Barbasol... The underdog that can kick your cream or soap's butt

thumbs way down here from someone very easy to please with cheapies. far from a close shave. i can just whip up some lather using a bar of yardley soap with a badger hair brush and imagine i would get an even closer shave than with barbasol. : the best canned cream i've tried has been bigelow in the red can.

I know this is an old post, but I want to chime in. For me good technique and prep will over shadow any product you use. A soap, brush, pre-shave or razor will not give you a great shave. They are tools and are useless in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use them.

So for me I enjoy using an traditional soap (I own many) some yield Better results then others, some more consistent then others. Tabac being one of them, all offer a different advantage and I can't say one soap is better then the other. But I will not lie it is nice busting out a can of Barbasol and knocking out an awesome shave is really cool in my opinion.

Now I can,t use Barbasol straight from the can I have to water it down some. But it is pretty slick protective and leaves my skin nice and soft afterwards... It's good stuff, I just wish I could make the non aresol Barbasol work... Cremo, I don't care for it..

Canned Barbasol has been my go-to cream ever since I started shaving. The key for me is wetting my face first before applying it. I've been DE shaving for almost a couple of years now, enjoy it immensely, but just have never been curious or motivated enough to try soap and a brush.

If Barbasol beats your traditional soap or cream, then the emperor has no clothes, and traditional wet shaving is nothing but a hipster affectation. Or you're doing something very wrong. I mean, like, you know the cream goes on your face before you shave, right?

I have not found a single product that did not also come out of a can that is as bad as Barbasol.

Before I started shaving with DEs, SEs, and straights... I used Barbasol every day. After I made the switch last July, I decided to try Barbasol with my DE, and the results were not very good. I haven't shaved today, so I might revisit it to see if the shave is any better than last time.

I used Barbasol exclusively for 40 years. Tried all of the flavors. It was definitely superior and at a lower cost than most other aerosol products. That said, it was a wake up call at how much better a lather I could get from a brush and cream or a brush and soap.
Bottom line: Barbasol out of the can works. Brush lathered creams work better. There is less air and more slickness.

Another consideration flies in the face of the comment that canned lather is more consistent. It isn't. I always hated the last 30% of the can, and would stand there for the three minutes it took to squirt it down the drain.

Just got done shaving with it. Still not too impressed... This experience was better than the last one, but it still isn't as good as any cream or soap I've tried. I could see Barbasol working in a pinch.

The only thing that I miss about Barbasol is its clean scent.

Barbasol and a tooth brush can get white tennis shoes looking practically new. Other than that, it doesn't get much use in my home.

DCRIII said:

Barbasol and a tooth brush can get white tennis shoes looking practically new. Other than that, it doesn't get much use in my home.

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Learn something new every day!

Hard to keep a Barbasol thread down!

Vintage Modern said:

Hard to keep a Barbasol thread down!

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Vintage Modern - I think these Barbasol threads won't die because Barbasol in a can is a very polarizing topic. Certainly this thread's title is baiting and inflammatory. I've used Barbasol for over 40 years but I have no doubt that better results would likely be possible from a brush and soap. But I've always had good results with Barbasol - no issues at all with dry skin. Plus I like Barbasol's history; they are an old-school company. I guess I'm a loyal fan. I just haven't been motivated or curious enough to try brush and soap. Having said all of this I also have no doubt that for some guys Barbasol does not give good results.

In terms of the process, barbasol kinda denies me the fun of a leisurely shave. It's quick. For those that don't like getting your hands dirty....it's shaving cream, not mud, and you're standing in front of a sink, lmao!!! Sure ya don't get the process and the lather fun feeling of boar bristles, etc. What I get in return is time. Here come the people that say, I can shave with "X" amount of passes in 5 minutes, lol....so what- The can is still faster. If u use the 3 bladed facial cheese grater, then you can go against the grain only daily if you like....I can and I do. Time. You get time, a shave in a hurry. I don't consider it goo, the blue gel stuff, THATS the goo! Is a soap better? Yeah, I guess.....but Barbasol and Gillette foamy always leave my face feeling clean....kinda like soap does......what can I say, sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. When I'm on the go, sorry, but among my simple luxuries of hearth and home, a good shave is one of the things I can look forward to when returning home.

Use what makes you happy, but the ingredients are too scary for me.

My son uses Barbasol for his daily shave & no complaints from him. I used it for years using Bic singles & always got an Office Acceptable shave. When I need a quick fast shave I use Barbasol with my DE razor. It does an OK shave IMO. I prefer the Arko stick or cream when I have the time though.

I'd just like to point out that there's no reason why you couldn't apply Barbasol with a brush if you wanted to. Also, I think most of the people bashing Barbasol only tried the red can, and the people praising it used the yellow can. I personally think the lanolin in the yellow can makes a big difference, and it does feel better for me than a lot of more expensive soaps.

Barbasol sucks when compared to other creams brushless or not. Unless you are traveling or some other reason. Sorry guys, just my opinion and all, but it's cheap for a reason. I've used it and I'll pass.