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Newbie Question... differences between "canned" and "traditional" creams?

Hi.

First post ever here, so I'll intro myself a bit first -- longtime (20 years or so) wetshaver, but only recently have I come around to enlightenment with traditional gear and methods. No more canned goo or cartridges for me. :001_cool:

Just something I've been wondering about over the last week or so as I'm getting adjusted to traditional soap/cream shaving... what are the real differences between the mass-produced canned foam and what I would call a "traditional" (is there another/better word?) cream that you lather with a brush?

Specifically,
1) What are the differences in ingredients/chemical makeup?
2) How do they affect my face and my shaving differently?

Any somewhat-relevant thoughts, comments, stories, songs, or jokes are appreciated. This is turning into a fun new hobby.

Cheers!
 
Welcome aboard here. Tons of useful information and tons of folks willing to dole it out as well. I'd say ingredients vary from product to product but one thing is for sure, once you find that "one" cream or soap for you.... you'll be hooked.

Mike
 
I'm completely blind about what the differences are but I can never go back! I dont get why some people make it seem soaps/creams the traditional way are more expensive...sure if you buy a lot but if you buy just one say at about $25 it will last you over a year and those canned creams will cost $5 and last a month or so?
 
As far as ingredients go, I've read some complaints about the propellants, which normally would be isobutane. Also, the canned creams/foams seem to rely heavily on detergents (SLS, SLES) rather than the saponified oils which are the major ingredient of traditional soaps and lather shave creams (although one has to watch out for detergents in these products as well...if one cares, that is).

I think the consensus view is that traditional products tend to provide better cushion, glide, whisker prep and skincare than do the canned products, and considering their usage longevity they can be a better value also (very much so if one doesn't get too caught up in the high-end products and containers).
 
One of the most obvious differences of canned foam versus a cream is that the foam comes straight out of the can, ready to use. All you have to is wet your face, press the button, apply foam to face.

With traditional creams, you need a brush to work up the lather on your face or in a bowl. Since I face lather, I will answer from that perspective. The act of creating the lather on the face, with a quality cream and a quality brush, IMO, is far more effective at softening and hydrating the whiskers of your beard, and preparing your face for shaving.

I won't comment on ingredients, as that could on for quite a while. :laugh: However, a quality cream applied with a good brush takes shaving to a whole other level as far as I am concerned.
 
Many people like myself have an issue with the accelerants that the canned goo uses. That stuff is just not good for anyone.
Once you start using a brush, you'll find you can whip up lather exactly how you like it. You have more control over the final product.
Beware! this also means that you can mess it up just as easily.
 
Canned/aerosol foams are chemical stews that were made in a lab. Traditional creams tend to have fewer and more natural ingredients.

When I was using the foam, I constantly had acne on my face where I shaved. Also felt a burning sensation with a lot of the gels and foams. Staying away from the canned stuff will do wonders for your skin, I can testify to that. The less ingredients, the better. Plus, making lather is just downright fun
 
I am definitely enjoying the lather-making process, though I can see where there's a bit of a learning curve. Seems I can take it from "too dry" to "too runny" directly, without the marshmallowy-frosting-looking stuff that the rest of you guys can do. :001_cool:

Since I'm new, I've got a puck of soap (VDH) and a tube of cream (CO Bigelow) and am alternating back and forth.

Thanks for the replies all!
 
It's kind of tough to generalize. Some canned products (Barbasol & Foamy) are pretty simple formulas, with few ingredients. Some more traditional products are loaded with the dreaded chemicals.

Canned products are generally designed with convenience and consistency in mind. You squirt out a dollop of Edge, and you're going to get the same thing every time. You don't have to worry about building the lather, it's there, the same, every time.

YMMV as to performance depending on your skin and technique. The idea that all traditional products are superior to all canned products is a load of crap.

I guess the definition of "traditional" comes into play here, too. Do you mean anything coming out of a tub or tube? In that case something like Jack Black Beard Lube would qualify, but I'd hardly consider it "traditional". Or just soaps and creams designed to be used with a shaving brush?
 
Didn't have much specific criteria in mind... but I guess I considered anything that is applied with a brush.

Or on the flip side, what is it that makes people want to shave with brush-applied cream, and/or why does Barbasol not make something that comes in a tub to be applied that way?

Just curiosity here, not doing chemistry experiments or anything. :001_cool:
 
Hi.

Specifically,
1) What are the differences in ingredients/chemical makeup?
2) How do they affect my face and my shaving differently?

I read somewhere ( http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/product-basics/67-pick-your-poison-soap-or-cream.html , after verification) that canned foam contains numbing agents. To test the theory, take a handful in only one hand and manipulate it for 5 minutes, then rinse it. What you'll have is a numb hand and a normal one. Also there appears to be alcohol in it (so it'd be drying the skin), plus everything mentioned above.

I'm never going back either.
 
The numbing agent is benzocaine. It's not in most of the typical canned shaving creams, but it can be found in some shaving products:

Aramis Lab Series Maximum Comfort shave cream
Bump Fighter shave gel
Jason All-Natural 6-in-1 shaving lotion (!)

There may be others, but it's probably not true that this ingredient is a common concern in the canned-goo world.
 
It all depends on your skin. My dad shaved all day long with canned gels and foams. My skin doesn't agree with a lot of the canned stuff. However, my skin also doesn't take that well to lanolin, which is found in many traditional wetshaving products. Big deal, in the traditional wetshaving world, there are WAY more options.

With the canned gel, not so many options for me. Great if it works for you. Not everybody is the same. Keep that in mind.
 
I find the foam from the can very airy, not very cushioning. I put it down to low water content, so as not to be too solid and plug a cartridge razor.
 
For me, canned stuff is actually pretty good with Azore cartridges and gooey cartridges like Schick Hydro.. These just don't work well with good creams like Trumpers and AOS.

Otherwise, no canned stuff I've tried has been as good as creams with DE.
Regards,
Renato
 
I got fine shaves with a mach 3 and the goo. But I enjoy shaving with a DE. I like the hobby aspect. I like that this is what men used to use. I'm looking forward to switching to a straight someday and then partaking in that tradition stretching back even further.
 
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