What is so bad about canned creams?

[trewornan]

Making a can of "foam" presents some technical difficulties and in order to solve them you have to make a lot of compromises in other areas. You can't use very much water and still get a good foam so they don't put much in and consequently it will not hydrate the hair very well. Also (mostly) in order to get them to foam properly they include a lot of Sodium Lauryl Sulphate which is a really good foaming agent but also a skin irritant and just not good. They tend to use a lot of the lower molecular weight oils (like coconut oil) which foam easier - but higher weight oils (like tallow or stearate) are generally better for your skin and are usually less irritant.

You can't generally get around these problems and still produce a reasonable can of shaving foam so pretty much every canned foam has the same undesirable properties.

Proper shaving soaps and creams however don't have these problems - they're often made mostly from tallow, palm oil, etc, don't contain (much) Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and of course once they're lathered up, the lather contains a great deal of water.

 

[BroJohn]

There are several good responses above in favor of soap/cremes. I find most canned stuff/goo's to be drying to my skin. The really good soaps spoiled me.

-- John Gehman

 

[vroddrew]

No matter how hard I tried, I always found aerosol canned shave creams or gels developed unpleasant rust at the bottom of the can. If left on a countertop, or even in a vanity cabinet for too long, the can would leave an unsightly rust ring. I also found that, even after wiping the nozzle clean after each use, it inevitably developed a scum of dried soap residue by the time I used it next. So from a bathroom/shave-kit aesthetic standpoint, I find tradtional soaps and creams far superior.

There is also the environmental issue. I'd guess that very few of those steel Barbasol etc. cans get recycled. I bet most of them end up rusting away in a landfill. My pucks of soap, by way of contrast, come with no packaging, other than a thin cardboard box and a paper wrapper. Plus, a puck lasts me at least a year. How many aerosol cans do you go through in the same time?

 

[Doug]

I find wet shaving to be, well "wetter"...... and warmer, and better smelling, blah, blah, blah.....plus my neck doesn't itch anymore.
Doug

 

[bsc2009]

one of the bigges advantages is that i can apply HOT lather from a scuttle when i use a brush and a soap or cream
canned foam is always cold

 

[kml]

I find it harsher on my skin. Although saying that If i didn't use a shaving brush I'd used nivea canned foam over shaving cream

 

[netsurfr]

The canned stuff has ingredients in it that dries out the face and makes it feel tight and uncomfortable. The good traditional stuff doesn't do this and softens the hairs more due to mixing it in with a brush. The scents of the traditional creams/soaps smoke the canned stuff too. Better in everyway.

+1 soaps and cremes come in a wonderful variety of scents.

 

[SilkySmooth]

They're drying to my face, not cost effective, and are somewhat bad for the environment.



==Tom

 

[rafikz]

Some canned gels are less drying and much efficient for me than most traditional creams - soaps; and I have dry skin+tough beard

 

[kestrel]

Schwartr

For me the problem is that canned lather is what it is and you can't do anything with or about it. I take a scoop of Fraser's and drop in the warm bowl. I apply my brush. I watch as the lather develops and when it reaches the consistency that I like I apply it to my face. All warm and dense and just the way I like it.

You can't get that from a can.

Best Regards

Graham

 

[vior]

using a good quality soap or cream is so much more enjoyable.

 

[AverageJoe]

While I do plan on getting some quality soaps/brush I am using canned snot for the moment. Everyone seems to agree that soaps and traditional creams will give a far better shave than compressed mucus, but Id like to know why? What is it about the canned snot that reduce the quality of a shave?

You have to be careful not to fall into the trap of believing that every canned cream is the same!! I'd encourage anyone who feels that way to try Nivea For Men Sensitive gel. There are, of course, some creams that are simply "compressed soapy foam", but there is one I've tried that's better than a lot of the "high end" soaps and creams you'll read about on this forum----that one is Nivea For Men Sensitive Shaving Gel. It comes in a white can and the gel is VERY dense and heavy! When I first tried this, I applied it "brushless", but since then have used it with a brush as well. All you need is a SMALL dollop---it expodes into a very thick rich lather very quickly. Smells great, lubes and moisturizes great. A very comfortable smooth shave. If all I used was "brushless" shaving creams, this would be all I ever used. As far as "canned goo" goes, it's a little pricey, but this stuff seems to be very concentrated and goes a long way.

 

[Suzuki]

Getting away from the qualitative measures (more fun, smells better, etc.), my view is that a good soap/cream is much better than even the best canned goo.

However, I agree that not all canned goos are created equal and some of the products (in particular, the gels from Neutrogena, Nivea and Aveeno, as well as the Proraso foams) are decent. One of these products if used properly and re-applied between passes is as good, if not better than some of the mediocre soaps out there.

One thing for certain is that the canned products have a lot more synthetic components, which may be a concern for some folks.

In terms of convenience, I don't actually find the canned goo much quicker or easier, as you do have to reapply between passes for optimal results.

If you're curious, its worth a couple of bucks to try out one of these products - but don't be surprised if it doesn't make it into your rotation.

I think that the brush has a good effect on the skin - especially if you face-lather that using a canned product just can't replicate.

All I can say is that I occasionally use the canned stuff - mostly for scientific purposes, but if I had to cut down on my shaving time, I would use a good quality soap/cream with a brush and switch to a cartridge razor rather than use canned goo with a DE.

Just my $0.02.

 

[mach88]

There's nothing "wrong" with canned stuff per se. Millions of people use it every day and get very reasonable shaves.

Creams and soaps will give you a better shave for several reasons:
1) They tend to retain moisture and heat better when you use fresh, hot water and practice good lathering.
2) The lather tends to be quite a bit thicker in density. You get better protection all over your face.
3) Shave for shave, pass for pass, creams and (especially) soaps are cheaper.
4) The simple act of using a brush, even with a canned cream exfoliates, cleanses, and draws out whiskers more effectively than your hands.
5) Canned creams contain more synthetic chemicals and propellants, which many here dislike. These are in general poor substitutes for real hydration (water) anyway.

+1 - castlecraver knows his stuff! Generally reiterating his point but I would add that most but not all canned creams contain alcohol which dries the skin (Nivea are alcohol-free and probably the best canned cream available)

the best part about traditional creams/soaps is that they are true "wet" shaving products - when you whip up your fav cream or soap - they are loaded with warm water - which is ultimately the best ingredient for your face and shave

warm water is what hydrates your skin, softens your beard and provides a great smooth shave

not sure about point (3) - soaps may be cheaper (I emphasise maybe), doubt if the same can be said for creams - as a cream person I've found that my switch to traditional wet shaving has definitely cost me more than the standard one product shave I used to have with the canned stuff

not only do I have more shaving products - but certainly £15 for 150ml of shaving cream is more expensive than £1-2 for 250ml of shaving foam - the canned stuff also seems to last forever - so shave for shave I would disagree

either way if you acquire wet shaving products sensibly - it need not break the bank - and it's definitely worth the move! but as with everyone AD's quickly creep up!!!

 

[1969Fatboy]

should have a web site named f&g for you. Foam and gel only is for people that are not educated enough to know better or naive enough to believe the commercials and think that propelled goo or foam is good for the face. Keep your barbasol and disposables and enjoy.

 

[AverageJoe]

should have a web site named f&g for you. Foam and gel only is for people that are not educated enough to know better or naive enough to believe the commercials and think that propelled goo or foam is good for the face. Keep your barbasol and disposables and enjoy.

Anyone who puts Barbasol and Nivea in the same boat obviously hasn't tried the Nivea! Although it's fun to bash "canned goo, snot, mucus" or whatever, the fact is they're NOT all the same and, in fact, Nivea is as good or better than some of the "high-end" creams I've tried----and that's with or without a brush. Nivea has their stuff together---look how popular their AS balm is among B&B readers. Their shave gel is every bit as good.

 

[Johnny D]

Anyone who puts Barbasol and Nivea in the same boat obviously hasn't tried the Nivea! Although it's fun to bash "canned goo, snot, mucus" or whatever, the fact is they're NOT all the same and, in fact, Nivea is as good or better than some of the "high-end" creams I've tried----and that's with or without a brush. Nivea has their stuff together---look how popular their AS balm is among B&B readers. Their shave gel is every bit as good.

I would to agree. Comparing Barbasol to Nivea is comparing apples to oranges. I have found the Nivea Extreme Comfort to work quite well. Everything else exactly the same but with the Nivea gel. I was curious to see how well it worked and it's been every bit as good. In some cases, far better. The bottom line is getting a great shave. Period. If something works, go with it.

 

[gabeyb]

I actually find the gels to be too dense and not slick enough. I'm sure it's just the way I use them, though. I'm not a big expensive cream/soap guy either (though I've used them and they're great). To me, a cheap soap like VDH is fantastic and MUCH better than gels.