I was gifted a tube of Williams lather shaving cream, unused, is it possible you can still use it? Has anyone tried? My s Guess is it from the 70's
If it's not solidified, it is absolutely fine to use...components might have separated and need mixed up again but that's it. Nothing should go "bad" but your nose will tell you if so. Can't recall the brand but I once found a tin tube from the '30s that was still usable (where it was miraculously stored all this time I'll never know). A half-tube of Palmolive brushless that I just put in the Box works pefectly well and it dates from the late '40s - 1950. If you decide to pass on it, I'm always interested in oddities like that. (now that I think of it, it's possible brushless creams hold up for decades better than regular)
Things in tubes get less exposure to air, which is likely a good thing, in this case. As others have said, smell it first. If it doesn’t smell moldy or otherwise off, do a little skin test. It’s there is no irritation, then I think it’s OK to use.
I'm definitely going to give it a go, I took off the cap and it looks like shaving cream should, and didn't smell rancid.
Because of the water content, creams have preservatives added. Bar or puck soaps are milled to near dry so they are less likely to grow any nasty bacteria or mold. If you want to test it before shaving - put some in the crook of your elbow. Thin skin will tell you if it's likely to irritate your face.
About 30 years ago I spent a summer in an old hunting camp near the Canadian border in New Hampshire. Totally off the grid. There was an open tube of original Barbasol brushless there that had to be from the 1940s. I used it about 25 times, and there was still plenty there for the next guy. Although the packaging and some of the ingredients are different, the Barbasol Brushless "Sensitive Skin Formula" that you can get today has the same scent and to my mind, the same performance as the old tube.
I like this advice. That is one are of skin that lights up as clearly as a needle on a voltmeter for me.