then-shaken brush.

 

I have used a brush to apply foams and gels for the last 25 years, works awesome.

 

I apply Barbasol with a brush after lathering in some water to it. Works great.

But Barbasol to me isn't "just canned goo". It's expensive and hard to come by and looks really cool with that design of the can. Hence I use it sparsely and with more enthusiasm than the average Gillette can available world wide.

 

Regional issue about Barbasol availability. Sorry to hear that. Here in the states it's commonly available for around $1.00 US per can in all the flavors.
I guess shipping it to you would be an issue? Next time one of our world traveling members passes near you they might smuggle in a case of your favorite?

If there is an American Military base nearby, they may stock it in the PX!