What's new

Item of the Week 8/12 - Talcum Powder (post-shave, brand not important)

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Hello to all.

This will be the twenty-fifth in a series of "item of the week" threads that I am promoting in the general shave discussion forum.
The rules:









  1. It is very simple. Use the item of the week for the week that it is scheduled and post your thoughts on that item in its thread.
  2. Everything else in your shave line-up may be rotated at will, but keep the featured item of the week as part of each shave.
  3. The weeks will start on Monday and end on Saturday. Sunday could be a free day, or an overlap day for the next week or whatever.








The twenty-fifth featured item of the week will be Talcum Powder. Post-Shave, brand not important.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
This could be interesting. I don't recall seeing much talk of Talcum Powder around here.

what ya got and how do you use it?!
 
This one is easy for me! Been using Pinaud talc for years and years! I never really used it in my shave though, I always post shower take a bath in it! I could never only use deodorant/antiperspirant! I always need a top off with the powder and it smells great too!
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
I've never once tried any type of talcum powder. Post shave or otherwise.

I'm curious how you would incorporate it in to the shave. Use it instead of an aftershave? or before your aftershave?
 
They auctioned off John Wayne's shaving kit last summer and inside was a plastic container of Johnson's baby powder. That's what my dad used for many years, my wife used on our kids "behinds", and I have in my travel bag........whatever works.
 
Interesting...I'm in on this one. About a month ago I bought a package of vintage Old Spice stuff from ebay. Included were two bottles of aftershave lotion, a bottle of talc (50's style "Ship Mt. Vernon" I think..) and a smaller travel bottle of talc (early 60's..?). All were at least half full of product.

I've only used the talc two or three times but will dip into the bottle again for this week's shaves. There's always a great reason to dip into the vintage Old Spice stock! It has a very light ...ummm...powdery fragrance that gives the skin a smooth matte feel. It's quite nice. I put it on after the aftershave as a last step. It adds another step to the post-shave routine, but I do like the way it makes my skin feel.
 
I have some Pinaud talc, too. How, for what purpose, is this used with shaving? (i.e., I know it is.... is it after a splash dries? In lieu of splash? Is it just to keep one's collars sweat-free? What?)
A related question -- many powders advertise being "talc free!" like that's something desireable. Is it? For whom?
 
I have some Pinaud talc, too. How, for what purpose, is this used with shaving? (i.e., I know it is.... is it after a splash dries? In lieu of splash? Is it just to keep one's collars sweat-free? What?)
A related question -- many powders advertise being "talc free!" like that's something desireable. Is it? For whom?

For the first part, I find that it keeps my skin smooth and soft after a shave. Secondly, the few times I have used talc, I use an alcohol-based splash first, then put on talc once the AS dries (~1 minute or so).


DISCLAIMER - I REALLY KNOW NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL ABOUT THE NEXT BIT OF INFO I'M ABOUT TO PUT OUT THERE TO ANSWER YOUR LAST QUESTION, OTHER THAN WHAT I READ ON THE INTERNET...TAKE IT WITH AS BIG A GRAIN OF SALT AS YOU LIKE.


Lastly, talcum powder gets a little bit of a bad reputation because it can potentially be contaminated with asbestos (a carcinogen) and so the American Cancer Society has done some (*inconclusive*) studies about linking the use of talc powder to different cancers. Keeping a product "talc free" keeps "easy-to-worry" consumers from being concerned about this possibility.
 
Last edited:
Easy, now back from the trip, I can play in this one.
Almost like a 'wild card' so we can play around with other elements as we like!

The Clubman talc is by far, the quintessential 'barbershop' fragrance.
Just about every barber has used it over my (long!) lifespan.

Interesting to note the label on the vintage Palmolive talc,
"Removes After Shave Shine"!
Anyway, I'll probably be using this more as a body thing/deodorant.
Hey, I LIKE an After Shave Shine!

$2013-08-11T17-17-10_0.jpg
 
I sure wouldn't use it on my mug, but does the Gold Bond spray stuff count? I checked and it does contain talc. The classic scent with menthol version rocks! :punk:
 
I have Clubman talc and I'll be happy to use it this week! My barber uses it in a neck duster brush to clear away the hair clippings on my face and neck. The smell reminds me of my neighborhood barber shop from my childhood!
 
Thanks RobW and WiskyT. I think I'll pass on putting this stuff near my face. Breathing is already difficult for me.
 
IOTW, any talc, Sunday, Aug 11th, 2013
Prep with shower and Brad's PSO.
Penhaligon's English Fern soap in bowl (old version) with Omega silvertip
Filarmonica 12 for two passes, touchup with EJ DE87 and SuperMax
Spritzes of EF EDT and a smear of IK shea cream
Oh, yes, a torso dusting of good ole Clubman talc.
Nice shave.
(Comment...the EF tallow soap was nice but dried a little on the face...probably needed more water!)

full
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I actually used some Pinaud talcum on my face after a shower (shaved before all that when I went to the gym). Felt great and smelled great!
 
I really like how this powder makes my face feel afterward. The Shulton Old Spice seems quite different than something like Johnson & Johnson baby powder...there is absolutely NO "dust" that gets kicked up when I shake it out of the bottle. I don't know if this is due to aging, or what, but it keeps a nice neat little pile in my hand that is very easy to apply to my face.

Other gear: Proraso pre-post (green); D-3 Red Tip SS; Astra SP (1); Simpsons Colonel X2L; Mystic Waters Wild Lavender; Shulton Old Spice AS

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ohhhh as a matter of fact, I use the Clubman Talc regularly including today! What do I think? I love it. Takes any irritation away, goes well with my Floid Blue, and is the best scent known to man. You created this thing just for me, basically.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
so gents.....when you use the talcum powder as aftershave (such as the old spice, or clubman) how does the moisture on your skin effect the powder? Do you simply assure that your face is throughly dried first?

or is there no effect at all?
 
so gents.....when you use the talcum powder as aftershave (such as the old spice, or clubman) how does the moisture on your skin effect the powder? Do you simply assure that your face is throughly dried first?

or is there no effect at all?

I let the AS dry out for ~a minute or so first....doesn't have to be bone dry for application, I don't think.

Here's my routine:
1. Shave, CWR
2. Pat dry, start putting stuff away
3. slap on AS
4. Clean sink/brush
5. put on talc

My face is dry enough between steps where one product doesn't really affect another.
 
Top Bottom