Dry, Non-slick Musgo

**texcattlerancher** · 12-17-2007, 08:27 AM

I need some input from you Musgo users. Musgo is, perhaps, my favorite cream just because it smells so good. But, I am afraid I am overlooking several bad traits of this cream just because I like the aroma so much.

Simply put, my Musgo does not lather well, it is not slick, and my razor drags when I use this cream (even with Kyle's prep). Yes, I can whip up lots of foamy and slick lather with various other creams -- Salter Vetiver, Floris Santal, T&H Ultimate Comfort, Proraso Green, Keihls, etc., -- even Old Spice. So, I know what I am doing with my SR 3124, hot water, cream and a mug.

I think something is wrong here. I recall another thread here about Musgo being dry in the tube. Mine came that way too. My Musgo is almost always hard to get out of the tube, and what does come out is hard to the touch when compared to all my other creams. Contrary to my other creams, it also takes a while just to get any whip out of Musgo once I start in with the brush and some hot water.

Please tell me I have a bad batch or the tube is letting it dry out too much. Do you Musgo users have better luck with this cream than I have been having? I would hope so as the reviews have been good. Next time, maybe, I need to transfer it from the tube direct to a sealable tub so it will stay fresh. Thoughts or comments?

Afterthought -- I hate to give up on this cream as I very much like using the complete line of Musgo -- cream, then the wonderful aftershave (best on the market in my opinion), and then finish with the Musgo #2. I sometimes even use the pre-shave oil.

**moses** · 12-17-2007, 08:31 AM

I think you have a bad batch for sure. My Musgo is pretty dense, but it definitely comes out of the tube without any problems, and is definitely not hard. It is a similar consistency to other fairly dense creams. And nothing like CF, where it is work just to break down the chunks. Also, it whips into a great lather effortlessly, and is one of the slicker creams I've used.

I would offer to send you a sample, but I think I may have emptied mine. I'll check, and if I still have any left, I'll send you some.

-Mo

**texcattlerancher** · 12-17-2007, 08:35 AM

Gracias Moses, but don't go through the trouble of sending a sample. I think I will simply order a tube from Charles -- a different vendor from my first purchase of Musgo.

Any thoughts on where I can get a good resealable tub to put the Musgo?

**moses** · 12-17-2007, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by texcattlerancher

Any thoughts on where I can get a good resealable tub to put the Musgo?

A tub? Um, maybe. A little confused. Do you not like storing your cream is the tube it came in, and intend to squeeze it all out into a pot, like an english cream? If so, Mama Bear sells containers for her soap for about $1.75 that I am fond of for that sort of thing. (Well, usually for soap, but I have a couple of creams in them to, as a result of broken pots.)

-Mo

**ScottS** · 12-17-2007, 08:50 AM

Sounds overlathered to me. Stop worrying about what the lather looks like, and worry about how it shaves. I had a number of creams behave this way, then I started face lathering, and haven't had a problem since. Keep in mind that Musgo is marketed as a brushless cream, as well, and probably has a disposition toward this problem.

**letterk** · 12-17-2007, 08:52 AM

Sounds like something is wrong with your Musgo. In stark contrast to you, I thought the performance was great, but I didn't care much for the scent. Might you ask the vendor you purchased it from for an exchange/refund?

**texcattlerancher** · 12-17-2007, 08:56 AM

Scott: when you face lather, do you apply the cream to your face with your hands and then lather, or do you apply it to the brush bristles first and then to the face?

**ScottS** · 12-17-2007, 08:58 AM

If I'm dealing with a cream, and not a soap, I wet the brush, leaving it plenty wet, and start the lather on the palm of my hand. All the excess water usually leaves at this point. Then I rub what's left on my palm on my face, then I just lather as normal.

**Groundhog** · 12-17-2007, 09:03 AM

I agree w/ Mo.....it sounds like you got a bad batch. I'm on my 3rd tube of Musgo and it's never come out of the tube as you describe. It's probably the slickest cream in my rotation, and builds lather almost effortlessly. The scent is definitely a YMMV thing, but the only other complaint I've ever heard with Musgo is from folks who have a sensitivity to lanolin or think the lanolin "gums up" their brushes (which I happen to think is baseless).

**texcattlerancher** · 12-17-2007, 09:07 AM

This is all good news. I just must have received a defective tube.

And, I can't believe some of you guys don't like the aroma. Simply heavenly in my opinion. But, the world would be a very boring place if we were all the same.

**texcattlerancher** · 12-17-2007, 09:20 AM

***
A tub? Um, maybe. A little confused. Do you not like storing your cream is the tube it came in, and intend to squeeze it all out into a pot, like an english cream? If so, Mama Bear sells containers for her soap for about $1.75 that I am fond of for that sort of thing. (Well, usually for soap, but I have a couple of creams in them to, as a result of broken pots.)
***

I would rather store my cream in the tube it comes in. But, if my Musgo is going to dry out because the tube doesn't reseal, then I was thinking I would transfer it to a tub.

**Prince** · 12-17-2007, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I agree w/ Mo.....it sounds like you got a bad batch. I'm on my 3rd tube of Musgo and it's never come out of the tube as you describe. It's probably the slickest cream in my rotation, and builds lather almost effortlessly. The scent is definitely a YMMV thing, but the only other complaint I've ever heard with Musgo is from folks who have a sensitivity to lanolin or think the lanolin "gums up" their brushes (which I happen to think is baseless).

+1. this is the only shaving cream I actually used up, since I enjoyed it so well.

**moses** · 12-17-2007, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by texcattlerancher

I would rather store my cream in the tube it comes in. But, if my Musgo is going to dry out because the tube doesn't reseal, then I was thinking I would transfer it to a tub.

Hmm.... Not sure. I feel like the tube should do a better job of keeping it from drying out than a pot, but I dunno.

-Mo

**texcattlerancher** · 12-17-2007, 09:52 AM

***
I feel like the tube should do a better job of keeping it from drying out than a pot, but I dunno.
***

I do too, but my recent experience with Musgo is making me consider other options. If my next tube dries out, then I will be experimenting with a tub.

**loueedacat** · 12-17-2007, 11:26 AM

I had a dry tube of Musgo that caused way too much work to get the cream out of, but I squeezed it all into an anchor hocking 1 cup bowl [which was a pain since it was so dry], and just scoop out an almond or so sized amount now, and it works fine.

So if you can replace what sounds like a bad batch do, but squeezing it into a tub will allow you to access it more easily and then you can just add more water.

**clubman** · 12-17-2007, 11:54 AM

I've been using Musgo Real since 1997 or so with consistently great results, always with the following method:

Squeeze some in palm
Start lather in palm with wet brush
Lather on face

I think the idea that you're overlathering has a lot of merit, Musgo isn't a lather-monster by any means. A bad batch is very possible too, I've had some pretty weird tubes of Musgo over the years!

**texcattlerancher** · 12-21-2007, 07:34 AM

For those who may have the same problem in the future and find this thread through a search, here is my solution. It is working for me.

I wet my face with water then apply the dry, hard Musgo directly to my wet face with wet hands. About 3/4 of an inch or so. I rub it in very well and continue until I have broken down all the clumps of Musgo. You may have to rewet your hands in the process. The clumps eventually dissolve into a thin layer of cream/lather over your entire face. I leave this on my face while I create a lather.

For creating lather, I use about 2 to 2 and half inches of dry Musgo in my shaving bowl. With a wetter brush than usual, I poke or stab directly at the dry cream until it is broken down. The little bit of extra water seems to help dissolve the dry cream. Then, I begin to swirl and build lather as usual. The resulting lather is a little thinner than I get with other creams because of the extra water, but at least it works.

Once lather is created, I apply it directly over the Musgo already on my face. The resulting cream on the face is slick and shaves well. I no longer have any problem with "razor tug" when I employ this method. Second and third passes are slick as well.

Heck, I think applying a little Musgo as a "pre-shave" with my hands helps moisturize my face and helps prepare the beard for shaving. This may become my standard routine for all of my creams.