Anyone think shaving cream is a 'racket'??

At the risk of being accused of blasphemy, I would like to ask if anyone has read an article by Jeffrey Tucker titled "Shaving Cream is a Racket"? Being new to wetshaving, I've been surfing for info and opinions on shaving. This article caught my attention, because the author claims that cream is unnecessary!! This idea does appeal to me since I could save on buying soap and cream. I've also wondered if this could be better or worse for my skin in terms of health. Could I tear up my face more, or would my skin be healthier without being exposed to chemicals in soaps?? Thoughts? Comments?

If I've done this correctly here's the link:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker65.html

If that doesn't work, Googling 'Shaving Cream Racket' will get you there.

To be fair, I don't like the garbage out of the can anymore than that guy does. It does ruin your skin. It doesn't provide enough cushion or lubrication.

The type of "foam" we discuss here comes from a puck, tube, tub or other carrier, and is whipped up by hand. This leads to a fragrant, moist, luxurious and lubricative layer of thick rich lather.

Like someone said the goo you get in cans is not good. However, some of the creams we brush on our faces resembles a shopping list for DuPont or Exxon.

I frankly cannot imagine shaving, with a blade, without some sort of lubrication. I'm sure it would tear my face apart. Maybe for someone with a very light beard it would work but I most definitely do not have a light beard.

You can find shave cream that isn't filled with a chemicals. I did.

I think the author is a fruitcake who obviously doesn't have a good grasp of the mechanics behind shaving.

While canned creams are usually inferior, that doesn't make them any more of a racket than expensive multi-bladed cartridges. As for the chemicals in them, phooey, that guy probably ingests a great number of those chemicals just from his daily diet and routines. What he lacks in shaving cream is probably made up by shampoos, junk food, ambient air carried toxins, etc... Just because chemicals have long names doesn't mean they are all bad. Sheesh, chem-phobia is becoming well entrenched into American minds and it is quite sad.

Mineral/baby oil will clog pores on your face, and those with oily skin, and those with Acne problems will have major issues.

Foam in a can is garbage.... but that's a far cry from what we're using in quality soaps/creams.

jellywerker said:

I think the author is a fruitcake who obviously doesn't have a good grasp of the mechanics behind shaving.

While canned creams are usually inferior, that doesn't make them any more of a racket than expensive multi-bladed cartridges. As for the chemicals in them, phooey, that guy probably ingests a great number of those chemicals just from his daily diet and routines. What he lacks in shaving cream is probably made up by shampoos, junk food, ambient air carried toxins, etc... Just because chemicals have long names doesn't mean they are all bad. Sheesh, chem-phobia is becoming well entrenched into American minds and it is quite sad.

Click to expand...

Chemicals are bad!!! They just make life easier and nobody wants life to be easier!!!

People with oily skin types cannot use mineral/baby oil on their face. I know that much... IMO that's obvious.

Interesting article, very convincing, but sadly the author doesn't account for this fact. And, oh, sorry, I forgot...and none of us here at B & B use canned shaving foam.

And to be honest, even if I had drier skin and used mineral oil for a week like the author advises, I wouldn't particularly want to then try shaving using 'warm water only', when I can have my face feeling as good as it does using decent shaving creams and soaps! I'd miss the lovely fragrances of my T & H Sandalwood and my Salter's Citrus too much!!

And forgive me for saying this, but if anyone told me to substitute 'warm water only' for my Salter's Citrus I'd probably be inclined to behave in a rather ungentlemanly manner towards them...lol

You don't "have" to wash with soap or use toilet paper, either. But it makes your life much more pleasurable.

If you've been doing your research, the opinions and experience of several hundred men and women vs. one lone fruitcake ought to tell you something.

Shaving soaps and creams (not the stuff found in cans and toobs at your local grocery store or 7-11) protect your face from the blade, add a level of pleasure to the shave, and are just as environmentally neutral as anything else you use in the bathroom to prepare for the world.

You'll be saving plenty of money when you no longer buy the cartridges (vs. good old razor blades). And, if you're the frugal type, buy one soap or cream that you like and use it till it's gone. Then buy another. Chances are that one puck of soap or one tub of shave cream will last longer than a can of gloo.

Me up to about two years ago.

- Cheapo Chinese boar brush
- bar of bath soap and a plastic cereal bowl
- Bic disposable

Got a great shave 9 out of 10 times.

Me now

- Nice badger brush
- Trumpers shaving soap du'jour in a nice container
- Merkur du'jour

The big difference is that the better products are more enjoyable to use and please all the senses. You're paying for that enjoyment.

Last week, out of curiosity, I whipped out my old shaving kit and using my Futur, I got a B+ shave. It took a bit longer to generate the lather but the shave was fine.

Mineral oil has its limitations as well in that some people's skins don't like it. If you are of a frugal bent, good bath soap and a brush gets the job done admirably.

No doubt there are plenty of people who can have a great shave without it but to say it's a racket and no one needs it is stupid. I stopped using shampoo and conditioner nearly a year ago now and my hair is all the better for it but I'm not going to write an article telling people Shampoo is a "racket", I might encourage people to try it though and see if it works for them.

Thats the secret to everything in life, find the right solution for you. There is no such thing as a one size fits all.

That article has been discussed here before.

I think that most of us agree that the canned goo is not very effective. We also know better than the that writer does about how wonderful a shave can be when you use the right products.

The answer to this one lies in our own wiki (emphasis mine)

Understanding Hair

The shaft, or part of the hair that protrudes from the skin, is composed of three parts or layers. The inner two layers are called the cortex and the medulla. The outermost layer, which holds the greatest relevance to this topic, is called the cuticle.

The cuticle is a hard, shingle-like layer of overlapping cells, very similar in comparison to a stack of plastic drinking cups. It is the most resistant part of the hair and acts as the first line of defense against all forms of damage. The cuticle's armor like structure and resistance to water make it an excellent protective barrier for the soft inner structure of the hair.

When dry, the cuticle exhibits a strength nearly equivalent to copper wire of the same diameter. While it will bend, the cuticle has little to no elasticity. Though the cuticle does serve as a sort of "armor" for the hair, there are chemicals and mediums that will effectively weaken it. These applications achieve their goal by causing the shingle-like cells of the cuticle to lift or "fan out" and expose the underlying layers of the hair. Along with allowing easier access to these more readily cut parts, a damaged cuticle permits easier absorption of water, effectively permitting a "plumping" of the entire hair shaft.

One such cuticle damaging medium is hot water. By itself, hot water will impart some damage on the hair, though extended exposure is required to cause noticeable damage. A much more efficient method of damaging the cuticle is to combine hot water with an alkaline solution (the most readily available of which is soap). The combination of these two agents will quickly damage the cuticle and serve to saturate the hairs.

Click to expand...

To sum up, dry shaving is pretty much right out unless you're using an electric. There are some guys that can get away with shaving only with hot water, I used to do it with my Sensor, I know one or two members here that stick to water only with their DE's (or at least they used to). But hot water + traditional shaving soap or cream, or even the canned goo will go a lot farther in weakening the hairs, to say nothing of the extra lubrication to the skin, resulting in a closer, more comfortable shave.

Now if you only use the cream and don't wet the face first, you're asking for trouble IMO. I don't doubt for a second that will give you the redness and irritation that article describes. He also mentions the cream "makes the top layer mushy and unresponsive", which I assume is the numbness you would get from some of the canned products adding topical analgesics to numb the skin. This of course won't happen using traditional shaving soap or cream.

Also, the article specifically mentions "red lumps" which more than likely are ingrown hairs. This is the funny part, he blames the shaving cream for ingrown hairs, when the multi-blade razor's lift-and-cut system is far more responsible for shave bumps and redness/irritation than anything else. Then he goes on to decry the Corey Greenberg DE razor/shaving brush special on NBC, declaring it "insane" that a good shave could take 12 minutes. Nevermind that a DE shave with regular soap/cream would solve all of his complaints regarding numbness, irritation/redness, and shave bumps!

After a week, you can even give up the oil and use only warm water. You will find that you will be able to shave ever more swiftly and with ever more abandon. A man can shave his whole face in 20 seconds without a single abrasion.

Click to expand...

Above simply is not possible with thick whiskers. so if it works for the guy who wrote it, it does not for the men in general.

The guy is one of those idiots who thinks they've figured out some great mystery and we've all been duped. He's some kind of jack-leg scientist, too. Check out his rigidly documented analysis of why shaving cream is bad for you:

The problem is this. Shaving cream does something evil to the skin. It somehow weakens the pores and makes the top layer mushy and unresponsive.

Click to expand...

Okay, terrific. I'm sure lots of scientific papers are peppered with such phrases as "does something" and "somehow weakens".

"I Say, Dr. Fonebone... how does your South American poison dart frog create its venom?"

"Humph, well you see Dr. Carbuncle, the frog ingests insects from the forest floor and somehow this food source does something evil to chemicals in it's body. Quite amazing, actually."

(Introspectively puffs pipe) "Hmm, Quite."

There are many thing that are true – the state is a parasite on society, private property would solve most social problems, rock music is tedious and stupid – but are nonetheless not generally known or applied.

Click to expand...

I think that snippet says it all, about the mindset of the author, i.e. "MY opinion is the only one which counts". To state that something is true without giving any supporting evidence for it isn't very convincing.

And I do believe this article has been discussed before:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5506

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10682

/Nicholas

Funny, my very first few shaves were sans cream. By his reckoning I should have never considered shaving cream, odd then that when I finally decided to "steal" some of my Dad's cream I swore I would never shave without it or something that did the same job again.