What to do about dried tubs?...

Hey guys. I have two tubs of Taylor's that I just got in the past two weeks or so from Classic Shaving. Both seem to have dried out a bit (prior to recieving them, that is). In fact, the Avocado was so dry that had cracked. The Lemon Lime wasn't as bad, and actually seems to have softened a bit on its own. I'm wondering if there is any problem with using them, or if there's any way to get them soft again, or if this is just the way they are? They are the first two I've used, so I have no idea if this is common or not. I stirred them up, and that seemed to help...the Lemon Lime especially seemed to really smooth out and is nice and creamy. The Avocado still seems chunky and sticky/waxy though. Thanks in advance for any advice or help.

I'm wondering if they froze, cracked, then thawed before getting you you. I don't really know squat about creams, though.

I'd contact the vendor. Cracking is not a good sign, as it indicates drying (indicating a broken seal) and/or age.
And shave creams do have a more limited shelf-life than soaps.

expatCanuck said:

I'd contact the vendor. Cracking is not a good sign, as it indicates drying (indicating a broken seal) and/or age.
And shave creams do have a more limited shelf-life than soaps.

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Agreed. They sound dehydrated. You can hydrate them but since they are new, return them to the vendor.

Great, thanks for your input guys. I'll contact Classic and let them know.

I had a tub of AOS Lavender that had hardened over the years (ahem). Finally I started soaking it as I do with soaps, and it worked fine.

Then I put my back into it and finished the tub in a month or so. Two-plus years of wet-shaving and I've finished one AOS tub, one soap sample, and a tube of Proraso. The rest of the herd shows no sig of thinning.

Honestly, I have had cream that I thought were too creamy, and I left them out lidless for a couple weeks, stirring them each day. They really stiffened up nicely. It did not seems to effect the lathering properties at all.

unless its runny, no need to harden it up,
hard creams, first contact the vendor, if they say you can fix them,
then i guess you´re going to need a spoon, a glass of water and something to stir with, add water in small ammounts and stir, let it absorb before adding more,

Take a tablespoon of water and let it sit for a 2-3 days. If it is slightly dehydrated, go teaspoon by teaspoon. This is what I do with my Coates.

but it also depends very much on the cream and whether it is an oil in water (o/w) or a water in oil (w/o).

Providing it is an o/w cream where the oil is the internal phase of the cream and the water is the external phase, you should be able to add water, give it a good mix and use it.

If it were w/o cream (and probably not likely anyway) the water is the internal phase and the oil the external phase. Mixing water into w/o creams may cause them to split, but you could easily dilute it with oil.

There is one simple test to tell if you have o/w or w/o creams and that is to run a current through it. o/w will conduct electricity and w/o will not.

Depending on the manufacturer, of the cream you are most likely looking at around 8-12% total fatty acids with the bulk of the remainder being water.

Does this answer your question or have I just exposed myself as an l33t g33k of cosmetic applications and formulations?

What is the point of rehydrating? A DE-hydrated cream will have a longer shelf life due to the lower moisture content which helps to ward off bacteria growth.

mikehunt said:

What is the point of rehydrating? A DE-hydrated cream will have a longer shelf life due to the lower moisture content which helps to ward off bacteria growth.

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True, but the parabens and other preservatives will inhibit bacterial growth anyway.

Taylors creams are known for inconsistency like that. I have some avocado cream and it is very goopy and I had a St. James that was a little dry and hard, like a soft soap, but I don't think it is like you describe. Anyways, both of mine work great.

herbnerd said:

Does this answer your question or have I just exposed myself as an l33t g33k of cosmetic applications and formulations?

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Sorry, but I think you've just exposed yourself!

scottydoint said:

Taylors creams are known for inconsistency like that. I have some avocado cream and it is very goopy and I had a St. James that was a little dry and hard, like a soft soap, but I don't think it is like you describe. Anyways, both of mine work great.

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I also have two D.R. Harris creams that have the same differences. The Lavender is dried out, but no cracks ( that's the way I got it new) and the Arlington is nice and creamy. So I guess it's not just TOBS. And, as you say, both work just fine, even if I have to work the Lavender more.