Proraso - What's the big deal?

Every 6 months or so I buy a 500ml "tube" of Proraso Green. It's big, it's awkward, it's ugly and won't stand on end in a cabinet. It looks like something that should belong on the "enema cart" in a hospital or long-term care facility.

I love the smell and it provides me with outstanding shaves no matter what razor I pick up that day. Great shaves, no nicks, no cuts, no weepers, no irritation. It's the only shaving cream I've used for the past year. Perhaps part of that is because I've used it for so long I have lathering it down to an exact science.

That's why I like it, anyway. Any deviance in the quality of my shaves is not based on the performance of the Proraso, but on how many travel mugs full get run through the old Keurig before I skim that razor across my face in the morning.

I have only used the green cream and Preshave. Always worked well for me. I do tend to use soap more that creams but always keep a tube of Proraso for my change of pace Sunday shave. Put it on the shelf for a while and and try it again in a while.

Just a good performing basic cream at a good price for most. Nothing works for everybody.

The price range and accessibility ensure that most people have tried it and its quality is much higher than other drug-store brands you'll find. The eucalyptus is also a novelty and not very common so people use it frequently in their summer rotation and it is very good at waking you up in the morning.

I really enjoy the Proraso green tub especially when you want a cooling and refreshing shave. It lathers and protects as good as anything I have.

I have always loved the smell and cooling effect of Proraso green. The only thing lacking in my opinion was the slickness. A friend of mine talked me into trying Kiss My Face and instead of trying it by itself I used a brush loaded with half Proraso and half Kiss My Face cool mint. The resulting lather and shave was outstanding with slickness comparable to Stirling. Kiss My Face is cheap and widely available shave cream. Give it a try!!

I used the green this morning and got a great shave. As with all soaps you need the correct water / soap ratio to get the full benfits from the soap.

I bought a twin pack of Bigelow. My salvation? SWMBO also wet shaves, and she agreed to finish off the second tube.
The shave was good, so I whole heartedly agree with everyone who says it works as advertised and gives a good shave. It is however drying. The post shave feel is uncomfortable. It is easily solved with a bit of balm, so no big deal.

Now, it is likely that saying "I don't get it", is not the best way to state the position. Already hackles are raised as if there is something inherently wrong with users who enjoy the product. I always assumed that maybe other users have post shave rituals that include balms and moisturizers and never encounter the unpleasantness of shaving with a desiccant. It is also likely that there are folk who enjoy the astringent nature of the product... kind of like washing your face with a plain soap. It just isn't as luxurious an experience as using TOBS or AoS or even the reasonably priced MWF soap.

Roderick said:

I used the green this morning and got a great shave. As with all soaps you need the correct water / soap ratio to get the full benfits from the soap.

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I enjoy the green tub as well. Easy to lather, and the menthol is terrific. Its become the only soap I buy that costs more than $2 USD. The cream isn't bad either, but I favor the soap. The only tube creams I buy these days are Palmolive & Derby.

Speaking for myself, it's a combination of price and performance. I find the Green cream to be perfect for the warmer weather. I've tried other creams, mainly TOBS, but Proraso will always have a place in my shave den.

I have used C.O. Bigelow, which is alleged to be rebadged Proraso of some sort. The price was right with a 3-for-2 deal at Bath and Body Works. The tube is relatively voluminous for tubed cream. It lathers decently. It travels well. Being foil-like, you can roll it down to a smaller form as the supply dwindles. It has some fragrance, kind of neutral, neither appealing nor not. It mixes well with other creams, like if stretching the supply of something more expensive and more fragrant. Overall I am glad I have it, and the supply will last a long time in my rotation. If I fall upon lasting financial dearth, it is one of those things that will still be there as long as I can maintain a roof to keep it under. Does any of that sound exciting?

Heck, I don't get why anyone would prefer a multiple piece over a TTO as there's just so many advantages with the TTO and absolutely none with a multi-piece, but I don't go asking why they think that multi-pieces are superior or such... it's simply what they prefer.

I guess I'm not like some people, like my friend for example, where he could have the greatest music system in the world and yet, thinks that he can find something better, so he sells one thing after another, over and over, looking for that "ultimate" device... at some point, it's no different than having an addiction, looking for the bigger rush, high, another winning roll of the dice.

It's when it goes from fun, a hobby, to a problem.

Thanks to DE, I now enjoy shaving instead of it being a burden. I see DE shaving as part of a hygiene routine that's part of life, have enjoyed the learning, trying out a few things until I reached a point where I have all the tools to make shaving a fun thing, and I'm pretty much done "exploring" aside a now and then thing that might spark my curiosity...

I also have a few hobbies, one that involves a fairly large collection. Through this, I've learned that it's just a fun thing, and that I'd never find the "end-all" item that would take away everything from the rest of the collection, simply some that are more fun than others, but it's still great to have them all.. but it's only property and God know what will happen to this collection when I'm gone, so I try to enjoy it now.

The number of other threads about Williams and the "haters" that consider it pure garbage, while others like myself like it quite a lot, never have trouble lathering it or using it.

So with all this said: Proraso works great, smells great, available locally for me, and I'm very happy with it. It's my main go-to, and my wife and daughter also love using it.

If you don't, then you simply don't, if you prefer something else, then good for you, in the end, there won't be a truly satisfying answer.

Available at a great price and it works great. Love the green during the hotter months - haven't tried the others yet, but they have been stashed away for future use. Proraso lathers quickly and I think the slickness is great - you definitely need to work in the correct amount of water/product ratio. The left-over residue doesn't bother me - Many other great products will also do the same (ie, TOBS Avocado). Perhaps that's one of the reason's it is slick and moisturising (Maybe). Just buff it off like a car polish and your razor will look shiny afterwards as well.

cvargo said:

I think most wet shavers started with this cream or the soap. It is one of the first that we buy... so it holds a place in our hearts.

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Exactly so. If I was forced to only use Proraso Green for the rest of my days it wouldn't be tragic. I find the cream more consistently good than the croap. I also happen to dislike the bowl that the croap comes in (why not a practical screw cap like Cella?).

The biggest selling point is that it's one of the few quality products consistently available at retail locations across the US.

For many of us it was the first product we tried that showed us how good shaving could be. Unlike all the creams you haveto research and order online, many of us stumbled across it by accident and saw the clouds part and the sun peak through

Used it tonight, flawless shave!

Me today.
Again a great shave!

I use Proraso Green cream daily, no issues or problems. Exceptionally easy to face lather. At current price as sold under the A O Bigelow name, it is reasonable value. There are many good prooducts available,.The most important factor for a good shave is PREP!

Aright Already! Now I gotta try some out!! Wasn't gonna do that, but yall stirred me to action. Is there a general preference to the Tube Proraso vs. the Tub? Is there any appreciable difference in the Tube Proraso vs. Tub Proraso? Which Big Box retailers carry it? Looking for info?

Forgive me if already stated - but I think one answer to the OP's question is that because Proraso is cheap and easy to get, more people have it. If, for example, if 75% of B&B posters own (and like) Proraso, it's going to get 3x the press than say, Trumpers which might be owned by 25%. It's not just that its value proposition makes it attractive and laudable, but the value gets it into more people's hands.

Jblanke said:

Which Big Box retailers carry it? Looking for info?

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Nobody. Try Amazon or any of the online sellers of wet shaving products. Bed, Bath, and Beyond sells CO Bigelow, "made by Proraso". Whether its just rebranded or not, I don't know if anyone has done a true chemical analysis to determine that.

Made by Proraso does not necessarily mean its exactly Proraso.