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New Proraso Green Review *First Shave* (W/PICS)

My new Proraso Green landed on my doorstep from Italian Barber yesterday. I ordered on Thursday night and I got it Tuesday. Very fast shipping from Canada to Wisconsin and I can tell you why, the post mark reveals that they airmailed it. Cudos to Italian Barber for good service.

So, right off the bat I'll say this is a great cream. For those of you who suffered at the hands of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate you may be able to enjoy Proraso as that chemical is gone and replaced with a less harsh ingredient Sodium Lauryol Sarcosinate. My first shave with this cream proved to be a real pleasure. No issues at all. Of course we'll have to see how repeated uses treat my skin but for now I have no complaints. If SLS has given you problems in the past give this stuff a shot. If it doesn't work out you can always post it on the BST. But as usual, use your best discretion.

So, on to the nitty-gritty. When I use tube creams like Palmolive, Nivea, or Speick I need to use a fair amount of cream to get a protective lather so I dispensed the usual amount (for me) onto my brush to prepare for building my lather. I have hard water so a little more product really makes a difference.



I soon discovered that I used far more cream than I really needed. This stuff lathers like crazy. Next time I'll use a single snurdle and I'll see how that goes. But what the hey, I have plenty of luscious lather for my shave. Think of it like this: plenty of lather head-room.



I did two lovely passes and had a nice close shave. This new formulation has great cushion and glide. After two passes I still have enough lather for at least two more shaves. Too bad it'll be rinsed down the drain.



This cream has a nice, classic, slightly soapy, menthol scent with something else I can't place. It must be the eucalyptus oil. Proraso smells like what I imagine shaving cream for the average Joe ought to smell like, classic, clean, refreshing. I've never used the old formulation of Proraso per se but I've used Bigelow and I recall not getting very close shaves with it. This stuff is different. I had a fantastic shave. The menthol content is just right too. It's not a "freeze your face off" kind of menthol. It's just refreshing, unlike Italian Palmolive which can give you freezer burn if you're not careful.

This is not the most moisturizing cream there is but it's not drying either. At least it wasn't on me and I finished things off with some C&E Sienna A/S balm.

One more pic for your enjoyment... This is all the lather out of the bowl and on the brush after my shave was complete. I find that this cream is slick, and protective when mixed a little wetter like this. Personally I've decided to ignore the "stiff peaks" advice we've all heard touted here. I mix my lather and add water until the brush stops dragging and glides in the lather bowl, and the lather has lots of body and is well hydrated.



Proraso Green may have just earned a permanent place in my den. It's affordable and a great performer, one of the best values out there. It's only slightly more expensive than Palmolive but you get significantly more cream making it a better value. I imagine this 5.2 oz tube will last a long time.
 
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Great review and thanks for the nice pics as well. And your lather looks just fine. Squeezed on to the brush, it looks just like the older formulation with that sheen to it and also the same scent as you described.
 
Please keep us informed as to whether or not the SLS substitute irritates your skin. That's the only reason proraso ever left my rotation.
 
does it have the same scent as the old Proraso/Bigelow/Omega stuff?

The scent reminds me of what I remember Bigelow smelling like but I can't say for sure. So far as I know there's no change to the scent.
 
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I just got my tub this morning, can't wait to try it tonight! Haven't test lathered it yet, but smelling it from the tub, it seems to smell exaclty the same as the old stuff.
 
As a new wet shaver, I started out using Proraso as per some good advice here on B&B. I like it quite a bit, but I'm interested in trying out this new formula as well.Here's to hoping I can find it around here sometime!
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Yes, it's truly that good. I honestly prefer the Green soap, but the cream is exactly the same stuff in a softer version. Now, I'm eagerly awaiting for the Red line.

P.S. Nice shots!
 
Probably my favorite as well. Although I like AOS's performance just as much, the cool menthol smell/sensation is top-notch! A pea-sized blob wiped onto my face with my finger and worked into a lather with a hot brush is enough for 2 passes with little waste.
 
Yes, it's truly that good. I honestly prefer the Green soap, but the cream is exactly the same stuff in a softer version. Now, I'm eagerly awaiting for the Red line.

P.S. Nice shots!

Marco, do you know if Proraso changed the nick sealer at all? New packaging or new formulation?
 
I'll be placing my order for the new line in a few months.
Proraso is my June-July-August brand,
but I have plenty of the old-line products left in reserve.

I wonder if C.O.Bigelow will adjust its formula/packaging to keep pace?
 
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