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What's wrong with canned foam??

I have been shaving with a Gillette Atra or a Sensor razor and Barbasol or Gillette canned foam for over 20 years. Several months ago I got the urge to upgrade my shaving routine. I bought a Merkur Barber Pole DE razor and some creams. I really like the razor for a variety of reasons; heft, balance, price of blades, and less irritation. I think I'll continue to use it.

I have also tried a small variety of soaps and creams including Williams, Van der Hagen, Proraso, Derby, Classic Shaving Brand mug soap, and two of Classic Shaving Brand's creams--Lavender and Bay Rum. I do manage to get pretty good lather from these and they work well. What I don't seem to notice is a huge difference between these and my old Barbasol. Sorry if I sound completely ignorant, but what am I missing? Other than scent, are these soaps and creams really that much better than canned foam? Are there some not-so-obvious downsides to canned foams? I hope I am not stirring a hornet's nest here, I'm just looking for some opinions. :confused:

Thank you!!
 
Welcome to B&B.

I am not a pro in the soap world but I do know the canned foams have all kinds of "stuff" in them. Besides, at least for me, they dry out my skin.

And for me, there's nothing like fresh, hot lather filled brush on my face.:thumbup1:
 
I'm relatively new to DE shaving, but the one thing I can say for certain is YMMV.

For some, the propellants in the canned stuff seem to irritate the skin. Typically canned stuff is not quite as slick.

There are certainly those for whom the canned stuff performs ok, but just enjoy the ritual of using a brush and cream/soap.
 
Only been at this a few months, so not an expert. But, I believe what I learned about the difference is that the canned "goo" (as it has been called) does not contain enough water. Soaps and creams are built using water. Therefore the "goo" does not hydrate as well as soaps and creams, and soften the facial hairs. Rather, it simply coats it. Wet, saturated hairs are weaker, so are more easily shaved.
 
YMMV.I just don't think that canned foam lubricates as well as a brush on shaving cream or soap.

DaveS
 

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
I haven't used canned goo for more than 10 years, but I have to say that the lather I get from whipping up a cream or soap in a bowl and then putting it in a warm scuttle hasn't piqued my curiosity enough to find out why I changed from canned foam in the first place.

I don't believe the canned foam provides as good a cushion as you can get applying cream/soap with a brush.

I could be wrong.






(but, I seriously doubt it. :wink: )
 
First off, I'm a firm believer in that you should use whatever you like best, whether it's canned foam or something else.

Having said that, canned foam doesn't smell nice. That alone is reason for me to not go back to canned stuff. And traditional soaps and creams do make my skin feel a bit better as well, I think. I haven't done extensive testing, so perhaps I'm just imagining it ;)
 
...at least for me, they dry out my skin.

I'm relatively new to DE shaving, but the one thing I can say for certain is YMMV.

For some, the propellants in the canned stuff seem to irritate the skin. Typically canned stuff is not quite as slick.

There are certainly those for whom the canned stuff performs ok, but just enjoy the ritual of using a brush and cream/soap.

I just don't think that canned foam lubricates as well as a brush on shaving cream or soap.

First off, I'm a firm believer in that you should use whatever you like best, whether it's canned foam or something else.

These are all good points, which I would like to echo.

Just this holiday season I converted my brother over to soap/cream and brush because he could tell from the first use it didn't dry out his skin like the canned stuff. He also likes the smell and the consistency of the lather.

Similar to you, I never really had a problem with Barbasol drying out my skin. My problem was more with the razor cartridges and increasing costs. Once I started using a DE, I loved it. I don't think Barbasol would give me the lubrication and protection I need using a DE. It may have been fine with cartridges (most of which have lubricating strips), but I wouldn't want to use it with my DE. IMO, and yours may vary, Barbasol was adequate, but a brush and soap/cream are superior. While I'm no dandy, everyone sees my face, and I would like to take the best care of it I can.

P.S. I'm not insulting any of the products you have used so far, as many members swear by them, but I would also give some products from Crabtree & Evelyn, GFT, TOBS, or T&H a try before calling it quits. Personally, I really like the products from C&E, GFT, and TOBS more than the products you listed. Good luck!
 
I also am a firm believer of different strokes for different folks. My belief is - enjoy your shave.

With that said, I found the variety of foam scents to be lacking. To me, they all smelled very synthetic. With soaps and brush creams, you can pretty much find any kind of scent under heaven.

Also, foams and gels that I have encountered put in a lot of topical anesthetic into their creams. This is to prevent discomfort for shavers, but for me this seems counterproductive. I want to be able to feel whether or not I am creating razor burn or nicks. That way I can have the closest shave possible without my face looking like the surface of Caprica after it was bombed by Cylons.
 
As Texican said, it's about variety! Even if all else was the same, that would be enough to switch from canned stuff to creams/soaps. The second big reason to switch is WARM LATHER! :biggrin: You can't get that from a can! Schick tried in the mid-70's with their Hot Lather Machine, I think. You stuck a can of their cream in the thing. Problem was the lather was never warm enough.

I used either Colgate or Barbasol for probably 20 years. I currently have 6-8 soaps open and ready for use and a similar number of creams. One of the enjoyable parts of the ritual is picking a cream/soap before I go to be to use the next AM. My lather is always warm when applied, even in the third or fourth pass.

As usual, YMMV.
 
My first shaving "breakthrough" wasn't with a DE, it was with Proraso and a brush in 2005

I'd first used a brush at the end of the '80s with the Body Shop cream but was unaware of the need for loading the brush with hot water etc.

Barbasol wasn't available over here, but I used:

Noxzema (Original,Menthol,Sensitive,Cocoa Butter)
Colgate
Gillette Foamy in all incarnations
Erasmic
Palmolive

plus various gels without success

The DE was just the icing on the cake

At a party last night, I was talking with a mate. I'd given him a Vulfix brush and some Taylor's Lavender cream, a few months ago.

"Still using the brush?"

"Yeah, could you get me some more cream?"

"Why?"

"I used some foam the other day and my neck was really dry"

I'll be at his house on New Year's Eve and I'll have some cream for him
 
I agree with most of the folks here on a couple points. If canned foam or gel work well for an individual, that's great. For me, the quality of my shaves improved dramatically when I switched to creams and a brush, even before I touched a DE or injector. So, that's why I switched. I never found foams and gel to be particularly slick or lubricating for me, or good for my face. My face feels much better now, after the switch.
 
donpol, welcome to B&B.

I also believe wholeheartedly, that you have to do what feels right to you.

A lot of stuff on this forum is subjective. When you're dealing with scents and consistencies, you are bound to run into personal preferences. (that's my take of the situation.)

I like the challenge of building a lather. It's like a game. Every night I find out how well I did - or didn't do.

I'm not sure what fate may hold in store for my razor - a DE - but I feel certain that I'll be building lather for many years to come.
 
Canned goo slowly eats your face away, causes bunions, and will stunt your growth. It's a fact. 'nuff said.

and may cause man boobs, constipation, nose bleeds, vertigo, dry mouth, hayfever, uncontrollable flatulence, and mild to moderate rash and/or eczema, lack of appetite, and sleeplessness. You should not operate heavy machinery or drive until you know how canned goo will affect *you*.
 
The second big reason to switch is WARM LATHER! :biggrin: You can't get that from a can! Schick tried in the mid-70's with their Hot Lather Machine, I think. You stuck a can of their cream in the thing. Problem was the lather was never warm enough.

I seem to recall a canned foam where the foam would miraculously heat up as it squirted directly out of the can, and I think I even used it once. Anyone remember the name of that foam?

This is gonna bug the heck out of me tonight.:confused:
 
Basically personal preference, I think. Some people like whipped cream from a spray can, some people like whipped cream made from scratch. It's all whipped cream, but IMHO, nothing beats the stuff whipped up from scratch.
 
I agree "whatever floats your boat." However, I came across this article about how Shaving Cream (aerosol) was created in the first place. Why some people on B&B will muder you (figuratively speaking of course) for mentioning Aerosol Shaving Cream.. I believe it's creation served a good purpose.. read below..

Shaving cream is a substance applied to the skin to facilitate removal of hair. Shaving cream softens and moistens the skin and the hair, thus making shaving more comfortable and contributing to smoother skin. The advantages of using shaving cream, rather than soap, oil, or just water, are many. Shaving with a modern bar of soap approximates shaving with cream but doesn't provide all of the benefits: soap is only one element of many in a modern shaving preparation.

According to Burma Shave chronicler Frank Rowsome, Jr., modern shaving cream began with Burma Shave, which achieved high sales volume almost immediately after it was introduced. Prior to that time, lather was produced from a bar, and was basically another form of soap.

By the eighteenth century, soap makers realized that they could enhance their product by improving the quality of the fat and the purity of the lye they used. Castile soap, made in Spain and still available today, soon achieve modern version uses other fats and oils in addition to olive oil.

Soap was used for shaving through the early 1800s. In 1840, a concentrated soap that foamed was sold in tablets by Vroom and Fowler, whose Walnut Oil Military Shaving Soap was probably the first soap made especially for shaving. A century later, as the United States entered World War II, animal fats of relatively uncontrolled type and quality were still being used to make soap. To help supply American troops with soap,

In shaving cream manufacture, the fatty or oily materials are first combined and heated in a jacketed kettde, and then most of the remaining ingredients are added. The mixing continues while the mass cools, and then any desired perfumes are added.

women were urged to save cans of cooking fat, and then bring them to local butchers who collected and delivered the fat to soap manufacturers. Because contaminants were inevitable in ingredients collected so haphazardly, the soap makers had to heat, strain, and reheat the fats—a process both inefficient and expensive. However, by the end of the war, mounting questions about purity and consistency led to the creation of the modern, regulated soap and cosmetic industry.

In addition to raising concerns about the quality of soap, World War II contributed to the invention of the spray can. Aerosol containers were first invented during the war as a device for dealing with insects carrying malaria and other diseases. Initially assigned to the Secretary of Agriculture, the patent for this "bug bomb" was released to American industry after the war. When the first aerosol shaving cream appeared in 1950, it captured almost one fifth of the market for shaving preparations within a short time. Today, aerosol preparations dominate the shaving cream market.
 
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