Proraso vs Bigelow

Ticman · Aug 26, 2009

I originally used Proraso green that I could get at Target. When that supply was gone and no longer sold by Target I happened upon Bigelow made by Proraso.

I was in Italy last month and bought a couple of tubes of Proraso, which surprisingly was cheaper, even with the unfavorable Euro rate, than a tube of Bigelow.

Now for my question. do I have a weak mind or is the Proraso just a tad better than the Bigelow? I find it to be so.

Comments??

GoldenMonkey · Aug 26, 2009

You don't have a weak mind, lol...

I need to get ahold of the real deal myself, but the Bigelow seems to work great regardless. Wait until father's day and other sales, when they have it on sale at B&BW for 50% off (or BOGO, whichever). You can't beat $5 a tube!

Bobtrumpet · Aug 26, 2009

There are a few minor difference in the ingredients list between the two, FWIW. Most folks here and other shaving boards (yes there are a few :001_smile

) don't notice a difference between the two.

gollum83 · Aug 26, 2009

Okay, Bob, you peaked my interest here. What is the difference in ingredients between the two?

jkh · Aug 26, 2009

I recently finished a small tube of CO Bigelow cream and have since picked up a(nother) tube of Proraso. I liked the Bigelow better. I found the scent to be a bit different and the CO Bigelow consistency out of the tube was creamier. Perhaps I am crazy ...

ru06 · Aug 26, 2009

Supposedly they are the same thing. I mean on the tube of the C.O. Bigelow it says made in Italy by Proraso, lol

Luc · Aug 26, 2009

Just to add another angle... Try some Omega... I prefer that one over Proraso, same price range!

BigRich · Aug 27, 2009

Luc said:
Just to add another angle... Try some Omega... I prefer that one over Proraso, same price range!

Same here. The lanolin in the Omega gives it the edge to me. Plus it's cheaper by a couple of bucks a tube!

kingfisher · Aug 27, 2009

The only way to know whether C.O. Bigelow and Proraso are exactly the same would be to put them in unlabelled containers and try them in a random order (picked by somebody else) and then see if the supposed "differences" were still noticeable.

My guess is that those who prefer one over the other prefer it by the power of suggestion. If they were unlabelled you would have no preference.

jkh · Aug 27, 2009

kingfisher said:
My guess is that those who prefer one over the other prefer it by the power of suggestion. If they were unlabelled you would have no preference.

I agree, but in my case I was expecting to favor Proraso

kingfisher · Aug 27, 2009

jkh said:
I agree, but in my case I was expecting to favor Proraso

Oh, right. This is a good point. Hmmmm.....

Bobtrumpet · Aug 27, 2009

gollum83 said:
Okay, Bob, you peaked my interest here. What is the difference in ingredients between the two?

Here's my contribution from a thread back in July 2008. I don't know if the ingredients list for either product has changed in the last 13 months.

Bobtrumpet said:
Contents of C. O. Bigelow Premium Shaving Cream (from one of my tubes):

Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Menthol, Fragrance (Parfum), Eucalyptol, Boric Acid, Camphor, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Metasilicate, Hydroxyethylcelluose, Sodium Borate, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, BHT

Contents of Proraso Green Tube Shaving Cream (courtesy of B&B member vypermann):

Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Cocos nucifera (Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil), Menthol, Parfum (Fragrance), Amyl Cinnamal, Eugenol, Geraniol, Eucalyptol, Boric Acid, Camphor, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Metasilicate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Borate, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, BHT.

Differences (three fragrances and one preservative) are shown in RED.

There are differences. Whether or not these make a difference is debatable. Note that the Proraso has extra ingredients listed over the Bigelow, but the Bigelow has nothing in it that isn't in the Proraso. The ingredients may not be in quite the same amounts between the two.

Other threads about this:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=606865
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=48719

Bobtrumpet · Aug 27, 2009

Luc said:
Just to add another angle... Try some Omega... I prefer that one over Proraso, same price range!

BigRich said:
Same here. The lanolin in the Omega gives it the edge to me. Plus it's cheaper by a couple of bucks a tube!

Didn't Omega recently remove the lanolin from their SS and SC?

Montecristo #2 · Aug 27, 2009

Tried Proraso 1st and loved it.
Then ran out and on a whim bought the Bigelow and expected it to be identical, but was surprised that I like it better. Then I saw it on sale and now I'll probably never buy Proraso sc again.
Still love their Pre-Post and ASB.
The Bigelow seems to be a little slicker, but the Proraso has a touch more cushion.
As for the scent the Proraso lingers a little longer, but I enjoy it so that's cool, plus I use the after products usually.

Luc · Aug 27, 2009

Bobtrumpet said:
Didn't Omega recently remove the lanolin from their SS and SC?

I think you're right. I didn't get my hands on the new stuff yet...

gollum83 · Aug 27, 2009

Bobtrumpet said:
Here's my contribution from a thread back in July 2008. I don't know if the ingredients list for either product has changed in the last 13 months.

Great! Thank you, Bob! It looks like just a few essential oils. Maybe they rolled those under fragrance? As for the propylparaben, I don't know if the lack of propylparaben in one and the presence of it in the other makes that much of a difference, but then again it could, considering how many of us swear reformulations removing such things as parabens can dramatically change a cream. But you're right, they do seem to have a difference or two.

FLTiger · Aug 27, 2009

Luc said:
I think you're right. I didn't get my hands on the new stuff yet...

I've tried to get my hands on the old stuff, but it seems long gone. :mad3:

HoratioCaine · Aug 28, 2009

ru06 said:
Supposedly they are the same thing. I mean on the tube of the C.O. Bigelow it says made in Italy by Proraso, lol

That's interesting. Proraso is made by Martelli in Florence, an OEM that also makes shaving creams/soaps for Bigelow, Omega and Santa Maria Novella. Given that, Bigelow cream wouldn't be made by Proraso, but by Martelli. I wonder what the thinking is behind Bigelow saying it's made by Proraso. Brand recognition, maybe? Permission by Proraso for Bigelow to use a proprietary recipe?

The other thing to take from this is that because Martelli is the manufacturer making these products to individual specifications per brand, it is entirely possible that Bigelow and Proraso are somewhat different, just as the SMN cream is a bit different from the Proraso soap. Having said that, all of the Martelli made products have a remarkable similarity to them.

DSB · Aug 29, 2009

HoratioCaine said:
all of the Martelli made products have a remarkable similarity to them.

+1. The biggest similarity seems to be that they are all great products.

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